Our Days Are Short

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Each of us have a limited number of days on this planet. We may not think about it but sometimes this fact comes roaring our lives. 

In my Bible, I have a series of friends photos that I pray for every day. A number of these people are missionaries that I served with through Wycliffe Bible Translators. A few weeks ago one of these friends that I’ve known since the 70s and appeared in great health. He had a heart-attack and died. While I’ve often read heart attacks are a leading cause of death, the passing of this friend touched me personally--way more than any statistic.

As I’ve grown older and had many different experiences, I’m aware that our days on this planet are not endless but overall short. As writers, we need to be aware of the shortness of time and use this limited resource wisely. In Latin the term carp deim or pluck the day and seize the moment. 

Use Your Time Wisely

The bulk of these articles on The Writing Life give insights and encouragement for your work in publishing. I wanted to mke sure this article also includes this element. For the rest of this article, I’m highlighting a set of principles or maxims which are buried in the final pages of both versions of Book Proposals That Sell. I wrote the original version of this book as a frustrated acquisitions editor trying to receive better submissions. The book has helped many writers and has over 150 Five Star Reviews and exceeded any of my expectations. 

12 Maxims for Any Writer

Throughout my career, I’ve used these operating principles. I hope these maxims will aid you in your overall writing career. 

1. Never forget the impact of your words—positive or negative. Most days, I feel the pressure of motivation to make money as a freelancer. I’ve got bills and obligations which demand payment. Yet if you are so money-driven that you never make any decisions about your writing except ones which are motivated from finances, it will be difficult for you to advance in nonfiction or fiction. Don’t get me wrong. I want to be fairly compensated for my work but I also want to enjoy my work and what I do day in and day out. You need to be conscious of your motivation behind your writing and let that drive your daily efforts.

2. Never forget your writing is a privilege and a business—so seek to maintain balance. Too many writers hesitate to ask for their materials or for a decision about a query or proposal. They send it out once or twice, then it’s rejected and they don’t properly market or even follow-up. 

3. Celebrate your writing successes. Never lose the wonder of the opportunity. At another conference I attended—a secular writing conference in Southern California—I was fascinated by a secular novelist and his message. While waiting to ask him a question after the session, I turned to another person and asked if she had taken this instructor’s writing class. The woman puffed up her face in disgust and replied, “No, I’m a published author.” Just because our material is printed in magazines or books, it should not build us up in pride. Believe me, sometimes it’s difficult but as writers we need to keep things in balance, especially when it comes to books. 

4. Believe in the quality of your work and the value of your message. Surprises always happen. I work hard at my craft and perseverance is a key factor. Don’t get me wrong but I love to receive my material in print. It’s a surprise and a special blessing. It’s the new box of books hot off the press or the magazine article in a missionary publication. I marvel at the grace in my life. I’d encourage you to absorb the same attitude no matter how many books you publish. 

5. Expect to serve an apprenticeship. It’s a false expectation to go from nothing to book contracts. Everyone is expected to move through the ranks of this business. It takes diligence and perseverance to succeed. 

6. Learn all you can from every possible source. If you approach life in this fashion, you will find that you can learn from a multitude of sources. 

7. Act wisely and thoughtfully. Haste usually makes waste. 

8. Never resist rewriting. Your words are not etched in stone. 

9. Never resist editing. Again, your words are not etched in stone. 

10. When you receive advice about your writing, learn to evaluate it critically. Sometimes you will get advice from a fellow writer or a family member and it doesn’t “feel” like something you should take. Follow that instinct. 

11. Treat editors as the coach on your team. They know their audience, so respect their counsel and only reject it with good reason. 

12. Never rest on your laurels. Be looking for your next opportunity. I’ve discovered that writing opportunities abound—particularly when I’m actively looking for them.

 

As I read through each of these principles, I know the stories and experiences which are baked into each one. My hope is they will encourage you to seize the day and continue moving forward with your writing life. You are the only person who can stop the writing journey through your quiting (which I hope you don’t do). 

In the comments, let me know which principle spoke to you and your writing life. Or tell me about another principle which is missing from my list. I look forward to your comments.

Tweetable:

It’s easy to believe our days are endless. This prolific author and editor encourages us to understand our days are short. Also this article highlights 12 maxims.  (ClickToTweet)

My Writing In Other Places:

With these articles, I encourage you to publish your work beyond your blog in other places. Below are three articles which were published in other online locations than this blog.

At Almost An Author, I guest blog each month about an aspect of book proposal creation. This month I asked and answered a common question: Why Do Editors Take So Long with my Submission? at:  https://bit.ly/3Xk7Urg

This time of year, many writers feel like they have missed their goals. At Writers on the Move, I guest blogged about how writers can meet their goals and how to create a strategy for their writing at: https://bit.ly/48lT4Xe 

Each year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the majority of publishing is silent. At the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Blog, I encourage writers to thrive during the silent days at: https://bit.ly/3JTpbo6

New Podcasts:

In these articles, I’ve encouraged you to use PodMatch or some similar tool to book and record podcasts. Last week two more of my podcast recordings were launched:

Jan Johnson and I spoke about Revolutionary Jesus: Shifting Paradigms on Just Talkin' About Jesus Podcast. Watch at: https://bit.ly/4pwPqzM or listen at: https://bit.ly/4p6SVgi 

Ken Primus (@ThreadsofEnlig1) and I spoke about the art of storytelling: how powerful stories shape identity and purpose on The Threads of Enlightenment Podcast. Watch at: https://bit.ly/43X2hTB or listen at: https://bit.ly/48qShU4 

Even if you self-publish your book, you need to be cautious about your decisions and who you choose to work with for your book production. I’ve met authors who have spent thousands of dollars in the self-publishing process and unknowingly worked with someone in the Philippines and produced a terrible looking book which is only sold online. I’ve heard the unrealistic expectations of writers. I wrote 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS to give authors practical help. You can get decades of insights in 10 PUBLISHING MYTHS for only $10, free shipping and over $200 of bonuses.

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