Earlier this month I learned an article I wrote was a finalist in the 2023 Selah writing awards contest. The Selahs are Christian writing contests. I was so surprised by this great honor because last year I decided to give up on pursuing writing altogether.
The nomination was more than affirmation, it is proof that I have improved and grown in my writing skills over the years. Recently I caught up with an old writing friend from church who shared with me how impressed with how much my writing has improved. Over the last year, I decided to focus on a few aspects of my writing.
- My voice
- Polishing my writing
- Growing my brand/platform
Since I have a brain injury, I decided to get more active in the brain injury community. Living with a brain injury means I have to fight hard to stay focused on whatever I am doing. Brain injuries can limit a person’s attention span, and I can get distracted easily.
Since this month is brain injury awareness month, I wanted to focus more on being vocal on social media about the community. In the meantime, I couldn’t concentrate on a lot of my writing projects. In the early days after my accident, my neuropsychologist worked with me on staying focused on one task at a time, she told me that as I improved in each area, I would grow as I go.
Grow As We Go
A lot of times, we writers get so focused on our writing goals and careers, we forget to continue learning the craft and polishing our writing and fail to be prepared for our goals when we achieve them. Remember our journeys to publication are meant to prepare and equip us for it.
“It’s none of their business that you have to learn how to write. Let them think you were born that way.”
Ernest Hemingway
Writing requires consistency; the best writers are always learning and growing in their craft!
This is why I encouraged my old writer friend to attend her first writers’ conference at the Blue Ridge Christian Writer’s conference this year. When she saw the faculty and the schedule, she was almost overwhelmed by the opportunities she had to learn.
”In any writer, I look for the –ilities: humility, teachability, coachability, availability, and flexibility.”
Jerry B Jenkins
Writers must grow in their craft before reaching their destination; they must improve their skills while they are on the journey.
Below are skills for writers can work on while on the journey from Coursera:
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
- Spelling
- Sentence construction
- Structure
- Research and accuracy
- Clarity
- Persuasiveness
Writers must keep growing, and that is why each year most of us try to attend at least one writer’s conference, it’s not about seeing our friends, we are growing in the craft together.
I apply the same mindset to living with a disability, it has been 26 years since my life-changing accident and I am still learning new things about my injuries and how the brain works. If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed that I have been using info-graphics almost daily to share facts and information about the brain.
My goal is not only to get stronger despite my disability but to help others grow stronger in their recovery as well. For the past two decades, my motto has been, “Make progress, not excuses.”
Progress
“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”
Benjamin Franklin
As writers, we each strive to improve in the craft of writing. Sometimes progress comes easily, others it is a labor of love. Regardless of how it comes, writers should strive to get better in the craft. If I hadn’t pushed myself I would’ve never become a finalist in the Selahs.
Likewise, people with brain injuries are constantly trying to improve their health and strive to make progress in recovery every day. March 31 will be the 26th anniversary of the accident that resulted in my brain injury. It hasn’t been an easy journey and I have faced a lot of setbacks, but with help of others in the brain injury community, I have made a lot of progress over the years.
- Mental focus
- Relearning to walk
- Learning how to talk again
I am fortunate to be part of two amazing supportive communities, the brain injury community, and the writing community. Both of these have given me resources and encouragement to continue to make progress and that helps us grow as we go!
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
We love helping your growing in your writing career.
I subscribe to a newsletter from a group that supports the idea of constantly learning and building skills as a lifestyle. Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed by the multitude of options for learning from podcasts, newsletters, and on-line learning. I currently have 30+ emails of podcasts and trainings I haven’t finished yet, but I made it a goal to do at least two of those during the slow/free times at work when I have to be present but not active. I’ve gained lots of tidbits and ideas for my writing. This article is a good reminder.