by Deanna Rutledge

As an undergraduate student I lived overtop a veterinary office. The vet’s wife was a Christian landscape painter, a very good one. Several canvasses hung on the walls of her husband’s workplace. One was upstairs where I lived, and others, so I was proudly told, were given as presents.

       It never occurred to me to think less of her because her works had not hung in a gallery, nor were copies available for purchase. Whenever I looked at one of her fine paintings celebrating God’s creation, it gave me great pleasure. Moreover, it gave her great pleasure to paint them, and to give them as gifts to family and friends, all of whom esteemed them highly.

      Years later, I felt the Lord nudging me to write books. I thought, “He gave me the facility with words, why not use them to give Him the honor and glory He deserves?” An English teacher at the time, I taught classics. But we don’t write like Charles Dickens anymore, so I hired a mentor. I spent two years learning how to write for contemporary readers. My goal was to write historical Christian fiction for young adults as a business. I was confident I would find a publisher at the next BRMCWC conference, sell lots of books, and make a reasonable profit. Wasn’t that the purpose of writing?

      My bubble burst at the conference. I could not find a publisher. I could not find an agent. Another year, and numerous query letters later, I decided to self-publish. I made mistakes in marketing which cost me readers. I chose the wrong target group. The books themselves turned out nicely, but did not sell well. Even now, a good many of them just sit on my bookshelf. But–and here’s the point I want to make–I do not see that as a failure.

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none” inject=”#Writing #Writinglife #BRMCWC”]Here’s to the Humble Hobbyist Writer by Deanna Rutledge on @BRMCWC[/tweet_box]

     When I look at the books I remember the journey as clearly as if it were yesterday. I remember the thrill I felt when I first realized God had called me to write.  I recall the excitement of characters and plot points forming as I wrote, and the characters I grew to love. I recall the elation I felt when I finally typed ‘The End.’ There were moments of sheer joy when I knew I was writing from God’s own heart. There were also periods of uncertainty, countless stops and starts and re-writes, some of them tearful. Who knew the journey would be so hard? Who knew it would take so long? I would have given up time and again, but with God’s strength I was able to persevere. Now, when I look at my books, I see them as proof that He who begins a good work in us is indeed faithful to complete it. As He sees fit.

      There were perks. I won a couple of prizes, which felt good. Most contests are open to self-published authors these days. I was a Selah finalist. The framed award hangs proudly over my desk. Blue Ridge Reader Connections listed me as an author on their site, along with all the top-sellers. How great was that! Dozens of friends, family members and students read the books and enjoyed them. Some students received academic credit for following the study guide. Reviews were few, but sincere. “Your story of grace and redemption touched my heart,” one reader wrote to me. A few similar comments followed. I was very thankful. Just last weekend I overheard my teenage granddaughter telling a friend, “My grandma writes books. Really good ones.” I thought the buttons of my blouse would pop off!

        God has called many to thrive in the business of writing and reach thousands, others to reach hundreds, some to be humble hobbyists. That’s where I am. Not a success as the world would see it perhaps, but I have found that reaching even a small audience for Him is both fulfilling and rewarding. To me, the journey is well worth taking.

Deanna spent many years teaching English and literature in Christian schools and homeschool co-ops in Honolulu HI.  When she and pastor husband, Bill, returned to the mainland (Virginia) a few years ago, she began writing a series of action/adventure novels with strong Christian themes for young adults. These are set in the Middle Ages, the same time period that had so excited her Hawaii students. A Far and Distant Cry, was a Selah finalist in 2021. On Rumor’s Deadly Tongue, won the C.M.A first place award in 2022 in the category Best Books for Youth Ages 17-21. The final book of the series, There Came a Wounded Knight, has just been published.

“Hawaii was great,” Deanna says, “but it’s a true joy to be back home where I can spend time with family who now live close by rather than thousands of miles away.”