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From Construction Paper to Publication: How I Became an Author
Thursday, January 22, 2026 by Sarah Schwerin

Categories: Life Lessons

My fourth-grade teacher announced the day’s assignment. Excitement tingled through my arms and legs. With my scuffed tennis shoes firmly planted on the floor, I sat straight in my metal desk.

A couple of kids groaned while I unsuccessfully tried to hide my smile. Finally, I could write a book like the ones lined up on my shelf at home. I could be the next Madeleine L’Engle, Judy Blume, or L. M. Montgomery.

Captivated by the story forming in my head, I folded the construction paper as the teacher instructed. Then, I sharpened my pencil and began writing. For the rest of the day, I worked feverishly on my masterpiece, weaving a tale about a princess with long blond hair, a prince, a unicorn, and a bottle of soda. Pride surged through me with each painstakingly printed word and illustrated scene. Afterward, I reread it with delight, then looked up to see how my classmates were doing.

My excitement and pride seeped away like air from a balloon.

The girl across from me illustrated her book’s cover with a bouquet of realistic roses under a title that didn’t slant like mine. In front of me, another student wrote in flowery cursive. On the other side, a boy drew a detailed outline of a complex machine.

I pushed the yellow construction-paper book into my desk. My drawings seemed babyish. My penmanship sloppy. I burned with shame. No one would want to read my book.

In that moment, I never wanted to write again.

Yet something continued to push me to put my thoughts on paper. Stories kept me up at night. I whispered them into the dark until my older sisters yelled at me to stop talking to myself and go to sleep. I stared out the window on long car rides, making up adventures. Yet, when I wrote, my inadequate words never conveyed the exhilarating tales in my mind. And as I reached adolescence, the voice of my fourth-grade self continued to whisper, Will someone really want to read that?

Yet something kept the writer spirit alive in me. Throughout high school and college, I experimented with writing, but that same insistent voice of comparison and doubt held me back. The goal seemed too big, too grandiose. After all, I felt like a child with markers and construction paper in a world of polished professionals.

In college, I majored in elementary education, thinking maybe I’d write curriculum one day or in the far-off future that book might get written, but probably not. Eventually, I fell in love and started a family.

The next years flew by with a short-lived mommy blog, but soon homeschooling two exuberant boys consumed me, leaving no room for anything else. Yet in the back of my mind, something kept whispering, write, why aren’t you writing?

My children seemed to grow up overnight, and their high school graduations loomed on the horizon. My sons consumed less and less of my time, and no longer could I ignore the insistent voice: Now it’s time to write.

At first, I secretly wrote and researched writing opportunities in my area. Much to my surprise, there was a writing critique group close to my house. They had a yearly conference at a retreat center twenty minutes away. It all seemed too good to be true.

I started writing about my life. The stories and thoughts I hadn’t had the courage or time to share flowed out of me. Through my new critique group, Word Weavers International, I learned about the craft of writing.

I was hooked.

I had found my people—an encouraging group who thought just like I did. And I’d finally reignited the passion I’d been trying to suppress since fourth grade.

Yet the voice of doubt from elementary school was still very much alive, urging me to compare myself to others and belittling my accomplishments. You won that award because they felt sorry for you. No one really likes your writing.

Sometimes I ignored the criticisms, and at other times I believed them. Yet, I continued to write, and soon I realized that there was a stronger voice inside me. It was the something that kept encouraging me to write. The voice that always reminded me I had a story to tell. The voice was stronger than any doubt or fear I had ever felt because it was the voice of God.

God made each of us with unique gifts and talents. He wants us to use those gifts and talents to serve Him by pointing others to His truth and love. For a long time, I had downplayed the gifts and talents God had given me. I hadn’t learned to improve them but had listened to the voices of fear and doubt.

For the past five years, I’ve pursued my writing seriously. Even though I’ve faced rejection and doubts continue to harass me, I’ve continued to believe that God has called me into writing. As I’ve studied and practiced the writing craft, the wonderful people I’ve met and the lessons I’ve learned have blessed and humbled me.

I’m also awed that my debut historical novel will be released this April 1. Contact me if you’d like the opportunity to be on my launch team.

What talents and gifts has God given you? How will you use them to serve others? Ask God to give you strength and courage to listen to Him and not your internal voices so you develop those gifts and talents to serve Him.

“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another,” I Peter 4:10, NLT.

*Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

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Comments

Katherine Pasour From North Carolina At 2/1/2026 9:28:39 PM

Loved your story, Sarah, and your perseverance. Congratulations on your upcoming book. That's wonderful! I'd be happy to serve as a member of your launch team.

Reply by: Sarah Schwerin

Thanks, I'll be in touch about the launch team.

Nancy Ruegg From Cincinnati, OH At 1/31/2026 5:14:52 PM

Congratulations, Sarah, for never giving up on your dream of publishing a book! God is not only using your writing talent, but your humility as well.

Reply by: Sarah Schwerin

Thank you for reading. May God guide you on your journey.

Yvonne Morgan From Oklahoma At 1/31/2026 10:15:58 AM

Congratulations Sarah on the book. I pray it reaches many people. And remember to not give up.

Reply by: Sarah Schwerin

Thanks for reading and for your encouraging words.

Tammany From Cambridge, Ontario At 1/29/2026 5:03:16 PM

This is great. Thank you for being so vulnerable. I was recently reminded of this same feeling and the lies I had to overcome as well. In my presentation to children at an elementary school, I made surte they knew that they don't need to listen to those voices.