Episode 02

Mick Silva

Learning To Appreciate The Process

Mick Silva is a freelance editor and writing coach who has spent nearly 20 years in the Christian publishing industry. He has worked for Focus on the Family Books and WaterBrook & Multnomah, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Mick Silva is a freelance editor and writing coach who has spent nearly 20 years in the Christian publishing industry. He has worked for Focus on the Family Books and WaterBrook & Multnomah, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
00:00 57:14

Show Notes:02. Mick Silva —Why Writing Is Hard: Learning To Love The Process

I have had the pleasure of working with Mick as a writing coach and editor on my latest manuscript. Mick’s knowledge runs much deeper than book publishing and marketing. Mick deeply understands the challenge of writing and the struggle authors face. This episode is a deep and honest dive into the soul of the writer and why writing is hard.

“There are, it seems, two muses: the Muse of Inspiration, who gives us inarticulate visions and desires, and the Muse of Realization, who returns again and again to say, ‘It is yet more difficult than you thought.’ This is the muse of form. It may be then that form serves us best when it works as an obstruction, to baffle us and deflect our intended course. It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.” — Wendell Berry

Read more: https://onbeing.org/blog/the-vital-obstacles-in-the-creative-process/

Mick strikes an important balance in articulating a kind of heuristic approach to first drafts and a focused and intentional revision process. Writing is more than what we know, but Mick acknowledges we all have to start somewhere. Once we have found a place to start, we have to be sensitive, yielding, and courageous to follow where God is leading.

Mick writes on his blog:

“I’ve long maintained that writing well is one of the hardest things one can do. It requires so much. I’ve justified that by saying the hardest things have the most opportunity to be life-changing. And that’s true. The hardest work is the most trying, but it’s also the truest test of your deepest beliefs. And God knows, we wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t for the promise of that reward. Maybe that’s base self-interest, but I think God takes what he can get. And if it gets us to start writing with God, he delights in taking the work and making it an adventure.

Like discovering unexpected treasure along the way, writing with God is ultimately writing for yourself. You will always be the primary beneficiary. And yet, because he is God, you may find this is also the best way to write for your readers.”

“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” — Flannery O’Connor

  • Fall after school sunset cruise.
  • My cousin Ben coming through with some amazing drone shots.
  • It's been more than a year and a half since The 5 Masculine Instincts came out. I'm continually grateful for people who continue to purchase and share the book. It's still ranking in the Christian Men and Church Leadership categories. 

This fall, I'm speaking at several men's events and always walk away from them feeling encouraged and optimistic about Christian men. There are far more godly men faithfully serving than the headlines care to share. 

There is still plenty of challenges facing men today, but I'm believing that the call of Christ is becoming clearer and I want to keep playing a small humble part in it however I can.
  • Link in Bio

This week our family launched a new podcast called Let's Talk Bible. As I'm preaching through the Gospel of Luke, we're having discussions about each passage, its background, and its meaning. It's been a lot of fun. They are smart, articulate, and clever. Many of the segments were their ideas. 

We wanted to make a podcast that families could listen to together and all learn. I think we underestimate what kids are capable of, and so we've not dumbed anything down. I want to aim high when it comes to teaching my kids scripture. 

Hope your family enjoys it. Maybe share it with a family you know too.
  • For the past couple of years, I’ve been working on a book about Jesus’s words of offense. There is a famous piece of graffiti from Rome that is believed to be the oldest depiction of Jesus’s crucifixion. It was scratched into a plaster wall, and meant to mock Christians. It depicts a Christian lifting his hand to worship a man with the head of a donkey being crucified. It is Christ. It’s a strange thing to hang on your wall but it’s a reminder to me that this message of hope is still for many a message of foolishness and offense. Why if Christ’s first disciples were mocked like this do we expect cultural approval and influence. We must write and speak what is true, even when it is not received. God help us do that.
  • More Dead Sea scrolls. 1955 publication with photo prints from Hebrew University. Sukenik was the first person realize what the Dead Sea scrolls were.
  • One of the pieces of advice I give to people wanting to read more, is find something you like, and read everything about it. I love finding an author, I like and reading everything they’ve written. My current obsession is all things discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is a remarkable story which I knew only a little bit about. I love tracking down used books; most of these are first hand, accounts of discovering or purchasing or translating the scrolls. I’m sure you’ll see me wring about it sometime soon.
Fall after school sunset cruise.
Fall after school sunset cruise.
Fall after school sunset cruise.
Fall after school sunset cruise.
Fall after school sunset cruise.
1 day ago
View on Instagram |
1/8
My cousin Ben coming through with some amazing drone shots.
My cousin Ben coming through with some amazing drone shots.
My cousin Ben coming through with some amazing drone shots.
My cousin Ben coming through with some amazing drone shots.
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
2/8
It's been more than a year and a half since The 5 Masculine Instincts came out. I'm continually grateful for people who continue to purchase and share the book. It's still ranking in the Christian Men and Church Leadership categories. 

This fall, I'm speaking at several men's events and always walk away from them feeling encouraged and optimistic about Christian men. There are far more godly men faithfully serving than the headlines care to share. 

There is still plenty of challenges facing men today, but I'm believing that the call of Christ is becoming clearer and I want to keep playing a small humble part in it however I can.
It's been more than a year and a half since The 5 Masculine Instincts came out. I'm continually grateful for people who continue to purchase and share the book. It's still ranking in the Christian Men and Church Leadership categories. 

This fall, I'm speaking at several men's events and always walk away from them feeling encouraged and optimistic about Christian men. There are far more godly men faithfully serving than the headlines care to share. 

There is still plenty of challenges facing men today, but I'm believing that the call of Christ is becoming clearer and I want to keep playing a small humble part in it however I can.
It's been more than a year and a half since The 5 Masculine Instincts came out. I'm continually grateful for people who continue to purchase and share the book. It's still ranking in the Christian Men and Church Leadership categories. This fall, I'm speaking at several men's events and always walk away from them feeling encouraged and optimistic about Christian men. There are far more godly men faithfully serving than the headlines care to share. There is still plenty of challenges facing men today, but I'm believing that the call of Christ is becoming clearer and I want to keep playing a small humble part in it however I can.
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
4/8
Link in Bio

This week our family launched a new podcast called Let's Talk Bible. As I'm preaching through the Gospel of Luke, we're having discussions about each passage, its background, and its meaning. It's been a lot of fun. They are smart, articulate, and clever. Many of the segments were their ideas. 

We wanted to make a podcast that families could listen to together and all learn. I think we underestimate what kids are capable of, and so we've not dumbed anything down. I want to aim high when it comes to teaching my kids scripture. 

Hope your family enjoys it. Maybe share it with a family you know too.
Link in Bio This week our family launched a new podcast called Let's Talk Bible. As I'm preaching through the Gospel of Luke, we're having discussions about each passage, its background, and its meaning. It's been a lot of fun. They are smart, articulate, and clever. Many of the segments were their ideas. We wanted to make a podcast that families could listen to together and all learn. I think we underestimate what kids are capable of, and so we've not dumbed anything down. I want to aim high when it comes to teaching my kids scripture. Hope your family enjoys it. Maybe share it with a family you know too.
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
5/8
For the past couple of years, I’ve been working on a book about Jesus’s words of offense. There is a famous piece of graffiti from Rome that is believed to be the oldest depiction of Jesus’s crucifixion. It was scratched into a plaster wall, and meant to mock Christians. It depicts a Christian lifting his hand to worship a man with the head of a donkey being crucified. It is Christ. It’s a strange thing to hang on your wall but it’s a reminder to me that this message of hope is still for many a message of foolishness and offense. Why if Christ’s first disciples were mocked like this do we expect cultural approval and influence. We must write and speak what is true, even when it is not received. God help us do that.
For the past couple of years, I’ve been working on a book about Jesus’s words of offense. There is a famous piece of graffiti from Rome that is believed to be the oldest depiction of Jesus’s crucifixion. It was scratched into a plaster wall, and meant to mock Christians. It depicts a Christian lifting his hand to worship a man with the head of a donkey being crucified. It is Christ. It’s a strange thing to hang on your wall but it’s a reminder to me that this message of hope is still for many a message of foolishness and offense. Why if Christ’s first disciples were mocked like this do we expect cultural approval and influence. We must write and speak what is true, even when it is not received. God help us do that.
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
6/8
More Dead Sea scrolls. 1955 publication with photo prints from Hebrew University. Sukenik was the first person realize what the Dead Sea scrolls were.
More Dead Sea scrolls. 1955 publication with photo prints from Hebrew University. Sukenik was the first person realize what the Dead Sea scrolls were.
More Dead Sea scrolls. 1955 publication with photo prints from Hebrew University. Sukenik was the first person realize what the Dead Sea scrolls were.
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
7/8
One of the pieces of advice I give to people wanting to read more, is find something you like, and read everything about it. I love finding an author, I like and reading everything they’ve written. My current obsession is all things discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is a remarkable story which I knew only a little bit about. I love tracking down used books; most of these are first hand, accounts of discovering or purchasing or translating the scrolls. I’m sure you’ll see me wring about it sometime soon.
One of the pieces of advice I give to people wanting to read more, is find something you like, and read everything about it. I love finding an author, I like and reading everything they’ve written. My current obsession is all things discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is a remarkable story which I knew only a little bit about. I love tracking down used books; most of these are first hand, accounts of discovering or purchasing or translating the scrolls. I’m sure you’ll see me wring about it sometime soon.
One of the pieces of advice I give to people wanting to read more, is find something you like, and read everything about it. I love finding an author, I like and reading everything they’ve written. My current obsession is all things discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is a remarkable story which I knew only a little bit about. I love tracking down used books; most of these are first hand, accounts of discovering or purchasing or translating the scrolls. I’m sure you’ll see me wring about it sometime soon.
One of the pieces of advice I give to people wanting to read more, is find something you like, and read everything about it. I love finding an author, I like and reading everything they’ve written. My current obsession is all things discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is a remarkable story which I knew only a little bit about. I love tracking down used books; most of these are first hand, accounts of discovering or purchasing or translating the scrolls. I’m sure you’ll see me wring about it sometime soon.
1 month ago
View on Instagram |
8/8

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