I was driving to the Oregon Christian Writer’s conference a few years back and I was praying and listening to the Newsboys tape (my car is old) that my husband made for me. I was praying through book three of the Blood of Kings trilogy (From Darkness Won) because I was stuck and didn’t know how I was going to end the thing! I had this epic, Tolkien-esque adventure, and I had readers emailing me how much they loved it, and I was feeling all this pressure to end it well, but I didn’t know what to do.
So I was praying, and I had just passed Multnomah Falls, which is one of my most favorite places in the whole world. So beautiful. And I suddenly tuned out of my prayer and into the music. And I heard, “All the powers of darkness tremble at what they’ve just heard. All the powers of darkness can’t drown out a single word.”
And I knew exactly what I needed to do to end my trilogy! I was beside myself praising God for using the Newsboys’ song He Reigns to answer my prayer, and when I got to the writer’s conference, I ran to find my editor, Jeff Gerke, and told him how I figured out how to end the war and he was, like, “Yes!”
Anyway… when you get stuck in your writing or in your life, you never know what God might use to help you through it. It might be a song, a kind word from a friend, a bird, an email. Trust that he is listening to your prayers and he will answer, just maybe not in the way you expected an answer.
Here’s the music video for “He Reigns.” Listen for the lines that saved From Darkness Won! Coolness, huh?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2pw3rJvif8&feature=fvwrel[/youtube]
That’s an awesome story, Mrs. Williamson! The answers to God’s prayers are often where we least expect. Next time I am suffering from writer’s block, I will be sure to pray.
Love that story! 🙂
That is so sweet. I know I have been inspiried by songs before but usually for my life and not my writing. I have to remember that God will speak to me in many ways when I pray and trust Him with my writing. Thanks for the great story, Jill!
Yay!! Thank goodness! I can’t wait to finish the book, and see how it ends!
That’s such a cool story! 🙂 Something like that sort of happened to me with my current WIP “13 Months”. In the story, two teens are trying to get through this world to their destination at the end as fast as possible. While I was planning the series, our pastor did a series called “Waiting Room” about waiting for God to act on our problems or for things to happen. Two of the points hit me as lessons or issues that fit the entire plot of the book.
1. Sometimes we can be so caught up with getting to the destination that we forget to enjoy the journey.
2. Maybe why we can’t get to our destination now is because there’s something for us to learn along the way.
These two points totally helped me develop a base line of the things my main characters were going to learn at the end. The sermon was spoken at just the right time to help me pull my book’s planning off. God speaks to us in amazing ways 🙂
That’s cool, Abigail! It’s exciting when things work out so well, huh? God is good! All the time.
I love your story! God is good!
Thanks, Phyllis! He certainly is! 🙂
Love that song and so amazing how God works.
I could use a breath of fresh air for a story that seems to be dying on the vine and choking the life out of me.
JM,
Thanks! Sometimes it helps to put the story down and write something else. That often helps me. If you’re not under a deadline, you have the freedom to step away for a bit and come back later with a fresh perspective. But, if you’re under a deadline from a publisher, pray hard! Pray hard, anyway. Prayer is always helpful.
That story really inspired me, Jill! Thanks so much
for sharing. I am working on a story right now, and
I felt led to show my love of God through my character. It’s refreshing!
Thanks for the encouragement!
You’re welcome, Rose! I’m glad it was inspiring.
🙂