Writer… Start Writing! Realize Your Dream of Becoming a Christian Writer

It’s so easy to get lost in the dream of wanting to become a writer. Writing can feel abstract. If you don’t have the right tools, it can even feel like the words are running away from you. The blank page can be intimidating. Even the full page with a hundred messy thoughts can feel like a field of chaos. How do you truly embrace the call to write?

Get to Know Writing Like a Friend

My first word of advice is to write and just keep writing. Get to know the art as well as the act of putting words on a blank page. As you begin to write your story down on paper, give yourself a chance to believe in the voice you’ve been given. Explore the caves of your past experiences and the topics you wish to address. Let the story unfold, but give it time to develop. Silence is just as powerful as writing during this stage. Divulge on the trail. Let it be an adventure.

Maybe you’ve been given a season to hideaway and write for hours on end. Or maybe you only have a short time frame in the morning or evening. It doesn’t matter. Let it be sacred and pray as you go.

As a Christian writer, the act of writing is both habitual as well as sacred. Remember the purpose behind why you want to write. There is a connection with mission in the midst of the story you wish to tell. So, hold onto that mission. Let it brand your determination and illuminate the steps ahead. 

Become an acquaintance with the blank page and start filling the space with your own imaginations, quarrelings and straight up messy ponderings. This is the first step in detailing your path as a writer. Develop the story, discover your passions and uncover what you want to share with your future readers.

Find Your Community

One of the biggest pieces to realizing your dream of becoming a writer is recognizing that you can’t do it alone. Find those people that will encourage you along the way. But also seek out other writers. Join writing workshops. Take a class at your local college. Go online and connect with other creatives. 

As you write behind the scenes, go out and discover the strength in community. This can be a tricky step to take. You don’t want to share with just anyone. Be encouraged to choose wisely, but put yourself in a position where you have to choose. It doesn’t have to just be random either, find business and publishers. Talk to people. Visit your local library and see if they offer resources and advice for authors.

There are powerhouse organizations out there that make it their mission to empower writers. Milk & Honey is one of those communities. Whether you want to become a Christian author or you want to ghostwrite for one, there is always a place for you. As you get to know people, start to imagine your own strengths around those people. 

Do you have a keen eye for grammar and razor focus for where commas should go? Maybe you’re passionate about editing. Like any trade, there are so many niches within writing that can open doors for you to discover more of your calling and purpose. The possibilities are truly endless. As you draft your own writings, let yourself dream bigger and be part of an ecosystem of authors, editors, writers and other creatives.

Embrace Your Assignment

I can’t take credit for the title of this article. I have a friend who texted me these words like a war cry one morning. I was on my way to a coffee shop to write and with the most perfect timing I got her text, “Writer… start writing!” It was exactly what I needed to hear. 

My final word of advice is to identify your assignment to write and charge forward. Some days may feel incredibly inspired. Others may fall short like trying to go down a dry water slide. It doesn’t matter. Keep writing. 

It’s important to remember as a Christian writer that your words matter. Your story and voice have an impact. Don’t write to impress or prove anything. Simply write to connect. Keep in mind that you’re tied to an eternal strand of depth and meaning. 

Embrace your assignment and charge forward with an intentionality that can only come from Heaven kissing Earth. And if you don’t know that assignment just yet, but you feel that call to be a Christian writer, then just keep writing. Keep discovering and uncovering. Keep praying and seeking. Don’t force anything, but be ready for when the words start to flow. Things take time, so let your story take all the time it needs. If you feel a passion to ghostwrite for someone, then hone your skills until that author comes along.

Be ready, encouraged and fired up to become the writer you know that you’re meant to be.