What I’ve Written, I’ve Written

I attend the annual Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference to become a more informed writer. I also serve as a volunteer in various capacities such as a prayer team member, transporter to and from the airport, and other needs.

Several workshops facilitated by two nonfiction writers appealed to me. I talked to each presenter individually. I’m working on a biography about a great uncle who served in World War I. Craig von Buseck told me that most people don’t want to read whole war diaries. (https://www.vonbuseck.com) The key highpoints, what Craig called the “juicy” parts, are sufficient in a book. He said that the whole diary can be made available as a PDF or even sold from my website. Picking out the highpoints from the diary requires more work for me.

Janet McHenry. (https://www.janetmchenry.com) addressed the matter of the tentative title for the book, Canned Supper by Moonlight: A Life Interrupted by World War I. She said the first portion of the title might mislead a prospective buyer into thinking it is a romance. I have told many people about the title, but she’s the first one to suggest such a misunderstanding.

Wrestling with the book title and identifying the highpoints in the diary occupied my mind on the way home from the conference. I turned them into prayers too. I believe God guides his writer children in choosing book titles and appropriate content.

In John 19:16-22, Jesus is crucified between two other men. A sign is placed at the top of Jesus’s cross declaring, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” His accusers complained to Pilate, the ruling Roman authority, about the wording on the sign. He replied, “What I have written, I have written.” (v. 22)

Pilate didn’t write a book, but his words reminded me that a day awaits me to make the final decisions for the book title and content. These final decisions are on me. They are my responsibility. I will look back on Craig’s and Janet’s suggestions and counsel with gratitude  because they listened to my questions and gave their best feedback. I continue to ruminate on their words. When the book is completed, Pilate’s response becomes mine, “What I’ve written, I’ve written.”