My Bible reading this morning included Hebrews chapter 11. The famous "Hall of Faith" chapter.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. (Hebrews 11:1-3)
Many of the remainder of the 40 verses of this chapter begin with the words "By faith." By faith Abel… By faith Enoch… By faith Noah… By faith Abraham… By faith Sarah… By faith Isaac… By faith Jacob… By faith Joseph… By faith Moses… By faith Rahab the harlot…
And all these, having gained approval through their faith… (Hebrews 11:39a)
Me, too! So I added a new verse at the end of chapter 11:
41 By faith Robin…
By faith Robin writes her novels. By faith she walks in obedience, often feeling like she is going to a strange land but going anyway. By faith… It’s the only way I know how to live, the only way I know how to traverse this crazy, hard, frustrating world in which I find myself.
Speaking of writing by faith, it really is true. That’s how I create my books. I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer. I have a premise, a general set-up. I have my characters and my opening scene. And then I start writing, seeing where my characters take me. I do what has been called a "rolling plot," where each day I see where I am, then brainstorm in a notebook what needs to happen in the next scene or two. Recently I heard this called the "headlights method." It’s like driving in the dark only as far as you can see the headlights. You get to that spot, then drive further as far as you can see the headlights.
And isn’t that what the faith walk is like, too? God rarely shows me very far into the future. He gives me enough light on my path to make it through this hour, this day, maybe this week. Beyond that, I just have to keep trusting Him.
So my new verse at the end of Hebrews 11 is oh-so-true.
41 By faith Robin…
Nice post! I’ll have to write down my own…”By faith Hope…” 🙂 Thanks!
I wrote my first novel (and my first two botched attempts at a novel) by faith. But now, as I wait to hear back from a couple publishers about Novel One, I’ve kind of lost my faith nerve in writing Novel Two.
I’m going to try your method, Robin. Writing in a notebook about how the next couple of scenes should go. That sounds very helpful for a seat-of-the-pants writer like I am, since it wouldn’t give me TOO much information about the unfolding of the story, but just enough to jump start me. Headlights.
What I need most of all, I’m thinking, is a good dose of “By faith, Katy…”
Thanks!
Great post. I have my own ‘by faith’ post today. I just found your blog on blogs4god. I like what I see… Thanks for a great blog. I may link to you (been looking for some good ones).