Today I have the pleasure of introducing our second ‘Write Life’ guest blogger, award winning author, Jo Wanmer. Despite a huge couple of weeks, Jo has still managed to bring us a blog with her characteristically real and relevant insights – just like her writing (which if you haven’t read yet, you should check out). I’m sure you’ll appreciate her wisdom.

‘Just write. Stay in the creative brain. Don’t question and don’t edit as you go. The aim is to get words on the page.’

This advice relaunched my second novel eighteen months after I’d given up on the manuscript. I decided to write and not worry if the work was good or bad, right or wrong, showing or telling. The first few lines were gibberish. Too bad. I pushed on wanting to launch a creative flow. The more I hit the keys, the better the story flowed. Within six weeks, I finished the novel, typing 70,000 words.

Every time I paused to question what I’d written, I made myself push on. Deletion could happen later if necessary, but it was imperative to stay in the creative flow, to keep writing. This strategy bought unexpected surprises. I loved the story. It was exciting, interesting, fresh and … rough. Rough can be fixed, errors can be rewritten but the plot was fantastic.

Now I apply this principle in many of life’s creative pursuits. The most revelatory is when listening to God. When seeking Him, the beginning of an idea forms in my mind. I used to asses it and often discard the thought before it was properly formed. Now I try to continue in the flow, even with crazy or seemingly sacrilegious ideas. I maintain creative imagination and ask God to use it. Later I can test the thoughts, pictures and ideas against scripture and other standards. Then it is time to use my left brain.

Sometimes God says the most unusual things. Read the Old Testament or Jesus words in New Testament. He often surprised his listeners. Yet for years I have expected God’s words to conform to my judgement and expectations.

In my current work in progress, the protagonist talks to God. And God responds. As I let the words flow, God says the most unexpected things. Instead of stopping and using the delete button, I continue and have my heroine question God. The subsequent revelations have been fascinating, insightful and added depth to my story.

How much wisdom have I missed over the years by reducing the Lord’s voice to my understanding? Now I record everything I think He may have said. I read it and either listen, discard or revisit it in another season of my life when it may speak to those circumstances.

Jo Wanmer, a Queenslander, loves life, family, and God and writes from her experience of all three. Her first book, Though the Bud be Bruised, was written to share the amazing things God taught her through adversity. This true story is presented as novel, which sparked an interest in further writing. Jo has written two other novels which are being refined at the moment. You can find her on Facebook or trawl through her blog at jo-wanmer.blogspot.com.au