The Purposeful Pen - Clarity for Christian Writers

Writing requires courage. Whether it’s sharing a personal story, starting a blog, or publishing a book, putting your words out into the world is a bold act of faith. In this episode, I explore how the call to write parallels our walk with Jesus—both requiring us to step out of our comfort zones, trust God, and “do it scared.” You’ll be encouraged to remember that God goes with you in every step of...

If you’ve ever made a detailed writing plan—only to find yourself doing laundry, answering texts, or getting lost on Amazon instead—you’re not alone. In this episode, I explore how self-control and discipline play a vital role in both our writing lives and our spiritual growth. Drawing from Scripture and Henry Cloud’s insights in How People Grow , I unpack why some of us struggle with follow-throu...

Writing isn’t just about words on a page — it’s one of the ways God shapes our hearts. In this episode, I explore how the writing life can become a tool for spiritual growth, particularly in developing perseverance . Whether you’re growing a platform, finishing a manuscript, or facing rejection from an agent, perseverance is an essential part of both the writer’s journey and the Christian walk. I...

“Community” isn’t typically something we think of as a spiritual discipline, but it’s essential to both our spiritual growth and our writing growth. In this interview with author and founder of Jesus Writing Month , Justice Tilsher, we talk about how community influenced his own writing and what he’s doing to provide community for other Christian writers. Justice Tilsher is a #1 bestselling author...

Perfectionism is one of the most common struggles Christian writers face. It often shows up in two ways: the belief that our writing must be perfect before we can publish it, and the belief that our lives must be perfect before we can minister to others. In this episode, I unpack both sides of perfectionism and show how these lies can keep us from stepping into the calling God has given us. You’ll...

Do you ever wonder, “Who am I to write? What do I have to offer?” If so, you’re not alone. Nearly every writer—new or seasoned—faces imposter syndrome at some point. But as Christian writers, our struggle with doubt is often tied to something deeper: our understanding of our identity in Christ. In this episode of The Purposeful Pen , we dig into the lie of imposter syndrome and uncover the whole t...

What are the keys to creating a sustainable writing life? It will be a little different for each writer, but Jenny Marcelene shares some of the elements of her own diverse writing experience. In this episode, we talk about things such as finding variety in our writing, taking a Sabbath, and the importance of prayer and our time with God. Jenny Marcelene lived cross-culturally for six years. She lo...

“All or nothing” thinking sets a very high bar and then tells us that anything short of reaching that bar is meaningless. Go big or go home. This faulty mindset leaves us feeling discouraged and overwhelmed, and leads us to give up when we don’t need to. In this episode, I dive deeper into what is behind this thinking, how it affects our writing, and how we can escape it. If you struggle with othe...

In this episode, I talk with author Elise Tegegne about how spiritual disciplines not only help us grow in our walk with Jesus, but they also benefit us as writers. Elise explains some of the disciplines she has found helpful and sometimes challenging. You’ll come away with practical ways to refresh your walk with God and your writing! Mama, editor, and writer Elise Tegegne has published articles...

Welcome to the fall 2025 season of the podcast! From now through Thanksgiving, we’ll be covering the topic of rhythms and routines surrounding our writing. In this episode, I share some personal life updates, and I also ask for your input. * In this world of AI, what types of writing help from an actual, knowledgeable human would you find helpful? * What types of formats do you like to get that he...

This is the last episode of the summer 2025 season, talking about how to refine our reader and message. In this brief episode, I give you a basic round-up of the episodes and topics from this season. I’ll be off for the month of August, but new episodes will launch starting September 2. If you’d like to dive deeper into uncovering your ideal reader and message, you can purchase my 30-page digital...

In this episode, I talk with author Jac Filer about the writing of his newly-released memoir, The Widower and the Washer . Listen in as we talk about how this memoir came about and how Jac decided on the reader and central message for the book. We also talk about some of the challenges in writing a memoir, the importance of both a writing community and a spiritual community, and knowing when it’s...

Join me as I chat with author Mary Grace Johnson about how she took a traumatic event from her childhood and turned it into a children’s book. She wasn’t originally planning on writing for kids, but over time, it became clear who she was writing for. Listen in to hear about that process. Her book, And the Sun Came Up: A True Story of Grief and Hope , comes out this fall. Mary Grace Johnson writes...

This week, I deviated a bit from my theme of finding your reader and message to talk about a topic that affects us as writers in a broad way—the use of AI in our writing. In this episode, I explain my three questions that I ask myself when considering the use of AI in my writing: * Is my use of AI God-honoring? * Is my use of AI causing my God-given creativity or other skills to atrophy from lack...

Sometimes we feel the pressure to include every aspect of all the things we’re passionate about in the core message of our writing. It just doesn’t fit, nor does it need to! Covered in this episode: * It’s OK NOT to talk about certain topics * You may have more than one book in you * The importance of being intentional about what personal details we share or don’t share * What to do with smaller i...

This week, I talk about the balance between settling on our reader and message and also remaining flexible and responsive to reader input and feedback. We’ll look at: * The importance of adjusting as you write rather than trying to have it all figured out ahead of time * Different ways of getting feedback from your readers * Examples of how a popular post doesn’t always equal a drastic change in y...

In this episode of The Purposeful Pen , we’re continuing our conversation about honing in on your reader and the message you offer them. Today, we’re diving into one key reason this clarity matters: language. When we know exactly who we’re talking to and what we’re helping them with, we can learn how they describe their problems—and use those words in our writing. This not only helps your reader f...

We’ve spent time exploring our ideal readers, but today we turn our attention to the message we’re called to share. Your message is deeply tied to your personal life experiences and the biblical truths you’ve learned through them. Whether you're writing from grief, growth, or transformation, this episode will help you connect your story to the people who need it most. Plus, I’ll walk you through p...

In this episode, we’re going deeper into understanding our audience by looking at the three most common mistakes writers make when defining who they're writing for—and how to fix them. Whether you're writing for fun or aiming to publish, getting clarity on your audience is key to writing content that resonates and serves well. What You'll Learn: * Why being too vague about your audience actually l...

Are you clear on who you're writing for? In this episode of The Purposeful Pen , we're diving into the essential process of identifying your reader. Discovering your audience isn't just about demographics—it's about finding the overlap between your unique story and the people who most need your message. We’ll talk about: * How your personal story can guide you toward your ideal reader * Practical...

Welcome to a new season of The Purposeful Pen! With the school year winding down, I’m excited to launch a fresh, focused season on the podcast. From May through July, we’re diving deep into a critical aspect of your writing journey—identifying your ideal reader and clarifying your God-given message. In this episode, I share a behind-the-scenes “state of the podcast” update, explain how future seas...

So you want to write a book. In this episode of The Purposeful Pen , we’re digging into a common myth many Christian writers believe: that all you have to do is write. You'll learn why a business mindset is essential if you want to reach more than just your close circle, and what practical steps you can take today to start moving forward. From understanding your reader to positioning your book in...

Are you ready to build a writing life that will last? In this episode, I discuss different mindsets that can help us approach writing with the “long game” in mind. Things like… * Growing in writing communities in a way that is deep, rather than wide * Seeing all writing opportunities as vehicles for growth and improvement * Creating a writing rhythm that is sustainable and flexible through differe...

In this part 2 of my conversation with Will Parker Anderson, we talk about the spiritual side of publishing. * Three common spiritual temptations that Christian writers face * How we can approach common issues like impostor syndrome and the fear of putting our work out into the world. * The ways in which AI can never beat humans at writing * How being called to write doesn’t mean it will be easy W...

Do you want to write and publish a book but you’d like to hear from an editor what’s involved? Listen in to the first half of my conversation with Will Parker Anderson, Senior Editor at Waterbrook and Multnomah. In this episode we talk about: * Common mistakes writers make in their book proposals * Why short cuts to publishing don’t exist * The role of social media in getting a traditional book de...