Words and What to Do with Them

A Nine-Week Course for Aspiring Writers

By Lauren Dunn

Lesson 1: Why Do You Want to Write?

Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin a few years before the Civil War, and her story
of fictional people in real circumstances changed the minds and hearts of a generation of
Americans. William Shakespeare’s plays have lasted for centuries, and thousands upon
thousands of new books are published every year.

Words drive us.

This is even more deeply true for those who live by the Gospel. God created everything through
words, giving us a book—full of words—to tell us about Him, and John’s Gospel begins by
referring to Jesus as “the Word.” We all know that writing can honor God, but going even
deeper, our creativity mirrors Him as our Creator. Through essays, stories, articles, books, and
messages, we can share the Gospel and the truth God has called us to spread.

Ever since my sixth-grade homeschool co-op teacher told me I could write, I’ve wanted to share
words with others. It’s not as easy as we think, but it is possible.

Why do you want to write? What do you want people to know?

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing with you some things I’ve learned in the years since
sixth grade. I will show you some foundational things about purpose and rejection and hard
work, but then the ball will be in your court. This course will be what you make of it.

I will not be grading anything you write. Your parents will not be grading anything you write.
Your “graders” will be the target audiences of your writing and public opinion. This course is
about assisting wanna-be-writers to start out by doing exactly that: writing. You are expected to
already know the fundamentals of spelling and grammar, or at least be able to resolve any
grammatical problems on your own. Each lesson will end with an “Own It” section for you to
complete so you can apply what you’ve learned and further develop your writing self.

The Disney play Newsies is about a group of newspaper-selling boys in 19th-century New York
City who decide to be their own voice in a world that ignores them. A young journalist, trying to
find her own place in the world of words, joins their cause and sings about how they will change
the world together:
“Not only that, there’s a story behind the story:
Thousands of children, exploited, invisible.
Speak up, take a stand, and there’s someone to write about it.
That’s how things get better!”

With your parents’ permission (this is optional and not necessary to complete the lesson), listen
to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SLFbCVwJhs. (Parents: Note that the
video has one curse word.)

Writing is more than stringing words together to form sentences, and placing sentence after
sentence to make a paragraph, and placing paragraphs in the right order to make an article or a
chapter or an essay. Writing involves all of that, but what pulls us to do the work of writing is the
opportunity to communicate truth to a world that is reading our work, to change the way things
are or the way people think, to make things better. We share the words of life (see Acts 5:20) to
some who have never known it and challenge believers around us to keep the Gospel first in their
lives and in everything they do. In doing that, we usually challenge ourselves too.

Some of us will share our stories to encourage others in similar places. Or we might help people
tell their stories. Some of us will carefully word articles about doctrine or heavy world concerns.
Some of us will write stories that only ever happened in our minds but still bring so much truth
to our real-life situations.

In the words of Martin Luther, “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.”

Own It: Set a timer for five minutes and think about why you want to write. Then time yourself
and write 500 words—without stopping—about your reasons. How long did it take you? Write
down your time.
Lesson 2: Gotta Start Somewhere

Look back over your “Own It” assignment from Lesson 1, the 500-word paragraph about why
you want to write. What do you think of it now? Do you feel like you could publish it?

If it’s anything like my first drafts, you probably don’t even want your closest friend to read it.
No matter what I’m writing, I can only get the words “down on paper” if I know no one is
reading over my shoulder—no one but me will read my first drafts, and even I don’t think
they’re any good.

But they are written.

Once you have a first draft, you have something to work with. That’s okay if it’s terrible—even
to you—because it can only get better from here. The rewriting process can be frustrating and
boring and discouraging all at once, but it’s how we make our writing better.

In this week’s “Own It” section, you will be challenged to write a letter to your local newspaper
editor (or another publication’s editor, whichever you and your parents prefer). This will likely
take a couple of days. First, choose a topic you have an opinion about, whether it’s a local piece
of news or a matter of international concern or something about your beliefs. (For ideas, you
might want to take another look at your “Own It” piece from Lesson 1.)

Once you have your topic and basic idea, just write. Write out what your position is or what your
thoughts are and write why that is what you believe. Keep it short (about 150-250 words) and be
polite.

Read what you wrote to yourself—out loud, if you think it might help. First of all, make sure you
correct any grammar or spelling changes. How does it flow from one sentence to another? Do
any words seem unnecessary? Does something need to be added or taken out, or rearranged?
Wait a day and read it again. Now what changes do you think should be made?

Once you’ve edited your work, it is now officially not a first draft. It’s time to show your writing
to someone else.

Seeking out others’ opinions on our work can be hard. We may not always agree with the
opinions they share, and it is tempting to defend our work. As writers, however, we must be able
to objectively take constructive criticism. Once you have worked some changes into your letter
to the editor, ask a family member or friend to read it and offer their honest opinion. When they
give their thoughts, thank them for their time and honesty and then critically look at your work
again with their thoughts in mind.

That perspective from another person is part of the rewriting process, and is usually just what our
writing needs to take it to the next step. Swallow your pride and make a few of the changes. You
don’t have to make all the changes they suggest, but you do need to consider them. Ultimately,
you are the writer, and your work needs to be your opinion. But to only care about our own
opinion and never give thought to what others think? You don’t want to be that person.
Own It: Write a letter to the editor about something in your city. Take it through the editing
process outlined in the lesson. If you would like (and if you have your parents’ permission),
submit it to your local paper or another publication, like WORLD Magazine. Again, with your
parents’ permission, consider putting your age after your name (i.e., Rebekka Smith, 17). It could
take a few weeks but watch the paper or website and see if they publish it!
Lesson 3: Keep the Audience First

I am hopeless when it comes to economics. My brother and both of my parents all have extensive
experience and education in the fields of finance and economics, so when they talk shop I can
never keep up with the conversation. On the upside, I always have dependable and personalized
financial advice.

But imagine how ridiculous it would be for me to give a presentation on the current state of
American investment strategy, or to teach a class on filing taxes. Anyone listening to me would
be worse off than before I started talking!

On the other hand, imagine someone who did have expertise—maybe a president of a bank or an
accountant from a large company—giving that presentation on investment strategy to a
kindergarten class. They would know what they were talking about, but no one in their audience
would learn a thing.

As writers, it is absolutely important that we know what we’re trying to communicate. But it’s
equally crucial to make sure our audience needs what we have to say.

As you begin a writing project, keep these three questions in mind:

What is the purpose of this project?

Everything we work on should have a point. It might be to entertain or to be funny (so it may not
seem like it has much of a point), or it could be to encourage or inspire or educate. Maybe we
want to share about something God has taught us, help someone understand how to do some task
or gain a certain skill, or maybe we want to introduce others to a new idea or out-of-the-ordinary
subject. Whatever it is, our writing should have a point—a purpose. And that purpose should
never be to simply hear our own words.

What do my readers want? Need?

Is this something that will help your readers? Is this something they need? How can you shape it
so it will meet their needs even better?

Can I help these readers through my writing?

And finally, ask yourself: Am I the person for this job? Maybe the writing project is a great idea
with a strong purpose. Maybe the readers truly need to hear this. But are we the ones to write it?
Are we prepared? Knowledgeable? Humble and ready to serve?

We will never be perfect. We may not feel completely prepared to take on opportunities God
brings our way, but we need to at least ask ourselves about our motives and our preparedness.
We write to serve, not to boost our own egos. As long as we’re ready and equipped to serve, it’s
time to take the plunge.
Own It: Write an e-mail to encourage someone you know personally. Think about the person
you are reaching out to, and what they might need to hear. Pray for them before writing anything.
Know that words are powerful, and this is more than an assignment: God is sovereign and may
have put that person in your mind because they needed some “courage” from your
encouragement.
Lesson 4: Finding a Platform

It used to be really hard to publish anything.

Not only did you have to write the whole book with some kind of quill or ink or something (and
probably in Latin), but then you had to find someone who would slowly and carefully write out
extra copies of it by hand so you could share it with the masses. Well, probably not the masses.
Not everybody could read—or afford a book. And unless you were royalty or some really
famous person, you probably couldn’t afford to publish anything you wrote.

It’s not like that anymore.

With blogs and Facebook and comment sections for online newspapers, everyone and anyone
can say anything and everything. Our modern world is saturated with words we speak and type—
so saturated that it’s hard to find anyone who wants to listen to us in the midst of the noise all of
us are spreading around.

If you want to serve and encourage others through your writing, you need to find somewhere to
put your work so that others will see it. This is called a platform. A platform can be a blog, a
website, a newspaper, a magazine—any publication that people actually read. Of course, we can
create our own platforms through blogs and similar outlets, but most writers also look for
platforms others have built. As we’re starting out, let’s try out some of those tried-and-true
platforms first. In choosing a platform, it’s important to do your homework.

Much like the audience in the last lesson, there are questions for choosing a platform that we
should always consider.

1. Do I agree with this publication?

Check out the platform’s website. Is it a Christian publication? If so, check for a Statement of
Faith. Look for “What We Believe” or “About Us.” What is the platform’s purpose? What do
they want to do? Keep in mind that the people from this platform who read your work, deciding
if they want to share it on their website or blog, will want writing that lines up with what they
believe and care about. Do you believe and care about the same things? If not, don’t pretend.
Make sure that whatever you write, you truly believe.

2. What do they want?

Now that you know what they stand for, poke around their website for information on what type
of writing they want. Poetry? Essays? News reporting? Do they want long articles or short
devotionals? Double-spaced or single-spaced?

3. How do they want me to send in my work?

Some platforms ask you to e-mail your writing; some want you to mail it in. Check for any
specifications they give on what e-mail or mailing address to use, whether they want your e-
mailed work as an attachment or in the body of the e-mail, and if they prefer the entire article
you’ve already written or a “query” (an explanation of something you would like to write but
haven’t written yet).

Remember that our goal is to serve. Never assume they will be glad to hear your musings on
anything and everything just because it’s you. (Unfortunately, you will probably have to win
them over first.) Be humble and see what they want or need. Read three or four of their articles.
Note the titles of at least eight of their other articles. Know as much as you can about this
website or periodical before you decide what to write for them.

Own It: Research www.TheRebelution.com. Determine if this is a place to share your thoughts.
(Note: Through the rest of this course, we will be working on an article to submit to The
Rebelution. If you don’t feel like it’s a good fit for your writing, please contact me. We’ll find
another place to consider submitting your work.) Freewrite (no editing, no slowing down) 1000
words about what you want to tell the readers of The Rebelution.
Lesson 5: Honing Your Voice

There is just nothing like it . . . when we add the last period or question mark to the last sentence
of the last paragraph of our latest writing assignment. It started out as just an idea in our head,
and we’ve pulled it and stretched it and morphed it into something we can share with someone
else. The satisfaction of a job well done, the relief that we were able to do it. We are pleased.

Until we read it.

Like I said, there’s nothing like it . . . when we finish putting words to our deep thoughts, then
re-read our creation and realize it’s awful.

But we’re writers. We don’t stop here.

Like we realized in Lesson 2, our first draft is exactly that: the first draft, the first step, the first
attempt. There will be many more. Like so many other jobs and professions that require tasks
and responsibilities most people don’t realize, there is more to writing than writing. It’s time to
edit. And rewrite.

None of us will ever have a perfect writing project. No matter how many articles or essays or
stories or letters or plays or poems or even books we write, when we revisit our projects months
or years later, we will always find something we wish we had said differently. Every writing
project is a step to the next one. Do your best, work through it over and over, and push yourself
to make it better than you thought it could be. Then submit it or send it in or bury it—and start a
new one.

This is the process it will take to find your writing style and your area of interests for writing
projects. The more you write the more you will know how you want your writing to sound and
what you want to write about.

Here are three suggestions for editing and rewriting your work:

1) Read it out loud. Yes, it feels silly. And it may not work for you, but try it anyway. Then
you’ll know. Remember that others might read it out loud, too. Is this something you feel
is good enough for that? If not, how can it change? It might take hearing the words to
know how to change it.
2) Let some time pass—maybe two hours, maybe two days—and then revisit your work.
Sometimes we’re so caught up in the moment of writing that we feel our work is perfect.
Only later can we view it more objectively.
3) Pretend you know nothing about this subject, that you’re reading this from another writer.
Do you feel respected or talked down to? Do you feel informed or confused? Do you feel
inspired or put off? How do you want your audience to feel after reading this?
Own It: Look over your freewriting assignment from last time. Cross out anything you don’t
think you’ll need and pull out the parts that still interest you. What themes are emerging? Find
your article idea and put all your thoughts on that topic in a new document. This is the start of
your article for The Rebelution.
Lesson 6: Habits, Habits, Habits

“Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally,” an inspirational speaker has said. “It
comes from what you do consistently.”

Some people claim that it takes 10,000 hours in any field to become an expert in it. While this is
just a number, and it could be debated, there’s no question of its underlying truth: To be good at
something, we have to invest our time and our energy into it.

If we want to be writers, we will never be “finished” writing. There will never be a time that we
don’t have something that needs to be written or a day that we can consider all of our work
completed. Writing will become part of who you are and something you do every day.

Every. Day.

What would you think if someone told you they loved reading but only read three or four books a
year? If someone makes dinner from scratch once a month, would you call them a cook? If you
are going to be a writer, you have to write—a lot. You have to be disciplined. It doesn’t mean
you’re an expert, but it means you have spent so much time doing the thing you say you love that
you know how to do it. You know how you do it, even if that is not how others do it.

Where do you write? When? How often?

There is no right answer for these questions. Each of them can be answered differently by every
writer, as each one is a matter of personality and preference. You could write at a desk in a quiet
room, on your bed, or at a table in a busy area of the house. You might write early in the morning
or late at night, or perhaps even in the middle of the day when your other work is done. Maybe
you write twice a day for shorter periods of time. What kind of music do you listen to—or do
you sit in silence with your words? Do you use a notebook and pencil, or a pen, or a laptop? Try
all these methods and ideas for yourself and see which ones become more natural for you. Find
what works. And do it a lot.

Own It: Write down four ideas for writing habits you could start. Pick one and try it for the next
week. Can you tell if it helps you be more consistent in writing or improve your writing? If you
think it doesn’t, stop. If you think it does, then keep going—and pick the next idea to try for a
week. Remember, you get out of this what you put into it.

Also, continue working on your Rebelution article. By the end of this week, you need to have a
basic draft written. Think of this as the skeleton of your future article: all the information and
points need to be in it, and preferably in the order you think is best, but you can dress it up more
next week.
Lesson 7: Dealing with Rejection

I’ve never read Harry Potter, but millions of people have, and I’m told that J.K. Rowling was
rejected two hundred times before finding a publisher for her big experiment. As writers,
rejection will be a part of life. It’s impossible to please everyone, so there will always be
someone who disagrees with our writing or just flat out doesn’t like it.

Most rejection will take place through silence; rarely will others criticize our work at this stage.
But even without an official rejection, the silence can sting. When a website or blog says, “We’ll
let you know in two weeks” and that time comes and goes, it can feel like our work isn’t good
enough.

Writers are stereotypically famous for sensitivity to criticism. I even heard one expert say, “All
creative people are inherently insecure.” But when we put our thoughts out there, we are
allowing others to critique our words—and it will often feel like they are critiquing us, not just
our words. We can do what everybody says writers do—stew and hurt and take personally every
critique someone sends our way—or we can grow from it.

Remember, we don’t write because we need a pat on the back or affirmation from others. We
write to encourage and inform. If we’ve done that, no matter what others say about our work, and
even though it will never be perfect, we will have succeeded.

When you face rejection, start by looking again at your work. Stay humble and reach out for
input. Let others offer their suggestions; even if they aren’t as gentle with our work as we would
like, they may be right in some of their criticisms and suggestions, and it can improve our
writing.

As writers, we are always learning and never arriving at some kind of perfection. We are never
plateauing. What we think is a simple rejection can be so much more than that—it can be an
invitation into better and more effective writing.

Own It: Polish your Rebelution article into a first “final” draft. Share it with at least three people
(preferably at least one outside of your family). Ask for their honest feedback and thank them for
it, without defending your work. Consider their points and ask them specifically for the “feel” of
the article. Did they feel encouraged? Scolded? Talked down to? Decide what changes you will
make, finish your editing, and submit it to TheRebelution.com. Now it’s time to move on to your
next work.
Lesson 8: Why Do You Want to Write?

If you have siblings much younger than you, then you are probably familiar with the “Why?”
age.

You know what I mean. It’s that unavoidable time in a young child’s life when they question
anything and everything said by anyone and everyone. You tell them that lunchtime will be soon,
and they ask, “Why?” You explain that lunchtime naturally follows morning schoolwork.
“Why?” You give them the reasons why physical nourishment is so important to our bodies and
the role food plays in that process. They interrupt you on the second point: “Why?”

As annoying as it may be, the toddlers in our lives may have a point. The point being that there
should be a point. We should be able to answer the “why” of the things we spend our lives doing.
Why do we go to church? Why do we pray? Why do we read and study and learn? Why do we
exercise? Why do we make kind choices?

In Lesson 1, we talked about why we want to write. In most cases, we are spurred on to write
because we want to share with others some kind of information or encouragement or some new
idea. But why?

Writing isn’t an end in itself, but a way to get a message into the minds and hearts of other
people. This brings up an important question: What do you want to say through your message?

What is your passion?

The Oxford Dictionary defines “passion” as “an intense desire or enthusiasm for something.”
William Wilberforce had a passion to see the British slave trade end. We hear of inventors like
Steve Jobs and even Elon Musk who have a passion for improved technology. Our passions drive
our decisions, our habits, our time, and ultimately the courses of our lives. It will direct our
writing, too.

What is your passion? Don’t choose something frivolous—think of something you care about in
the deepest parts of your heart. You can have a burning message to share now, but your message
will also likely change over time as you change and grow and deepen your understanding of life.
As you throw yourself fully into opportunities that come your way, you will find the specific
area of your passion becoming clearer.

So, get to it! How can you help others understand your passion through writing? Letters to the
editor? A blog? Another article?

Why not?

Own It: Watch or listen to John Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life” sermon
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou8y_0377wE). You may not know what your passion is
yet, and that’s okay. As you continue to write and experience life, be aware of God’s work in
your life. The things that make you feel alive will become obvious with time.
Lesson 9: It’s in Your Hands Now

People used to say that the sky was the limit. With the advent of NASA and now SpaceX, the old
limits don’t even exist anymore.

What will you write? How will God work through your writing?

The only way to find out is to keep writing.

It can be hard to write, and even harder to find someone willing to publish our writing on their
blog or in their magazine or even, for some of us, as a book. We will keep trying and striving and
working hard to make sure we are giving others our very best work, but ultimately, we are not
responsible for what people do with our writing. We are responsible for what we do with our
time and talent and abilities and opportunities, and God will ultimately decide who reads any of
our work.

Don’t stop here, friends. Maybe you will write a book one day, or an amazing story in a
magazine that shares inspiration with others. Maybe you will be one of those publishers deciding
what writing to disperse to the masses.

Words drive us. Let’s make our words count.

Own It: Freewrite. What do you want to write about next? What themes or topics? Where do
you want to publish your writing?

Secondly, write out some pros and cons for starting a blog. Do you have the time or interest? A
blog provides a place for you to practice and continue honing your voice, as well as a measure of
accountability for your habits and a place for others to critique your work. If you’re interested in
it, talk with your parents about it. Consider looking into free blog-hosting sites like WordPress.
You’ve done it. The coursework is over, and you’ve completed your assignments. I hope these
last few weeks have stretched and challenged you and that you end this time encouraged. I want
to leave you with one final thought.

Think of several people in history who made tremendous change—whether worldwide or in their
own smaller spheres of influence. Amy Carmichael, Alexander Graham Bell, Eric Liddell, or
even unnamed heroes who rescued Jews during the Holocaust or escorted runaway slaves
through the Underground Railroad.

All of these people started somewhere. They weren’t born famous (and some of them were never
famous). But they used what they had and did what they knew was right. Even if it was hard.
Even if there was no promise it would ever work out.
It’s a great big world out there, and there are so many possibilities for a Christian who is ready to
communicate truth. What will your story be?
It’s time to get writing!