Focus

Thoughts to ponder 

From the June 1, 2013 meeting

Productive, effective writing requires focus. Productivity & effectiveness in any arena requires focus.

A major challenge to maintaining focus is the vast array of choices begging for our attention. Many opportunities are good, but do they define our focus or blur it?

Paul tells Christians to “Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Cor. 9:24). In other words, stay focused, don’t stray from the path. This is true for our faith, but it is also a principle for life in general.

I confess, I lose my writing focus too easily. I get stirred up when I meet with other writers, but I’m making too many choices that draw my focus elsewhere. As writers, with a gift & passion from God, I want us to make choices that will hold our focus on task, on our calling. The first step in making those good choices is to clarify our focus.

Focus will help us make choices that bear fruit. This is true whether we are working on a piece for a publisher or creating a personal blog. So ask yourself, “What is my focus? What has God put on my heart to do now? Next?”

This is our last meeting until September. How fruitful will our writing be over the summer? Will we actually submit that magazine article, short story or book proposal? Will we create, re-create or tweak our blog?

Prayerfully choose a summer writing focus. This may be a project, a genre, an area of  research, the submission you've been putting off. Then get specific, flesh out your focus with attainable goals. Make this summer fruitful. 

Take-home thought: Write in such a way to get the prize -- sharing truth & offering hope -- whether published or not.