I was a lot like you. I had ideas for stories and dreamed of getting published, but I didn’t know how to get started. I knew I could write, but I wasn’t sure how to break into the various markets. Here’s a secret that I learned: everyone starts out in the same place. We all doubt our abilities. We all argue with God, asking, “Are You sure I can do this?” And, we all learn and grow one step at a time.

That’s how I started, and now I have more than 90 books published with 4 million books sold! It’s been an adventure! God has opened the doors, but I’ve been ready to walk through them because I have continued to learn, grow, write, network, rewrite, grow some more, etc. It’s a process. It’s a journey. It’s a privilege!

So I’d like to share three tips about this writing journey with you.

Tip #1: Do it afraid! If God has called you; He will equip you. But you have to be willing to take that step of faith.

Tip #2: Don’t despise small beginnings. Just because you desire to write a 365 day devotional for women, don’t shy away from writing a 200 word Sunday School take-home paper story.

Tip #3: Let God lead you and define you. Step out of your “writing comfort zone” and write in a different genre. Grow as a writer. You might just find out that you’re not only a devotional writer but also a ghostwriter.

It’s okay to be afraid, but it’s when we don’t try that we fail. I have the opportunity to teach more in-depth on these topics as well as offer some really practical tips to help you on your writing journey, through my video teachings on Serious Writer Academy. I hope you’ll join me and my colleagues at SWA and have your very own writers conference in the comfort of your own home—learn in your jammies! Yay!

Where are you on your writing journey? What question do you have about taking that next step?