The other day, while talking with a friend, I mentioned how much hard work went into writing. They responded quite surprised. “Work? I thought it was fun.”  At that moment, I got a little twitch in my eye and completely lost my train of thought.

I’ve been funneling all my energies into getting a manuscript ready for submitting at the Oregon Christian Writer’s conference this summer. I’ve been working nights after my kids are in bed, pouring over words and sentences and forms, getting things just right.  Just so. Dare I hope-perfect? Probably not the latter—as I’ve discovered, I can go over and over the same sentence and still find something to change about it. Sometimes you just have to say, “Enough!”

Fun? Developing a storyline, an idea, and characters that flow through it is an amazing experience. My characters make me laugh and often make me cry (and not just because they aren’t doing what I want them to, either). When you write with God in mind, you also have the best mentor in the world to bounce ideas off of. I’m not saying I get direct feedback (that’d be cool)—but what wonderful company to keep! Yes, writing is fun—if you love it. And I do. Hours pass and suddenly it’s 2 AM and I really should be getting to bed.

But, writing is also a lot of hard work. Those creative times don’t end when the story is complete. I know there are writers out there that pump out a story, call it good and get it published—more power to them. But for me, rewriting often creates more depth in theme and character. Maybe some day I’ll get to the point of doing it all perfect the first time through—but I have my doubts on that.  Now, as I sit and stare at my first few chapters and find yet another thing I can tweak, another facet I can develop, I wonder if I’ll ever feel done.  Eh…the clock says so…but tomorrow is another day.

Here’s a favorite Bible verse of mine on perseverance:

Romans 5: 1-5 ¹Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³Not only so, but we^[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.