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Tell me about your book, The Race. How did you come up with the idea?

The Race is the story of a 22-year-old who runs a 6,000-mile footrace. I got the idea from Scripture, which compares the Christian life to running in several places. The thought of expanding that metaphor into a novel first occurred to me years ago—I mean, like 20 years or more. It’s just such an apt metaphor that expanding it seemed like a no-brainer. But I never intended to write that book; I hadn’t studied writing, and my life was already pretty jam-packed. Nevertheless, God had other plans. Years later, when the circumstances of my life had changed, a friend issued a challenge, and the Lord showed me how this metaphor was perfectly suited to address the issues he had raised.

What is the biggest lesson that God has taught you through writing this book?

He’s taught me a number of things and reminded me of many more, so picking the “biggest” is hard. But I can tell you the last lesson He taught me. There’s a line in the book where Josh (the character who represents Jesus) says to the main character, who’s climbing a mountain just then: “I anchor all your lines, kid.” For a long time I didn’t get this. In fact, I tried deleting it a few times, thinking it was just unnecessary fluff. (But Josh, in the inexplicable way that fictional characters have of doing this, insisted on saying it.) It wasn’t until I was attempting to set up a website that I understood it. Mind you, this was a task that I knew nothing about and in an area that I have a history of messing up (as far as I can tell, computer “logic” is entirely illogical). So I was feeling very out of my element and afraid I would mess something up forever.

At that point the Lord leaned over my shoulder and said, “Don’t worry—I anchor all your lines, kid.” That’s when I realized what that line meant spiritually: no matter what project I’m tackling, even if it’s something I know nothing about, He knows everything about it and can, therefore, anchor the safety lines that will keep me from serious mishap. It’s a truth I know intellectually and have no trouble applying … to most areas of my life. I didn’t even realize how my reticence to take on a task that He was so clearly calling me to was, in fact, a lack of faith.

Tell me a little bit about your journey to becoming an author.

I have always loved reading, and that passion morphed into a love for writing early on. I began writing plays in elementary school; I was in sixth grade when the first was performed on stage. However, my goal, even then, was to become a physician, so I set aside my love for writing when I dove into the hectic schedule of pre-med and med school. And then came marriage and kids and … Well, it wasn’t until I contracted viral encephalitis (an infection of the brain transmitted by mosquito bites) and became unable to practice medicine that I could again indulge my old love of writing. I began by reading books about the specific principles and techniques of good writing, and I also took a few online writing courses. I also got involved with some great critique partners who helped me hone the skills I was learning (still am). Then I wrote a lot, read a lot, and wrote some more.

Aren’t you disappointed about not being able to practice medicine anymore?

No. There are times I miss it, for sure. And I won’t pretend that there haven’t been times when I’ve felt disappointed that God didn’t work things out differently. Yet now, as I look back on what He’s done through that mosquito bite, on the work He’s allowed me to participate in as a result, I can truly say that I wouldn’t have it any other way. I would never have had the time to write while practicing medicine. And I’ve been able to touch the lives of people I would never have met otherwise.

What’s a typical working day like for you? When and where do you write? Do you set a daily writing goal?

I’ve actually had to learn to not hold myself to a schedule. At this point, my writing schedule revolves around my headache to a considerable degree (I’ve had a permanent headache since the encephalitis 11 years ago, but the severity isn’t necessarily predictable), and putting myself under deadline pressures, whether real or invented, only makes the headache worse. I think this is something God’s using to transform me into an obedient servant—submissive to His will and listening for His voice. I’ve always been very big on scheduling and planning; so much so that it really became a sort of idol for me. Now the Father’s teaching me to look to Him for my daily marching orders. I know this goes against the usual wisdom of setting daily writing goals, finding your rhythm, and following regular schedules. Those recommendations are probably great for most people, but I’ve had to kick the habit.

On the other hand, the “where” of writing is very important in my process. I have to be in a quiet, well-organized place to do any meaningful writing or editing. If things around me are a mess, I can’t concentrate on my story world until I organize my real world (so I make a habit of keeping the real world of my study in order). I also try to minimize interruptions when I’m writing since I easily lose my train of thought. This may mean closing the door of my study, putting in earplugs, letting the machine answer the phone, or even waiting until the rest of the world is asleep.

As a new author, what is the hardest part of writing for you?

The business part, especially sales and marketing. This feels too much like it’s about me when it should be about Him. If I had it to do over, I might seriously consider changing my name to Anonymous. I could promote the book with much more enthusiasm if it didn’t have my name in great big letters on the front cover.

What are you working on now?

I am currently polishing the second book in the Race trilogy and finishing the first draft of the third book. That and trying to figure out this whole website/blog/social media/ugh! business. (I’m not a technophobe, just a techno-dummie.)

What’s the best thing about being an author?

I enjoy the whole writing experience. I love the creative side: inventing a new story world, getting to know the characters, dreaming up situations and problems, and seeing how it all plays out. I love the editing (even if that puts me on the list of the world’s strangest people), which I see as something akin to sculpting with words: adding a detail here, filing off a distracting bit there, and so forth.

But the most amazing part of being an author, at least for me, is what comes after the book or article is done: seeing the way the Holy Spirit is able to use my humble words in the lives of real people. I was blown away the day I received the publisher’s e-mail informing me of their readers’ reactions to the book. God was using it to literally change people’s lives for eternity, to change their perception of and relationship to Him! I sat there crying for joy as I read those statements, in the same way that I have sometimes cried at births. And it felt much the same, as though I was helping to bring new lives—God’s children—into the world.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Read. Write. Rinse. Repeat.

Oh—and remember why you’re writing. I have my writing motto posted on an index card above my desk: “I am writing that they may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing they may have life in his name (John 20:31, paraphrased).”

      Click here to read the first chapter of The Race