Writing Is A Team Sport

Marilyn Nutter

"May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands." Psalm 90:12



My association with team sports included attending required PE classes. Choosing teams in school during recess had the foregone conclusion: I’d be among the last chosen. I was not a fast runner or star batter. And if it rained, that was a dream come true. The class played inside games like 7-Up, or better yet, we could read our favorite book.

Now that I’m a grandmother to six boys, sports are part of our family’s activities. As a spectator for their soccer and basketball games, watching them grow in their abilities and seeing how they offer encouragement to teammates, is a dream come true, too. One grandson told his mother to please “keep Nonni from yelling my name and cheering.” He knows his grandmother is all in.

But writing as a team sport? Isn’t writing a solitary activity? Yes, writers spend hours researching, writing, and editing alone. We search for social media platforms for our personal best fit. And we work hard to develop our platform and discover creativity we didn’t know we had.

We work solo, but we need and were designed for community. “One another” is used fifty-nine times in the New Testament. “One another” looks like meeting new writers over meals at conferences, taking classes, and connecting with editors and agents. Keynotes and worship inspire us spiritually. We may join genre groups on social media, but beyond that, how can we encourage “one another” to make writing a team sport? How can we engage personally and intentionally with other writers? Let’s think about:

· Commenting on blog posts or sharing them on social media. It takes seconds to copy and paste graphics and links to social media.

· Being loyal in our commitment when we sign up to be part of launch teams and do our part to share graphics and quotes to social media to promote a worthy message.

· Writing honest book reviews for several sites. Readers may not only read a summary of the book but look for other readers’ opinions. Reviews are golden for authors.

· Following authors’ pages on Facebook and Instagram.

· Offering guest post opportunities on your site.

· Being a critique partner.

· Cheering for your writing friends and celebrating their successes even when yours are long in coming.

· Encouraging others when a rejection letter comes, or self-doubt sets in.

· Finding other writers to set aside time to pray with them, for their personal needs and fulfilling our calling.

· Considering collaborating on a project.

· Subscribe. We learn about writers, new content, and style when we read newsletters.

Decades have passed since school days and my dreaded participation in team sports. We may have cheered as someone scored points, but comparison and competition were also part of the game. In relishing the team sport of writing, we cheer, but it’s not a competitive race. It’s about each of us achieving our personal best. No comparison or competition, just lifting “one another” up as they seek to fulfill God’s call and purposes.

Think about writers you know or are part of your writing group. How can you be a “one another” for them? How have you been encouraged by another writer?

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

I’m an ordinary woman who loves sunrises, waterfalls, and coffee on the beach. For me, a new sunrise offers hope, waterfalls show us life moves forward, and well, morning coffee with donuts on the beach is a simple gift. My decades have taken me to roles of writer, speaker, speech-language pathologist, Bible teacher, grief support facilitator, wife, mother of three, and grandmother to eight.

http://marilynnutter.com/