Pressure and Duty

Lately I’ve been under a lot of pressure from my family as I try to put things together for my author business. It’s the beginning of October, and here in N.C. that means colder weather, fall and deadlines quickly approaching.

It also means dealing with a lot of pressure and pain–colder weather affects my joints and makes it harder for me to move. I’ve also decided to start taking cranberry as a supplement to deal with intestinal issues I’ve been having that distract me from writing. I’m learning now that these things are common in people with Cerebral Palsy. According to an informational website about the disability, 32% of individuals with CP report issues with abdominal pain.

My writing has probably been one of the only things keeping me sane during this whole process. I’m making great progress on my fantasy series and may be able to head into edits on one of my books in November.

A huge thing I’ve been struggling with lately is my participation in National Novel Writing Month, AKA NaNoWriMo. As an author who is also a Christian, I’ve found an incredibly supportive community in my NaNoWriMo region, and I never would have written the series I’m currently working on if it were not for this event.

Recently, NaNoWriMo has begun a push for “inclusiveness” that, according to what I’ve been told, is drawing Christians away from the event. This includes support for the LGBT+ community and some other very political issues that I won’t get into. Here’s why I’m still choosing to do it.

I may disagree with what they promote, but Christians are not called to put our heads in the sand. Continuing to participate is my way of being salt and light in a dark world, and if it helps even one person, I take it as a victory for the Kingdom.

On top of that, I really haven’t found much that matches the sense of community I find during NaNo where I feel fully comfortable interacting with events during the period that I’m already accustomed to working. I’ve done NaNo for at least a decade. It’s gotten me comfortable with my writing style, and my regional community is great.

I am, of course, still involved with The Company, and have a small chat group with the writers who completed the program along with me.

I’d really love to hear from any fellow authors who are Christian or write fiction with Christian elements: Do you participate in NaNoWriMo, and what are your reasons for doing so? Do you feel unwelcomed or attacked for your faith to the point that you no longer participate? Have you found a decent alternative? Let me know!