Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast

Get Started: Overcoming Your Greatest Hindrance To Successful Writing

OK. Are you ready?

Go and do.

Fire up your computer.

Or pull out that notepad.

Or sling on your guitar.

Write a title. Anything will do for now.

Start writing.

Congratulations.

Treat yourself to a Starbucks Quad Venti Cinnamon Dolce Latte for overcoming the greatest hindrance to successful writing: starting.

Seriously.

A creative’s work gets destroyed in the mind. Whether you are a blogger, songwriter, preacher, or poet, we think ourselves out of doing great work.

“Will anyone like this? Will anyone RT this? Will people write me off as a loser for posting this? I think I need to work this out a bit more before I ‘publish’. No one will ever sing THIS song! This is going to bore people to tears! I SUCK!”

And we never do it.

We edit before we start and it kills our work.

Here’s what I suggest you do:

  • Start writing EVERY DAY
  • If you blog, publish often (at least once a week)
  • If you write songs, test them out often
  • Try and write first drafts that are stupidly awful
  • Edit but don’t edit forever. Get it out there.
  • Get comfortable with failure
  • Keep going

Honestly, these principles apply to anything worthwhile in life. Some of the greatest artists in the world have never been discovered because they’re cowering from the fear of man, refusing to start – refusing to release their work.

Wayne Cordeiro says, “Wisdom is not built in a day, but it is built daily.” We could modify that and say “Success is not built in a day, but it is built daily.”

Wake up, start, and finish. Everyday. Some of it will fall by the wayside but in your consistency you’ll see people affirm your work and your gift. Just keep going.

Go start something now.

I look forward to experiencing your brilliance.

Question: If you blog or paint or sculpt or record music or make videos or create anything at all, share a link to your work in the comments. We all would love to check it out (don’t be afraid. consider this your first step in ‘starting’).

Comments

  1. Scott Lowder says

    Thanks so much for this post today. Sometimes we all need a good kick in the rear to get started. It takes time to perfect your craft, and consistency really is the key.

    I used to write for a secular band before I gave my life to Jesus Christ. Since then, I’ve found it more difficult to write because I don’t want to say something that isn’t doctrinally sound. That’s a big hindrance I have of releasing the music to the world. So, I meticulously write and rewrite the lyrics to insure they are consistent with what the Bible tells us.

    Would love feedback on the two songs below, negative or positive. Thanks!

    http://youtu.be/okM33nPwEsQ
    http://youtu.be/B1PXwDTCoKc

    • David Santistevan says

      Love it Scott! Great voice. Yea, writing worship songs can nerve racking. I once heard Brian Doerksen say that it’s a “sacred trust”. We have a responsibility to articulate truth for the church to sing; however, don’t let that stop you from writing a lot! You’ll keep getting better and better.

  2. Marcia Russotto says

    Hi David,
    Your post today is very appropriate for me. Lately, people have been asking if I’ve been working on book number two. My first was published 2 1/2 years ago, Always on Sunday:Memories of an Italian Childhood. I’ve always intended to start that second book, but just can’t seem to “start”. I have several pages of notes and a few ideas, just don’t know what is hindering me; motivation, time, fear of not reaching the level of success from the first? Can’t seem to put my finger on it. I have, however, started blogging again, just to keep my skills up. And even that seems to be a chore! You are giving me a fresh wave of encouragement. Thank You!
    Marcia

    • David Santistevan says

      No problem Marcia! Thanks for the comment. Could you leave a link to your book? There may be some readers who’d like a copy. Keep up the blogging and I think a new book sounds like a great idea!

  3. Arny says

    Yes! Getting started is the hardest thing to do!

    I write songs and to me, it’s a piece of cake. But then when other people hear them it’s like I want a standing ovation and nothing…so I have to learn to be content in just writing something…and ME liking it and believing in it…other will follow what I like…

    I think Robbie Seay from the Robbie Seay band said that they write and record music they like. becauese well, who wants to sing songs they don’t like every night on tour?….When I heard that, that is when i stopped writing for other people…

    He is a link of my BAND “Sin Sandalias” of us playing at a young adults bible study…We didn’t write the song BUT, this song has been sung in the spanish church all over the world for decades! And it, to my knowledge has never been changed or re-versioned by anyone. Well, I did, I took that suck and turned it up side down!!! The spanish church plays it as a POLKA, yes I said POLKA, But I changed it to a much Rock Pop feel!!! You wouldn’t know it but it is also a smash up of another popular spanish folk song…I hope you like it…even if you don’t understand the words…the music is what was i was nervous about…

    click on the very first video…
    http://arnyslight.blogspot.com/p/about-my-band-sin-sandalias.html

    • David Santistevan says

      Thanks for sharing Arny! Nice to put a face with the name 🙂 Love your sound!

    • David Santistevan says

      Welcome to the comments Mark! Thanks for sharing your blog. You seem to be a consistent writer. Well done. Look forward to connecting!

    • David Santistevan says

      Thanks for sharing, Jason. Love your music bro! Reminds of the late great Elliot Smith.

    • David Santistevan says

      LOL! That Krispy Kreme tune is classic! Well done. Matter of fact, these are all classic 🙂

  7. Chris Deeves says

    I am the Creative Arts Director at Lakeside Church in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. My blog is where I share my musings on life w/2 small kids, worship and my journey as a follower of Jesus.

    You can get to it here:

    http://maestroman.ca/

    At our church we are launching into writing our own congregational songs – we hope to write enough to create a full length worship album: songs from our church, for our church.

    • David Santistevan says

      Thanks for sharing, Chris. Glad to hear you are writing your own songs. We are too. Hoping to do the same. I need to get up to Canada soon. Seems like great things are happening!

  10. Brandon says

    Well, I have a blog: http://www.bigb94.wordpress.com

    I also have some awesome guitar recordings that I am working on now…will let you know where to find them when I am done!

    …Doing it all with a PC software called “Mixcraft” and a blue yeti snowball mic I borrowed! haha

  11. dustin says

    Excellent post, David. Sometimes just reading “write everyday” is something I need to hear from time to time. Because, its hard for me to even consider myself a writer… (I mean, I blog… LOL). So… thanks for the encouragement. Enjoyed this post!

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