Get Real {Day 5} Heart Matters

A few years ago I took a non-fiction writers course. During that course I turned in many chapters and book ideas that I was sure would get me an “A+”. They didn’t. I was so confused. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think I’m this amazing one-of-a-kind writer or anything but I didn’t think I was bad, you know? So I approached the instructor and asked the dreaded question, “What am I doing wrong?”.

I should have pulled up a chair.

I was told that although most of my mechanics were good I was suffering greatly in the realm of story telling. At this point I was even more confused because I was wondering if I had stepped into the fiction class instead of non-fiction. In so many words, I asked him to elaborate. In a nutshell, he said that there was no heart, no connection in my writing. He said it was like reading a dictionary.

Yes, I cried.

You see, even in writing what is fact we must be able to engage the reader. You still have to draw them in. The one thing that seems to work more than anything else is to just be real. Don’t hide who you are. Don’t try to hide emotions, feelings, or thoughts. Our readers need to find something in our writing to relate to.

Have you ever been to a bible study where it is just about looking up scriptures and cross-referencing them with other scriptures and the study leader is just going point by point with no communication in between? It is hard to apply that kind of thing to your life isn’t it? Don’t get me wrong. The word never returns void and always accomplishes what it is sent forth to do but if we are to walk in those scriptures and teachings then we must find a way to apply it to our life. Otherwise we are just hearing it. That is why during those bible studies when you are allowed to speak and share you tend to get little POWs (pearls of wisdom). It is because something someone else said resonated with your life and you were able to apply that same scripture and principle to yours in the manner they described.

So get real in your writing. Don’t be afraid.

For my non-fiction course I had to read a few fiction books. That in and of itself was a struggle for me since I have never been into fiction novels but it did help me to discover how to connect with the reader. You have to engage their senses and emotions. What did that pasta you cooked taste like? Didn’t those flowers smell divine? What does a new baby’s skin feel like when they are lying on your chest? What was your heart screaming during that life changing moment? Those are the things that help us to connect.

On the other hand, don’t overdo it. If everything you write is described as “life changing” or “the only time you’d ever felt that way” then it loses its impact. Be real but don’t fluff it up.

If you have never posted your testimony then maybe you could start there. It is after all, one of the ways we shall win souls for His kingdom.

And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Revelation 12:11

You are getting an assignment today. Go read some of your favorite blogs. How do they engage you? What senses and emotions do they engage? What can you learn from them?

Find the rest of the series here: 31 Days to Online Ministry

Also check out:

• Missed BlissDom 2011? Get It Here. It’s just like being there!
• ? 31 Days to Build a Better Blog – Easy step by step ways to improve your blog presence!