Finishing What I Sta...

I get distracted easily. And I get bored quickly. Usually, if I want to work on a project that will take more than thirty minutes, I will plan breaks into the task. If I don't, it feels like torture to work through to the end. (I just don't understand you task-driven people who like to do the whole thing at once, even if it takes all afternoon!) Sometimes, that strategy works great; I think it's better to work with your inherent personality rather than against it when you can.

But when a project gets really long-term, I tend to burn out and lose interest. Crafts and scrapbooking are really hard for me; my teaching portfolio is a lot of papers in a binder that aren't organized (I've taught so many types of classes that I just grab some as needed for the particular job for which I am applying); I have lots of half-novels, half-stories, or even stories that were written but never revised to the point that they would be publishable. Sometimes it's the fact that something becomes mundane; other times, it's the fact that it becomes difficult.

I've come to realize over the last few months that while I am great at completing externally-enforced tasks, I tend to quit things that have to be intrinsically-motivated, especially if there's any type of opposition. Oh well, I think to myself, maybe that just wasn't meant to be, maybe it's a sign I'm not really supposed to get involved, or the story wasn't any good in the first place, or these people know better than me so if they think it's a bad idea, I shouldn't pursue it any further.

But lately, God has really been convicting me that I should finish what I start. Difficulties are an inherent part of life, and most things worth doing take some kind of struggle. For the first time in my life, I've been thinking that maybe, in addition to me learning from those who disagree, perhaps they also have something to learn from me, and I should pursue my goal and voice my dissent.

So I will keep revising my novel, and I will start writing posts about why I care so much about clean water, and I will stick with the ministries with which I'm involved at church, and I will continue reading through the Bible even though I'm in the major prophets and I've always quit there before. I'm not saying there aren't times to let go of an idea. I just tend to swing the opposite way, so, persistence, here I come.

Who's Critiquing You?

One of the best things I've ever been part of is my writing critique group. Initially, I asked a writer friend to be part of it (and she brought one of her writer friends) because I just wasn't writing. I was in graduate school at the time, and had been earning my bachelor's degree before that, so I hadn't really committed myself to writing anything for a long time. I wrote occasionally when inspiration struck, but as many writers know, that happens approximately three percent of the time, so laziness and business kept me from really pursuing anything.

It was time to get serious. It was time to get accountability. So I formed a writing group with my friends Rachel and Christine, and it turned out to be even better than I thought.

It's not just the accountability, the fact that I know have to produce something readable for them every two weeks. Having Rachel and Christine constantly critiquing my writing has made me a much better writer, and according to them, I've helped them in the same way. So I started thinking about how and why these critiquing meetings are so helpful, and how these elements apply across a variety of arts and other disciplines.

My advice? Whatever your art or discipline, consider getting a critique group of peers. Here's why:

• Writing (practice). Writers, editors, and teachers will tell you that if you want to become a better writer, you need to write. Same goes for any field. The more you do it, typically, the better you get.
• Reading (learning and inspiration). These same writers, editors, and teachers will also tell you that reading is a key to better writing. I love reading for fun, but sometimes life gets busy. Even if I don't pick up a single fiction book between meetings, I read and think about anywhere from twenty to forty pages of fiction from Christine and Rachel. (Similarly, watching other teachers has given me a lot of inspiration and great ideas and techniques.)
• Receiving criticism. Nobody likes to hear that a particular character was boring, or the moment you thought was so climactic fell flat. But if no one tells you, you won't fix it, and you may not change your approach in future projects. No matter what your discipline is, you not only have to be open to criticism, but you have to actively request it from people you trust. That's the beauty of my writing group: we've been working together for so long that we are really honest. Brutally honest. We are not unnecessarily harsh, but we don't hesitate to say, "I don't think that worked" or "I just don't think this chapter made any sense." Occasionally, one of us leaves the meeting close to tears. But fixing your issues teaches perseverance and hones your craft, and our writing is always better for it.
• Different perspectives. I recommend opening up your art or discipline to a variety of people, because especially when it comes to art, there are some things that are just plain subjective. That is why having three of us works so well. Usually, if two of us have the same criticism, the author takes it as a genuine problem that needs to be fixed. But sometimes the two readers will completely disagree on whether or not a particular issue is a problem, or how one character's action can or should be interpreted. When that's the case, the writer usually decides whether they agree that it's a problem that needs to be addressed or whether the interpretation is one they like. Not everyone likes the same thing. Having different people critique you helps you know when you actually have a problem and when it's just one reader's opinion.
• Offering criticism. This may be one of the most difficult parts of a critique group. When a plot doesn't work, a character is unbelievable, or the tone is inconsistent, it can be difficult to precisely pinpoint how the problem happens, and sometimes even more difficult to offer a truly helpful solution for how to fix or improve the problem. But being specifically constructive in your feedback does three things: 

1. It helps you become a better writer, because you've worked through a writing problem and can be aware of it in your future efforts.
2. It keeps you humble. It's so easy to criticize and point out what you don't like. It's harder to solve problems.
3. It builds trust. Your writer friends know you're on their side, that you're not just in a bad mood that day, but you are trying to help them write better because you've taken time and effort to really address the issue.

I do think it's worth noting that you probably want your critique group to be formed by your peers. Of course, you want to get help from the masters: great teachers who've been working for thirty years, professors, published authors, CEOs who have successfully led companies for years. They can help you grow by leaps and bounds. But a critique group formed by people close to your level means that no one is too far ahead (and so gets bored or finds it painful to examine your work on a consistent basis) or too far behind (and thinks everything you do is amazingly wonderful). Christine, Rachel, and I write at similar levels. We are each strong and weak in different areas, so that helps us help each other, and I don't think it would work the same way if we were had vastly different abilities.

Whether you write, sing, paint, lead Bible studies, knit, teach, preach, counsel, or guide a team, make the effort to get a few people you trust who will constantly offer you feedback about how to get better, and will hopefully offer to do the same for you. It usually leads to better art, or whatever it is you do. :)

Sunday Mornings

I love Sunday mornings. They are different from what they were when I grew up, but I really appreciate what they have become for me.

In case you don't know, when I was a kid, I vowed never to marry a pastor for a variety of reasons, which are too many to discuss now. One of those was that I wanted a "normal" family life, which included, in my mind, a husband with a regular work schedule and the fact that we could go to church as a family on Sundays. (And yet I did marry a pastor... I am grateful that God had a different plan for me, and since Ian was already a pastor when we met I would have no one to blame for this lapse in commitment anyway. :)

Ian works on Sunday mornings, doing a variety of things for and during the three church services, and often for afternoon or evening gatherings and meetings. So we usually go to our Saturday night church service, and he goes to work on Sunday mornings while I stay home with the baby.

In spite of the fact that this arrangement was never something I envisioned, I've come to appreciate it. I like going to a church service in the evening because I am alert for worship, fully awake to focus on God and process the message, and more relaxed and less rushed than in the morning.

And Sunday mornings are a time that I really enjoy. Ian leaves very early, and so when the baby wakes up, she and I have some time with just the two of us. Since Ian's not around, we have breakfast and get dressed and take it slower than on weekday mornings. Ian's cousin usually leaves for church around nine-thirty or ten, which coincides with Alexandra's morning nap, so then I have a couple hours to myself. I typically allow a bit of extra time for prayer and Bible study, and I look over the sermon notes from the night before. Then I have time to write or clean up the house and to prepare myself mentally for the rest of the day and the week ahead. Sunday mornings allow me to kind of ease out of the weekend and into the week, instead of feeling pushed headlong into Monday morning.

This doesn't happen every Sunday; sometimes we have commitments on Saturday nights, or if I am doing something for church services, I have to be there on Sunday morning. But most of the time, I am able to use Sunday morning as a refreshing time to gather my thoughts before the week starts.