“If we had to say what writing is, we would have to define it essentially as an act of courage.” Cynthia Ozick
I remember creating a children’s book for my high school freshman English class. This teacher, Mr. Crnich, loved the red pen and always gave feedback on my work. I had a lot of fun writing my story of a sweet little bunny who permanently scarred his bunny ear when a rose thorn poked a hole in it. He had to learn to live with looking different. I loved my little story and it took great courage to turn it in. Especially because I don’t consider myself an artist and I illustrated it myself.
Had we not had that assignment, I may never have thought of myself as a storyteller. But the encouragement from Mr. Crnich gave me the courage to see myself as a writer.
Dictionary.com defines courage as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.
I often think of the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz when I think about overcoming courage to write one of my stories.
What did he do to gain the courage to approach The Wizard?
When I was writing my first book, Caregiver’s Devotions to Go, I was afraid. Did I really have thirty stories to tell? Would the editor like them? Would anyone read my book?
Here is what I did to get through to the end.
Just today, I received a note in the mail from a reader.
Dear Gigi:
I love your book, Caregiver’s Devotional to Go: The Women’s Devotions to Go Series.
Please send me one more. I hope this money is enough. I saw you at Philipsburg, Montana where I bought three at the After Five group. My mom, Frances Glynn, Carol Bowen and I all love the book.
It’s the best spiritual book I’ve ever read and I’ve never been much of a reader. Carol has read it several times.
I don’t have internet so that is why I’m writing you.
With Love, Thank you, Sandra R. Matesich.
If you are looking for courage in your writing, let me know and I will pray with you. I’d like to suggest a book that might help. It is called. The Courage to Write [How Writers Transcend Fear] by Ralph Keyes – author of The Writer’s Book of Hope.
May God Bless you with the courage to write that next sentence.
Bless you
Gigi Devine Murfitt
www.GigiMurfitt.com