Taking the Plunge into the Writing Life

It's 4:30 in the morning and I can't sleep. It's dark outside, the crickets are chirping, and the rest of my family is asleep.

This is better a time than any to sit down and talk to you about what I am doing.

For the last six months, I've thought contemplated writing. Looking over the daily notes I take in Obsidian, at least one third of them talk about my thoughts on writing.

I had one friend ask me to write down my ideas after had a stimulating conversation, because he wanted to some intellectual stimulation over summer break.

• But I could never take the plunge. Writing in public terrifies me.

• Am I a good enough writer?

• Who would find my work interesting?

• Could I actually become consistent writing?

• How will I organize my ideas?

• Would I have the time to do my topics justice?

Alongside this, I’m not really formed as a writer or a person right now. The last year and a half have been tumultuous in my life, and I'm just getting my feet under me. Even though I have almost a decade of work experience and a master's degree, I feel like I have less answers than I ever have before.

I remind myself that no writer started out being good. Good writing is a craft with a set of tools that take time to pick up and sharpen.

In my pursuit of the writing life, I wanted the illegible me to start coming out. The essays of Henrik Karlsson were helpful here. His struggle to decide to become a writer resonated with me.

In Look for people who likes the illegible you of today, not your past achievements, he says,

"find an audience that enables continuous unfolding, who are not interested in a particular version of you, but the process of you. People who will encourage and enable the searching, creative, illegible you of today, rather than the polished you of your past achievements."

In another essay, A blog post is a very long and complex search query to find fascinating people and make them route interesting stuff to your inbox,

If you figured out something that made you ecstatic, that is what you should write...you also write as much useful detail and beauty as you can muster.."

So I timidly took the plunge. I began to write for myself on topics idiosyncratic to me in the way I'd want to read them.

My first essay was a haphazard and heartfelt look at why I study church history. It was poorly organized and overly specific and niche in some places, but not specific enough in others.

My second essay was a long, meandering listicle on the closing of my alma mater. Not everyone would get it, but I was utterly fascinated by some of the insights it raised.

My third essay (my favorite!) attempted to answer some big questions I have about teaching the uncomfortable content of the Bible. It came out much blander than I wanted, but I got started.

Welcome to my point of departure. I hope the unfolding thoughts you read in the future will help you in your journey.

"My future is a raveling maze, but my path has always been made plain just one step at a time. I must wait on God, and trust in Him, and all will be well."

-J. Hudson Taylor