“Uncovering the Storehouse of Wisdom”
Dear writer, I hope you had a beautiful week and had time to consider the big-picture view of your book! This week, we’re going to shift gears and explore the importance of inviting others into your writing process.
You see, writer, once we reach a certain point in our writing journey, we need a fresh set of eyes to help us identify our story’s strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots. Though it may feel a bit nerve-wracking, getting this outside perspective is one the best things we can do to grow our story and to grow as writers!
But before we get started, let’s take a look at some others whose willingness to seek an outside perspective took their life’s work to a whole new level…
An Outside Perspective in History
Lewis and Clark are an excellent example of men who sought an outside perspective. When preparing their expedition to survey the Louisiana Purchase for Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark met Sacajawea and her French husband. Immediately, Lewis and Clark asked the couple to join their company not only for their translation skills but for Sacajawea’s first-hand knowledge of the territories ahead and the tribes they would meet.
You see, writer, much like Lewis and Clark, when we begin writing our book, we don’t know what we don’t know. And while our vision from God may be clear, the path to reach it may be one we’ve never traveled before. We may be branching out into a whole new topic or genre. Getting an outside perspective from those who’ve traveled a similar path is indispensable to help us recognize and strengthen our weak spots as we forge ahead.
An Outside Perspective in the Bible
Solomon is another great example of a man who sought an outside perspective. When God offered to grant Solomon any request, Solomon was quick to ask for wisdom, knowing that his own knowledge was woefully insufficient to govern God’s people. God happily granted Solomon’s request. With this divine perspective, Solomon not only brought unprecedented peace and prosperity to the nation of Israel, his wisdom impacted the known world of his era and still speaks to millions today in the books of Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and Song of Solomon.
You see, writer, getting an outside perspective is really about recognizing our limitations and allowing others to speak into those spaces. And here’s the beautiful thing. As you prayerfully invite those God has brought alongside you in this season to speak into your book, you are opening more channels to receive His wisdom, too.
An Outside Perspective in Life
I asked for an outside perspective when I was in college and grappling with my major. My vision was to impact our culture through excellent stories and the arts. I had started a Drama, Television, and Film Performance major toward those ends, but quickly discovered I disliked most acting and found stage work tedious. As I wrestled with my deep desires and mounting list of dislikes, I asked Jared—who’d become a close friend—for his thoughts. To my surprise, Jared said he’d expected this to happen and recommended I try his major of Multimedia Production. That was a life-changing decision that opened doors and set me on the course for my career and ministry today.
An Outside Perspective in Your Life
Here’s the thing, writer. When we seek an outside perspective, sometimes we’ll find those who know the art and craft of storytelling better than us. Sometimes, it will be from those more familiar with our audience and their needs. Sometimes, from those who know us deeply and can highlight those parts of our heart and story that need more attention. Whatever the case may be, that outside perspective is invaluable in helping us to refine and sharpen our own. Let me prove it to you…
- As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. – Proverbs 27:17
- Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. – Proverbs 27:9
- Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
- And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. – Ephesians 4:11-16
You see, writer, God’s path to maturity is one that’s shared with others. It’s tempting to think we can go and grow alone as writers, and—while much can be learned solo—we will never reach the potential God intended without the input of others. And neither will our story.
Where to Start with an Outside Perspective
So are you ready to consider getting an outside perspective on your story? Here are some things to consider…
- Pray. Prayerfully review those God’s connected you to—both writers and non-writers—and consider who may be able to give you good feedback. Sometimes keen insights will come not just from other writers but also avid readers and friends who know you well. Note who the Lord brings to mind and those He has positioned alongside you in this season who can speak into your work.
- Ask for Help. Ask one or two or a few of those who came to mind in prayer if they’d be willing to read your work and give you feedback on how to make it better. Asking specifically for feedback on how to improve your work is a critical part of this step and will often change the quality and specificity of the feedback you receive.
- Make Notes. Make notes of each piece of key feedback you receive. Particularly note comments involving clarity and consistency issues. If you have several people review your work, pay special attention to repeated critiques. If more than one person mentions the same thing, that’s an issue worth addressing!
- Know the Heart. As you receive feedback, it’s important to look at it with soft eyes and see the heart of the problem that’s being raised and how that intersects with the heart of your story. Because here’s the thing…
Learning to get an outside perspective is really about learning to hear “Voice” inside the voice and how to discern and distill God’s wisdom from the experience of others—especially to learn when the Lord is speaking directly through others to our heart—and then to learn how to apply that feedback to strengthen the gift God has given you. And here’s the real deal…
We are often surrounded by untapped gifts of wisdom. After all Wisdom says she shouts from the street corners and rooftops. Just consider how many older saints and aged family members has God placed in your life? How many uniquely gifted and skilled individuals of every age? How many fellow creatives? Each one is a treasure trove of wisdom if you learn to draw it out through curiosity, questions, conversations, and doing life together. Because here’s the interesting thing…
Relationship is always the context of growth. If you’ll notice, as Lewis and Clark traveled with Sacajawea, they not only were equipped to contact the local Indian tribes, but they also learned key survival skills adapted to the territory they traveled. It was as Solomon pursued a relationship with God that God invited Solomon’s request. Also, it Solomon’s desire to serve his fellow Israelites that drove him to specifically ask for wisdom. It was because of my growing relationship with Jared that I shared my career conundrum and, out of that same relationship, that he was able to offer wise counsel.
So I encourage you today, writer, to prayerfully consider getting an outside perspective on your story! Because here’s the real deal…It’s as we engage in relationship and the messy process of learning to walk with God in His Body that He begins to multiply His wisdom and strength in and through us.
#wisdom #perspective #growth #editing #EveryWriterWriting
