Life of A Writer

Just the other day I read Keeping Up When Your Blog Takes Off by Harry at Men With Pens. It got me to thinking, what would I do if I reached fame and fortune, and it's what inspired today's post. So, Harry, thanks for the inspiration!

Now, to publicly answer the question I asked myself, if the Lord ever blesses me with fame and fortune -- even a small fortune -- I've always told myself I would share the blessings He's given me with others, and here's what I would do and how I would share my fame and fortune: I'd love to have enough money to pay my bills and still have quite a bit left over to buy my kids something nice, support the family where hubby wouldn't have to work if he didn't want, and donate a large amount to charities as well as help those in need. As for a following of fans (yes, this is the fame part) I'd enjoy having them come up to me and tell me how my words inspired them or how I helped them in some way. I would even be delighted to give them my autograph and answer any questions they may have. As for a fancy house and limo, I don't want any of those things. Instead, I'd just like to have a nice modular home and a new minivan. Because I don't like to drive, I would pay someone to drive my new minivan and take me where I needed to go. Of course, I'd also pay someone in desperate need for a job to feed their family to clean my house while I continue to dedicate my time to my writing and children. Gaining fame also increases another writer's paycheck if he or she can gain an exclusive story or interview with the famous person. With that said, I would do my very best to help an aspiring writer, or a writer just starting out, to get the first bit of unpublished news about my writing career so that writer could move up another step on their ladder to success.

I know, that's a big dream and it may never happen. But it's like I tell all my readers and the fans I have now, "Never give up on your dreams, work toward them." And that's just what I plan to do. I will continue to work hard and do my very best to please my clients and readers so that maybe one day I can give back with what the Lord continues to bless me with.

Even though I've not reached fame and fortune, there are still things I do to give what little the Lord has blessed me to help those less fortunate. Would you like to be able to do the same? Here's a list of some of the ways I give back now, so feel free to apply them to your life as well; it will make you feel good about yourself and shows that you're a true Christian:

1. When possible I try to give to local charities and fundraisers. When I have it to spare, I give money. If I haven't got the money to give at that time, I donate a copy of one of my books to their giveaways or silent auctions. I've even gone as far as helping organize and plan fundraisers and volunteering to work and/or bake.

2. Because I feel God blessed me with my writing talent, I try to inspire and help others through the words I write.

3. Usually, I don't write for free, but if I read about a good cause looking for writers to donate a short piece, I'm happy to participate if I have the time. My latest donation was a few years back when I donated an essay entitled Behind Closed Doors to the Stories of Strength anthology, which was lead by Jenna Glatzer. In addition, I helped promote the anthology after publication and volunteered to help with several other things before publication. (All the proceeds from each sale benefits disaster relief charities.)

4. When aspiring writers contact me, I share advice and answer any questions they have. It may take me a few days to respond to them because of my busy life as a writer, but I ALWAYS reply to each and every one of them. If I can't help the writer, I give him or her links to resources that I think can help them.

5. One thing I'd love to do, but haven't yet, is call in to a telethon such as St. Jude's and give. However, because I don't have a lot of money to give, I would feel embarrassed, and the reason is because several who are in business like myself, call in with huge donations of $25,000 or more -- something I can't even begin to match. I know every little bit helps, but I just feel I should be able to give more, and maybe one day I will.

Those are a few of the many ways I try to give back as a blessed Christian. Like the Bible says, "Give and ye shall receive." Maybe one day I will receive, but even if I don't, I'm happy knowing that I've helped a few, and the fan mail that I do receive, brightens my day and lets me know my intentions to help others through words is working, which gives me what I need to keep on writing no matter how tough it sometimes gets.

What would you do if you reached fame and fortune? And how do you give back today? Feel free to share in the comments area or in a blog post of your own.

Posted by Misti Sandefur, Christian author/freelance writer at 4:10 AM