An Unexpected Journey

Thursday, October 19th, 2017     by Debra DuPree Williams     2 Comments

by Debra DuPree Williams                                                                           @DDuPreeWilliams

Back in 2011, when my husband and I lived with our eldest son and his family for a few months, I spent a great deal of time with our then, fourteen-month-old granddaughter. She was a delight, as was her seven-year-old sister. Their needs were very different. Jim chauffeured P to all of her camps and activities while I remained at home with E.

E and I spent many happy hours devouring every little board book and every picture book in their home. She had her favorites. One of those was about a band. Since she comes from a long line of musicians, including her dad who plays guitar and drums, and her mother who was a drummer in a rock band back in her school days, I think it was just a genetic thing for her to be drawn to that little book.

But one of her books made me cringe every time I read it. The rhythm of the words was off. I had a hard time reading that book, but E loved it, so I read it anyway and tried not to make too many faces.

One night I thought, I can do this. I’ve written poetry all my life. I think I could write a children’s book. So, I set about giving it a go. I wrote a book about music, of course (I have two degrees in music). It wasn’t a grand book, but it was a start. It featured an adorable little conductor whom I called Maestro Musik. It taught some basic music lessons, too.


Still Writing
Fast forward to 2013. Jim and I were back in Florida, missing our very special time with our precious little girls. I was still writing because it felt like something I was supposed to be doing rather than just something I wanted to do. I had written a couple more children’s books and even started a romance which I completed in 2015. But a story kept running through my mind that just wouldn’t be quiet. I’d awaken in the wee hours to work on it.

I’ve told you the story of how I wound up at BRMCWC in 2015. Believe me when I tell you, it was a God-incidence. I couldn’t have imagined that I would be sitting in the midst of such great writers─Chritsy Award winners, Rita Award winners, Genesis Award Winners, Selah Award winners. And I certainly had no clue that I would one day call so many of these people my friends, or that they would be my teachers and mentors. 
And I never imagined that my work would one day win awards at BRMCWC and Autumn in the Mountains Novelist Retreat. I’m currently working with a pro, taking social media classes, and my novel, Grave Consequences, is being edited by one of the best and she’s also my writing coach. We’ll see what the future holds for me. God already knows. I only have to trust and obey and do the hard work in the meantime.

I know that I talk about this a lot. But it’s because I want you to know that if I can do this, so can you. I know that many of you who read this are writers. Some of you I’ve met at one or the other of the conferences or in my writing group. But others are friends or family who post to FB and who have an obvious gift of writing, but who, for one reason or another, haven’t ventured forth on this journey. I want to encourage you to do so. You cannot imagine the many blessings awaiting you along the way. 
Take That First Step
Take that first step of faith and find a writing group near you. Attend a local conference. Find a distant conference and take your vacation there. Sit in on some classes and have doors opened that you never thought possible. Buy writing books. Join an online writing class. There are so many excellent ones out there. All you have to do is search and you will find the perfect one for you. Yes, some are costly, but there are plenty that are not. And what you get in return is well worth the investment.

Remember when I said that writing felt like something I’m supposed to do? That’s because, as a Christian, I believe that writing is a calling. I don’t know what the message is that God expects me to deliver through my words. I only know that I trust Him to guide me as I write. I can’t do this without Him. Like all the other writers I know, I pray before I touch the keyboard.

I may not be as profound in my message as some writers I know. There are those out there whose work knocks my socks off every time I read their words. Some are fiction writers, others write primarily non-fiction. Some write both. But I believe that what I have to say is important to someone, or God wouldn’t have called me to this in the first place.

Are You Being Called?
Do you feel that tug at your heart? Is there something in your being that tells you this is what you are being called to do? If so, tell us about that here. If you want to send me a private message, I will be glad to pray for your journey. Expect the unexpected.

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2 Comments

    The Conversation

  1. Debra DuPree Williams says:
    October 21, 2017 at 10:35 am

    Thank you Sandra, I appreciate that. And I pray the same for you.

  2. Unknown says:
    October 20, 2017 at 6:39 am

    Thanks for the encouragement. May God continue to bless your obedience.

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