Calling in the Big Guns

Thursday, October 4th, 2018     by Debra DuPree Williams     Start the Conversation
By Debra DuPree Williams @DDuPreeWilliams
I’ve been at this writing business for quite a few years now. Decades, really if you go way back to when I wrote my first novel in seventh grade. It was awful, as you would expect. But I wrote faithfully, every single night. I took my work to my friend who eagerly awaited the day’s additions. All these years later, I have no clue what happened to that first book. Knowing my mother, it quietly made its way into the trash once I was otherwise occupied with normal teen things—Sunday afternoon movies, hanging out with friends, church youth group,  and always, music.

Getting Serious
Flash forward a few decades when I began to take writing seriously. I’ve related the story of how I began writing again. I did leave out the part about trying to write when my boys were very small. My hat is off to all of you young mothers who manage both home and kids and writing, seemingly so effortlessly. I know it only looks that way from the outside. I was there, I know how difficult it is.

It wasn’t until all of my boys were out of our home that I began to write in earnest. Our youngest was away in college and my husband and I had temporarily moved to Virginia to help with our two young granddaughters. It was such a special time, one we will never forget. At night, I tried my hand at writing children’s stories. I still have those. Maybe one day I’ll pull them out and polish them up with a bit of editing and revision. One day . . . maybe.

But God must have had a different plan as the story of my great-grandmother’s missing grave tugged at me. I finally sat down and began with an elevator pitch. Really. That’s how I started. If I didn’t know how to put my idea into a nutshell, how could I see the big picture?

Next, I attended my first writers conference where I met people who encouraged me. I came home and purchased a whole bunch of writing books. I read and I wrote and read some more. Eventually, my great-grandmother’s story began to take form. I worked and had it critiqued at other conferences. I reworked and read and wrote some more. The seed of an idea had grown into a cozy mystery. I entered it into contests at the conferences and it actually won a few awards. Shocked doesn’t begin to describe how I felt.

Getting Help
If I was to succeed at this writing business I had to finish that book. But it isn’t enough to write. Once finished, I knew I had to have help. So, I hired the best social media coach I could find and began to learn all the things I had no clue how to do. Then, I hired a writing coach and editor, again, the best I knew. Week by week I learned how to make my work something better than it was, and I can now do most, if not all, of the social media things expected of writers. This weekly blog is one of the things I learned to do.  I am blessed to be able to continue working with both of these talented ladies.

And now, I’m in the most difficult part of all . . . waiting. I don’t know what plans God has for this book, but I know that He is the one who laid the story on my heart. He’s the one who has continually called me to this. He knows what lies ahead and I put my faith, my trust, and yes—my hope—in Him. I even have a plaque in my office which reads My Hope is in Thee (Psalm 39:7). And while I wait, I’m working on book two in the series.

Whether you are a writer or not, whatever your chosen profession, we all need help at times. Do you have the best helper of all in your arsenal? I’m talking about Jesus Christ. I can’t imagine going on this writing journey without Him. I cling to Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (NASB)

How has your professional journey evolved? Have you had to call upon the experts? Share your experiences with us.

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