Where to begin?

I have been writing all my life, and have had people telling me for ten years that I am to be known for my writing; but it is only in the last few months that I have come to believe this press and to understand that I can actually write enough to embark upon writing as a career. My question is now one of context: so I can write and I shall write, but what of?

I want to write about prayer and intercession, but I wonder whether that is old news now. I want to write of my journey with God, but I wonder if that is self indulgent: after all Paul never wrote about Arabia rather he used Arabia to write about the cross. I want to write short stories, and long ones, to write skilfully for the sake of writing, in ways I have done briefly and in the Past, but this is not where I want to make my mark. I want to write about the gospel and culture, the behaviour of developing minds and lives in our new century and the effect that the timeless gospel should have upon them if given a fair hearing. I want to write comments upon the news, to write columns and articles, sermons to be read rather than spoken aloud: to speak by my writing rather than my lecturing. I want to write in paragraphs, in dialogues like the ancient philosophers, like an interviewer: scripts for my own performance.

I want to write what comes from God, be it Christian teaching, or just for enjoyment’s sake: a creative God using me as a fountain for His creativity in words. I know the words will come, I need to be listening and practicing both my writing and my faith: it is all about Him but it first comes to me, then through me. God’s highest priority for me is that I become like Christ, transformed into the likeness of His son; out of that comes the writing and the teaching, not before. I am a son first, an oracle second. I want to write out of my heart, out of the wellsprings of life: first then I must invest into my heart the time to make it clean, (by Christ alone, not me), and the time to make it wise.

I shall begin by reading, and then shall write from that.

There is no chicken and the egg here, because my writing comes from my reading, but my reading comes from the writing of others. I shall read what I want to write, (now to find such things). I shall write what I have already read, (can I remember)? I shall read them again: histories, hagiographies, biographies, opinions; stories in many forms. And I shall read books of language, books to perfect my craft, books to help me to write well in English English. And I shall read books and coursework to help me find publication.