It's a long ball game

Writing is a long ball game. You can't go into it thinking you'll have a contract in a year. It's lots of days of methodical plodding along. Putting one foot in front of another. One more time sitting in your chair, fingers attached to the keyboard when there are dozens of other things that seem more appealing.

Makes me think of football.

Heck, lots of life makes me think of football. You've surely heard me say that I'm from Nebraska and have footballs pumping through my veins. Eric calls those corpuscles. Tomato, tomato :-)

Nebraska has a long tradition of handing out blackshirts to the starting defense. It's a symbol of pride to be able to say you were a blackshirt. Last season, the players turned theirs in -- a recognition that they weren't playing hard enough.

Last week -- ten games into the season, they got them back. The dedication, practice, toughness, endurance all paid off with the awarding of that shirt. That symbol that they were good enough.

I think a lot of people think a contract is that way. First, you'll get rich off the advance. NOT. Second, it validates that you are a writer and will have every contract you ever want in the future. NOT. And third, it's tangible proof that you've made it into an elite club. MAYBE.

If God's planted the dream of writing in your heart, then it's time to test. Put your nose to the grindstone and do what you were commanded to -- write. And then write again. And write some more. And at the end of a lot of session, you'll have a short story or a book. Someday you may land a contract and hold your book. But if you follow God's call, then you are a writer.

And thanks for all the great comments about what you look for in a Christian book. The comments have been great. I'll leave it open for a couple more days, then draw at least one person to receive a book.