This is from the staff at the Christian Writer’s Guild, where I am half-way through my apprenticeship. I can definitely agree with the fact that sometimes the act of writing is very painful but the result is worth the effort.
Question: How do you know for sure that God has called you to write? Is desire and enjoyment enough or does publication matter? -T.W.
Answer: If God has called you to write, He’s likely called you to share your thoughts with others. Therefore, your goal should be to be published and get your ideas as widely disseminated as possible. If you enjoy writing, you’re rare. Most of us mostly enjoy having written. -CWG Staff
I don’t believe a writer’s primary goal should be publication. It’s a fine goal to have, but not the most important one. A writer’s job is to write.
As much as I might like to believe it, God’s call to me to write does not guarantee either that my ideas are worth disseminating or that my writing is worth reading. God has called me to write, period. The process and act of writing is the main thing, more than publication and recognition.
It’s something of a shame to hear from a staff member at a writers’ guild that “most of us enjoy having written” more than writing. Certainly writers don’t just “enjoy” writing; we are drawn to writing, we run from writing, we get angry with writing, we wrestle with writing, we rejoice in writing, and perhaps we even need writing–who can tell? But we love writing, by which I mean we give of ourselves for it. The satisfaction of having written is great, but I think we must be cautious lest we love having written more than we love writing.