One of my all-time favorite authors, Ted Dekker, recently came out with a short interview and e-book about how he views writing, the thing he says has helped him sell millions of books and able to write for a living. You can download both items for free HERE!

Ever since listening to and reading his advice, I have been diving deep into planning for the Book Book. (I’ll fill you in on The Blessed status later.) I had my world built, my characters developed, my plot structure basically figured out, and, upon gaining his advice, have been seeing the Book Book and its characters in a completely new light.

It’s a viewpoint that says “this is my story”, not simply the story of my characters. I spent an evening soul searching, being vulnerable, and listing down my insecurities, fears, struggles, and false identities. I looked at the list and found that my two main characters could identify with many of the things I struggled with, but there were a few themes that were the strongest connection between the three of us.

It’s a theme of people pleasing, spurred from the fear of failing others. A theme of sacrificing doing what is right in order to do something good that others will see.

This theme has spurred on a lot of searching, and while a few answers have risen quickly to the top, I know there is further down the rabbit hole to go yet:

 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I were still trying to please men, I would not be a daughter of the King.
Galatians 1:10

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?
Matthew 16:25-26

I love the reminder that Ted Dekker brought up time and time again, that when we have inspiration, we are in the Spirit and I look forward to having my eyes opened as I grow with my characters in discovering what it looks like to have a servant’s heart but not with the goal of gaining other’s approval, but instead as a way to live out my identity as an Heir with Christ.
Romans 8:17