FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS

Second Kings chapter five gives the story of an army commander named Naaman who had leprosy. When he discovers there could be a prophet in Israel who might be able to cure his illness, he goes to locate him.

Elisha is the prophet Naaman seeks. Elisha hears of Naaman and his desire for healing from his leprosy. He sends word through servants for Naaman to wash in the Jordan River seven times.

Naaman leaves in a huff. For one, he can’t believe that the prophet didn’t just come out and heal him on the spot. And, he is disgusted by the thought of dipping into the Jordan when there are so many other better rivers.

Naaman’s servant encourages him to go ahead and do as Elisha has said, and he relents. As soon as Naaman dips down in the Jordan the seventh time, his leprosy is healed.

He decides that this miracle warrants his devotion to Elisha’s God.

Naaman had to follow Elisha’s exact instructions to get the desired result.

Now to open the proverbial can of worms. As writers there are certain rules to follow if we want our manuscripts to see publication.

What are some rules you can think of for writers? Here are a few examples: Be consistent in point of view. Use proper grammar and paragraph form. Show don’t tell. Limit backstory. Can you list some others?

Though we may balk and want to be rebels, there are acceptable writing standards that will give more of a chance of catching an editor’s eye.

Locate a publisher you might be interested in submitting to and bring up their submission guidelines. You may also want to look at some of their specific formatting requirements. What standards do you notice in their guidelines?

What writer’s rules do you need to work on?

Have you ever balked at instructions you’ve received from an editor or critique partner? Don’t be too quick to write off their suggestions.

Have you ever felt you have received instruction from the Lord that you weren’t sure you wanted to follow? Maybe you resisted a calling on your life. Or, possibly you avoided His leading down a difficult path. Often that desired result cannot be achieved without following the exact directions.