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by Sandy Kirby Quandt @SandyKQuandt

What do you do with the crushed potato chip crumbs at the bottom of the potato chip bag? Do you eat them or do you throw them away? Recently, I faced this dilemma. As I considered whether to eat the crumbs, which I did, or throw the bag away, I thought about how, as writers, we might sometimes view our writing as nothing more than a bunch of crushed potato chip crumbs at the bottom of the bag. Especially, after a harsh review, critique, or submission rejection.

Hardly worth bothering with, we might tell ourselves. May as well throw them away.

You know what, though? The crushed potato chip crumbs at the bottom of the bag are no less potato chips than the whole chips at the top. All potato chips begin the same way. They start as a potato.

The same can be said for our writing. It doesn’t matter if we write fiction or non. Are traditionally, self, hybrid, or pre-published. Write full-length novels, blog posts, articles, poems, or devotions. All writing begins the same way. It starts with an idea, which turns into words. That turn into paragraphs. And become a finished product.

Our Crumbs Are Enough

Something I’ve noticed is that regardless of what we write, we sometimes have those moments where we think it isn’t enough. It’s just a bunch of crumbs at the bottom of the bag. We look around at other writers, and wonder if our small 350-word devotion is as important as their 80,000-word novel.

Can I tell you something? If you wrote those 350 words for God’s glory and honor, then, yes. Yes, they are.

Or maybe we look at writers around us and wonder if the publishing house name on the spine of our book is as important, or impressive, as the writer next to us.

Again. Can I tell you something? If the words you wrote were for God’s glory and honor, then, yes. Yes, it is.

I’m not even going to mention our concern with numbers. Because you know what I’ll tell you, right? Was God glorified? Was he honored?

Your Turn

When I first started writing for publication, I was told by well-meaning people in the industry that I had to pick one genre and stick with it. Well, that’s not how God made me. He created me to write and publish blog posts, articles, devotional stories, fiction for children and for adults. One friend calls my blog, eclectic. I think that’s because I use both whole and crushed potato chips when I write. Big moments and small. Perhaps the same applies to your writing.

If you Google crushed potato chip crumbs, you’ll find they are used for breading, casserole topping, meat binder, soup and salad garnish, cookie add-in, and dessert crust. They have more uses than merely for eating straight from the bag.

Same with our writing. There is more to it than publication. Writing with God tops the list, I think. Returning to the Creator the creation of words he gives us. Journaling our thoughts back to him. Honoring him with the gift, whether anyone else reads it or not.

That’s hard sometimes, isn’t it? Especially, when we so desire to have our work out in the published world. But can we agree to let it be enough, until such time that God chooses differently?

I wish you well.

Sandy

Sandy Kirby Quandt is a follower of Jesus with a passion for history and travel. Passions that often weave their way into her blog, stories, devotions, and articles. She writes articles, devotions, and stories for adult and children’s publications. She is a regular contributor to Guideposts devotional books, as well as a conference speaker. Sandy has won multiple awards for her writing, including several years in the Young Adult category of the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition. Looking for words of encouragement or gluten-free recipes? Then check out her blog at https://sandykirbyquandt.com