
Are Writers Born or Made? Guest Post by Jan Drexler
Welcome to The Amish Nanny’s Sweetheart blog tour and giveaway,
hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
I am delighted to welcome Jan to my humble little blog today. I can relate to her post because I know that for me, as a writer, I had to wait for the right season. Thank you, Jan for sharing your heart. – Melony Teague
Are Writers Born or Made?
by Jan Drexler
I didn’t start out to be a writer.
As a child, I was a terrible student because I only wanted to read. I hated handwriting practice. Math stumped me all the way through high school. And those “answer the question with a complete sentence” exercises? Forget it!
My favorite days in school were standardized test days. I was able to work on my test pages at my own pace, and when I finished I could read until the other students finished theirs. I was in heaven! Why couldn’t all days be like this?
If I couldn’t read, I’d stare out the window, lost in my imagination. The stories that swirled around in my head pulled me out of reality. My imaginary dog slept by my desk and my imaginary horse stood by the playground fence, waiting patiently for school to let out. But I didn’t start out to be a writer.
I was going to be a veterinarian until I flunked Chemistry. I was going to be a musician until my brother went into that field. Then I studied writing in college…and ended up lost in a world of literary elitists. I knew I didn’t belong there. I knew I wasn’t meant to be a writer.
I married my college sweetheart and we started a family. We moved all around the Midwest, we homeschooled, I was involved in Bible Study Fellowship. But writing wasn’t on the agenda.
Oh, once in a while I’d start a story or two, but God would say, “not yet.”
The children grew older, we moved a couple more times… and then it happened: my youngest son was quickly approaching his last year of high school. I was about to be unemployed.
With my homeschooling career nearly over, I thought about going back to college to get my teaching degree. I thought about nursing school. I thought about seminary. I ignored the idea of writing.
Are writers born or made?
I think writers are born with an overwhelming passion for storytelling. The stories go through an endless series of metamorphoses in our minds until they struggle to emerge, full-blown, with a life of their own. So in that way, writers are born. But we are made through our life experiences. God leads us through the twists and turns that we tuck close to our hearts, each experience building on the others until God has constructed His writer. So in that way, writers are made.
A writer emerges…
My dear husband knows me so well. He knows my dreams – even the ones I never, ever talk about.
About the time our youngest son was reaching the end of his high school years, my husband bought a computer as a gift for me for Christmas. As I opened that box, God whispered, “now.”
And I knew.
I was always meant to be a writer.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Genre: Inspirational Historical Amish Fiction
PURCHASE A COPY: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | CBD | Book Depository
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jan grew up surrounded by books and storytellers. With Pastors and Teachers populating both sides of her extended family, we aren’t surprised that she wanted to be a first-class storyteller herself.
Born and raised in Michigan, Jan is the descendant of Amish, Mennonite and Brethren immigrants who settled in Berks, Somerset and Lancaster Counties in Pennsylvania in the mid-1700s. The descendants of these immigrants pioneered in Maryland, Ohio, and finally Elkhart and LaGrange Counties in Northern Indiana in the 1850s.
During the years when Jan was raising and homeschooling their children, she and her husband moved nine times in thirty years, finally landing in South Dakota where they enjoy the incredibly Michigan-like weather. A northerner is always a northerner!
The ideas for Jan’s books come from the stories told by her parents and grandparents, seasoned with a lot of research and imagination.
CONNECT WITH AUTHOR: Website | Facebook | Twitter
GIVEAWAY
Jan Drexler is giving away a print copy of The Amish Nanny’s Sweetheart and a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one winner! Open internationally, as long as the winner can receive books from Book Depository and accept an egift card from US Amazon. Void where prohibited by law. Enter via the Rafflecopter below. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
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Melony Teague is a freelance writer who believes everyone has a story to tell and each story is unique and sometimes wilder than fiction. She loves to uncover the good news in society and writes human interest and community pieces. As co-author of As the Ink Flows, she loves to inspire and motivate others through her written words. In her spare time, she reviews books and interviews authors. These reviews can be found right here on her website. She also teaches seniors in her local community to write their own personal story. Melony Teague was born in South Africa and immigrated to Canada. She now lives in Toronto with her husband and their two children and two cats. Check out her recent publications here

9 Comments
Kay Garrett
Thank you for being part of the “The Amish Nanny’s Sweetheart” blog tour.
Love Jan Drexler’s books and can’t wait for the opportunity to read this one. Enjoyed reading Jan’s Are Writers Born or Made?
Mary Nida Smith
Thank you Jan for your article. I can relate to your personal experience in school. I prayed all the time I was at school , which wasn’t often, to pass my grades. God blessed me them and today. Thank you. My Granddad was a Yoder and most of his family was Amish and Mennonite.
Jan Drexler
I’m glad you liked the post, Kay! Enjoy the blog tour!
Carrie @ Reading Is My SuperPower
I love this, Jan! Thanks so much for being part of the tour, Mel <3
Jackie Smith
Anxious to read Jan’s books! Thanks for your giveaway.
Anne Carol
Amen to everything you said! I had one story in my head from age 12 to adulthood and didn’t do anything (public) with it until my kids were almost in middle school. They’re almost in college now and I still feel God is working on me, priming me for writing for His Kingdom! Thanks for sharing, it’s nice to know I still could have a future in writing, even though I didn’t start until later.
And you’re blessed to have such a supportive husband.
Jean Dixon
Sounds like a really terrific book thanks for the chance to win this!
Glynis M Belec
So true – writers emerge! Great post and can relate aplenty to these words! Well done, Jan (and Mel!)
Melony Teague
Thank you Glynis