:: in.a.mirror.dimly ::

Writer and soon to be book author Jeff Goins has not one but two E-books out right now about writing and publishing. Jeff’s blog and e-newsletter are among the best resources I know of for writers, so if you’re serious about writing, check out his new books and be sure to subscribe to everything he offers.

Since Jeff and I have both put out books on publishing and writing (A Path to Publishing is my introduction to nonfiction publishing), we exchanged some questions and answers for each other via e-mail. Here’s our running e-mail conversation about writing and publishing:

Ed’s Question

You often provide simple, straightforward ways to to get down to the business of writing on your blog, and I’m often impressed with the clarity and focus of your writing. How do you avoid distractions or the temptation to stall when you dig into a writing project?

Jeff’s Answer

Any image of productivity I project is an illusion. I am lazy, undisciplined, and unmotivated. I need to trick myself into doing the things that I must. Even with writing, I am this way.

How do I avoid distractions and the temptation to stall? Well, first of all, I stall every day. But I also realize that I am my own worst enemy. I am what is holding me back. In order to push through, I have to realize there is a cost to my not sharing my work — a pretty big one. The fear of not doing work that matters forces me to create, forces me to ship (even when I’m scared a project isn’t ready).

I take things in small steps, little by little. If I ever tackled a big project, understanding how large it was, I wouldn’t begin. Instead, I break it into small chunks and take it one step at a time. This is how you train for marathons, and this is how you write a book.

Jeff’s Question

Can you really live as a freelancer? How do you make a living from writing? What advice would you have for those starting out?

Ed’s Answer

With a few caveats and qualifiers, it is possible to make a respectable living as a freelance writer. It’s really tough to make a living as a full time book author or magazine writer, so I’ll just say that a sure-fire way to earn a living as a freelance writer is through business writing. Keeping things ridiculously brief, I’d suggest starting by creating excellent work that you can share as part of a portfolio on your website: articles, blog posts, e-books, etc. Then, and some may be shocked by this, advertise yourself in places like Craig’s List. I have an ad on ThumbTack.com which I can regularly re-post to Craig’s List. My approach is a bit like your publishing strategy: create something that is valuable and let others find you.

I’ve found work in a variety of ways, but by advertising myself, I’ve attracted the kinds of clients that I want to work for and who can pay my rates. I should add the caveat that I get medical benefits through my wife, and I would need double my current client load in order to fully support us financially by myself–something that I think I could do but don’t want to try since my plan is to keep writing as a stay at home dad. If you’re starting out, the most important conversations you need to have are with your spouse or roommates, as your income may fluctuate for a year or so while you get yourself established.

Ed’s Question

What investment, practice, or strategy has paid off beyond your expectations?

Jeff’s Answer

What has worked for me is actually writing. Getting up every day and writing (no matter what) for a year made me a better writer than occasionally writing for decades. I used to write when I felt inspired, and I would write a LOT. Now, I just write a little each day, and it has made me better than ever. That in addition to reading a lot has made me a better writer.

Jeff’s Question

Ed, for someone who is approaching their first book (I know you’ve written a few), what advice do you have for them? How do you start? How do you finish? How do you keep showing up after it gets hard?

Ed’s Answer

In order to start a nonfiction book (which is what I write), I’m a big believer in outlining but also trusting my instincts to write a section if I’m in a groove. I use sub-headings in my chapters, but now I also break things down into small bits: opening story, big idea, illustration, summary, transition to next point, and then another story. That may sound like there isn’t a whole lot of magic to that approach, but a nonfiction book needs to have a sound structure where each idea and story connects so that readers know why they need to keep reading. In my experience, good outlines make magic possible.

When writing gets hard, I change format. I make revisions on  printed pages. I restart problem chapters on a legal pad where the writing is low stakes. I begin each day with editing before the creative writing. Sometimes I just go to bed.

In order to finish, you need a deadline—something that’s essential if you’re self-publishing. I know I’ve done all that I can when I’m really sick of the book. Having just sent the first draft of my next book out, I’m really happy I won’t have to look at it for a while!

Ed’s Question

For those who have been blogging for a little while but don’t feel like they’re getting anywhere, what would you suggest they do?

Jeff’s Answer

Well, you have two options: Quit or keep going.

If you quit, you can start over or move on. It may be that blogging is not for you. Contrary to what some people think, I don’t believe everyone should have a blog. It’s a great way to express yourself, but if you’re not willing to do the work, why bother? You’re probably better suited to invest your time and talent elsewhere.

That said, if you decide to keep going — if you conclude that blogging actually is for you — then be honest: Are you really providing the best possible content you can? Or are you doing what I did for years, pushing out mediocre stuff and trying to pass it off as excellent? So many people online want an audience or more attention.

Our world is addicted to celebrity, and now with social media, we can all be “famous.” The challenge, though, is to be famous for the right reasons — not because your controversial or contentious, but because you actually have something meaningful to say.

It’s hard to give general advice, but if you’re like me, you may find that you weren’t completely respecting the craft of blogging. Maybe you saw other writers out there “making it” and thought you could do better. But when you started doing it every day, you realized how hard it actually was. I suggest humbling yourself and becoming a student. I am always learning what I don’t know — as it relates to writing, technology, and even human motivation.

For me, I needed to quit and start over. Doing this gave me a fresh start and enabled to say what I really wanted to say. I blogged for five years before I had any kind of audience. If you aspire to reach people, be prepared to practice and do the work. It may happen more quickly than you thought, or it may take time. But if you do the work, you’ll reap the rewards.

Jeff’s Question

What’s the secret to getting published? We’ve all heard the pat answers, but what’s been your experience? Is there something that doesn’t get talked about – something important?

Ed’s Answer

There are so many different ways people can get published, but I do have one tip and one secret. The tip is this: go to conferences and get to know the editors. Ask them what they’re excited about and ask yourself, “Can I work with this person?” and “Will this person invest in me and my ideas?” Coffeehouse Theology happened in part because I clicked with the acquisition editor.

My secret, which may not be much of a secret to some people, is that your experiences will define what you write and editors will notice when you have a story to tell. So either dig into your past and find your story or go out to serve other people and live a story that you can tell or that helps you write with greater insight. One of the first editors who saw the early, early draft of what became Coffeehouse Theology asked what kinds of experiences I had in ministry and with theology. I didn’t have enough, and I had to do more than research and study. I had to get out and minister. The less I live my days obsessed with myself, the easier it is to write my stories when I’m alone. The more I push myself beyond my boundaries, the better my writing.

I can’t thank Jeff enough for the time he took to answer my questions. All the best on your upcoming book Jeff!

About Jeff Goins

From Jeff’s About page: “I live with my wife Ashley and our dog Lyric and have been working from home for a nonprofit called Adventures in Missions since 2006.

I’ve written and guest-blogged for a number of publications and blogs. For more about my work, see my writing portfolio.

I also help organizations with their marketing, communications, and creativity. If you want to work with me or have me come speak to your team, give me a shout.”

Two years ago the new editor for a book project wrote to me saying that I needed to completely rewrite my draft. While he had some good suggestions, he also strongly disagreed with me on some issues where he asserted that I “didn’t add any wisdom to the topic.”

Ouch!

In my defense, I’d say that part of the problem was he just didn’t like my perspective or theology since I didn’t hold to his extremely conservative views, but that’s a whole other story about a book that was never published but taught me a ton of lessons. We parted ways cordially, but I’ve often thought about whether my writing is adding wisdom since receiving that e-mail.

It’s a good question for writers and especially bloggers to ask themselves.

Are we writing about a controversy or really anything popular just to get page views, to make ourselves look smart, or to vent some self-righteous rage (hello Casey Anthony trial)?

I’ve been asking myself those questions a lot over the past year, and the answers are not always heartening. My goal in writing is to be redemptive, helping others take positive steps forward. Too often I’ve aimed to just say something, to vent some anger, to share an opinion, to whine, to show my righteousness, or to even get a bit of traffic.

I’m not an expert on writing stuff that actually helps, but I’ve noticed that asking a few questions lead me to posts that are a bit more helpful for readers:

• Do I personally have a unique perspective to add to a discussion?
• Will my perspective actually help people? For my Christian topics, will they help others love God or others better?
• Am I adding clarity, new information, or practical action steps?

Those three questions have saved me from writing some hand-wringing, self-righteous, snarky, whiny posts. I was going to write this post last Friday but, ahem, decided to sit on it for reasons I will not mention…

We’re all capable of writing a bad blog post, and I think there’s so much garbage on the internet, that it’s worth trying to say something that is redemptive and constructive. Otherwise, we’re just adding to the noise.

Something that’s been on my mind and heart over the past few months has been the nature of many online conservations. This is tough to talk about because I think there are a lot of great people who are advancing good perspectives that we need to consider.

Our problem is more with our approach to writing about them.

As I look back at all of the controversies of the past few months, I’ve been asking myself how many of the blog posts I’ve read have actually helped me live better, loving God and others more, and whether I’ve actually helped anyone with my own contributions.

It’s funny that in a multiple choice test, I can pick out what Jesus said is most important, what commandments come above the others. However, when I have to apply that answer to my daily decisions, I can gravitate toward discussions and topics that pull myself away from that simple answer.

If Martin Luther was around today, I think he’d write something a little snarky like, “Application is a bitch.”

That application part is so hard. Whether we’re poking and prodding one another over hell, venting fury over a pro-gay ad that was posted instead as an article on a progressive evangelical website, or speculating over whether someone is guilty of a crime, the less our conversations are about us personally, the worse they will be.

So long as I can write about “these people with an agenda” or “those people who want to ruin Christianity,” I’m not writing about my own issues and the thousand other things we have in common with others—the very things we’d probably discuss if we sat around a circle at a barbeque and drank beer together.

With all of the uptight, angry blog posts out there, perhaps some days we need less blogs and more beer, but that’s another discussion… (wink, wink).

Whether we realize it or not, our writing is about us. We reveal our priorities and values each time we hit post. I hope that our writing reveals people who want to help others, to especially encourage others in the pursuit of God’s love and holiness.

For all the times I’ve failed to offer something constructive, I’ve also enjoyed receiving notes from readers who have been encouraged to read about my struggles and attempts to sort things out. Those notes are the most rewarding part of writing, and they remind me that writing is a hollow, empty pursuit without keeping the reader’s best in mind.

For all of the vanity that writing entails, it is liberating to remember that the best writing is a gift to others.

I can’t remember a moment where I decided I should write. It was something that I had to do. Throughout my life I can look back at different moments where, given the chance, I jumped into writing.

I remember cringing the first time my teacher read a story I’d written to my sixth grade class. No one laughed at the part where the dolphins took over the fishing the boat. Years later I watched an episode of the Simpsons where a bunch of dolphins took over Springfield and thought to myself, “Now that’s how it’s done!”

When I realized that I wouldn’t fit into traditional ministry, I count it God’s grace that I was forced to figure out what to do with my life. I’ve stumbled through day jobs since I graduated from seminary in 2005, sometimes finding niches that used my abilities in very fulfilling ways. However, writing has been the one constant. Back in February 2005, my friend Josh started this blog, and I gradually gave myself to it.

Writing has been a lifeline for me, but I think it has caused a few problems to the extent that if I wrote it, I think I put it into practice. For a Christian, this is dangerous trap. So now I’m trying to only write about what I’ve actually done, not what I think we should do.

I only write about stuff like giving food to the poor or visiting prisoners because I’ve done those things. I’m still way too intimidated to do ministry in the rough neighborhoods around our home. We’ll see.

However, rethinking my blog as a tool to encourage Christians with their daily struggles to live like Jesus has been quite good for me. I still end up writing stuff that’s out in left field from time to time, but having some kind of a mission really helps.

If I’m not aiming to write a post that encourages someone to either draw near to God or serve others in some way, what I’m I trying to do? Am I aiming for lots of hits and comments? Am I trying to sound clever?

I hope the preachy, disgruntled version of myself never comes back. I’m much happier and fulfilled now that I have God’s mission in mind for my writing. I delete a lot of stuff now. I write rough drafts and file them away.

When I write something, I have an opportunity to change someone’s day, hopefully even turn that person’s life in a positive direction. At the very least, I may provide a few seconds of encouragement. I’ve learned that I need to care less and less about being right or clever.

When I write, I have a chance to be part of God’s redeeming work on earth. It’s an honor that I hope I learn to never squander.

Questions for You:

Do you have a particular mission for your writing?

I’d love to know what your personal reasons are for writing.

When I first started blogging back in 2005, I had a great system. I woke up around 6 am, ate breakfast, and then worked on my post from 6:30 to 7:30 am. That left me time to clean up and head off to work. I rarely missed a blog post.

Today I struggle to wrap up my daily blog post by 7:30 am. In fact, it would take a miracle to keep anything resembling that schedule. Looking back on those days, I often wonder what the heck happened.

Twitter and Facebook happened.

As a freelance writer who has to manage his own schedule, it’s easy to just perpetually put everything off, especially with so many fun distractions out there. In 2011 I’m working on a new system that isn’t quite perfect yet.  If I boiled my system down to one word, that word is this: consequences.

If I don’t wake up early to tackle that blog post, then I need to cut something enjoyable from my day. Perhaps I don’t get to work out. Perhaps I lose reading time. Perhaps I have to go to bed extra early to make up for lost time.

Without consequences I’ll be tempted to skip my daily word count, marketing, and freelance goals—many of their benefits are hard to quantify since pay checks come so sporadically for me and marketing benefits are especially hard to measure. I have plenty of plates to keep spinning, but sometimes I’m tempted to spin one or two and put off the others.

If I don’t hit my daily targets, I now have something immediate to lose.

This reminds me of the parable of the three servants who were entrusted with money that their master expected them to use and multiply. Am I using and developing the gifts that God has given me? Or am I sitting on them and tinkering away on a few odd projects and then frittering time away on Facebook? How can I be faithful?

Part of remaining faithful and disciplined with the gifts God has given me involves creating immediate consequences. Without consequences, I think I would just putter along and fail to use all of my gifts and spend my day bugging friends on Facebook and Twitter.

All that to say, the dominance of Stephen Fry on Twitter is safe.

How do you discipline yourself when working?

I realized a year or two ago that I wasn’t always the most redemptive Christian. I mean to say that I was wasting my time on all kinds of stuff that didn’t help me or anyone else. I was sometimes relating to others in ways that didn’t have their best interests in mind.

Yesterday I wrote about my hope for redemptive Christian conversations in the coming year: “What to do when someone dares to disagree with you.” I have been asking myself, “Is this a redemptive approach?” when I leave a comment or write a blog post.

The word “redemptive” has been huge for me.

Sometimes I flop, but let me tell you, there is quite a lot that I have NOT written. And that is what has really made a difference in my view.

In 2010 I learned what I shouldn’t write. In 2011 I hope that I write more redemptive material, rather than just avoiding non-redemptive material.

Asking “Is this redemptive?” really changes how I view tweets and blog posts now. Oftentimes I find that I’ve just written about something that’s interesting, but really does very little to benefit others. This forces me to emerge from my head, take the needs of others into consideration, and pull from the things God has been teaching me.

A redemptive approach to my writing and communication has highlighted many places where I’ve gone off course, and I pray that I can serve as a positive, constructive ambassador for God’s Kingdom in the new year.

Find out what other words are taking on fresh importance in 2011 for other Christian bloggers by starting with Bonnie Gray’s post: “What Builds Your Confidence?”

The truth is that I think about you often. I think about you while I eat my breakfast, take a walk, and sit down at my computer. I wonder what worries you, what confuses you, and what you need to know about following Jesus today.

I do all of this because you’re my audience, the readers of this blog. Without you, I would have nothing to write about.

I say all of this by way of thanking you—thanking you profusely. Thank you for being a part of my writing ministry, for reading my posts, and for leaving the occasional comment that encourages me to keep thinking and to keep writing.

There is a commercial end to this writing business. Words like niche, marketing, and influence come into play at times. I’m sorry about that. I try to avoid making this about me and my paycheck. I try to write with integrity about the things God has placed on my heart and the topics that concern you.

I hope you never feel like you’re the target of some vast marketing campaign. It’s not that way in my head. I’m writing for you, not for the eyes of a publisher or their marketing department.

I’ve learned that fulfillment in writing doesn’t come on pay day. It comes when one person comments, tweets, or e-mails an encouraging response or a thoughtful reply to one of my posts.

So the fact that you’re reading this post today makes me happier and more thankful than I could have ever imagined  when I started posting on this blog back in 2005. You have made it worth it. You’re the reason why I’m giving full time freelance work a shot.

The friends and acquaintances I’ve made and the relationships I’ve maintained through this blog have made my life rich and fulfilling. This blog is the first thing I work on each day because I’m so thankful that you take the time to read it. I pray that I can continue walk with you, to address your concerns, and to explore together how high, wide, long, and deep Christ’s love is for us.

Thank you.

I signed up for Twitter because I heard it’s a great way to keep track of news and to share information. So far it has delivered. I find helpful links, share my own, and interact with the 60 or so people I follow.

The hardest part to get used to is the 140 character limit for each post, or “tweet” as they call it. I eventually conformed, and have since loaded the Firefox TwitterBar plug in to make it easier to post throughout the day. I also loaded an extension to my Windows Live Writer that automatically sends updates to Twitter about my blog posts. Connecting Twitter to Facebook means I don’t need to post the same thing twice.

As I use TwitterBar, I have actually learned to tweet well below the 140 character limit. Suddenly 140 characters seems luxurious.

Now I’m beginning to wonder if a word limit would help my blogging a bit–force me to condense my thoughts into brief posts instead of rambling down the page. While there always will be a place for long blog posts digging into important topics, Twitter hints that we can say just as much with a lot less.

200 words seems about right.