Faith, Risk, and Writing Dreams: How to Trust God with Your Creative Calling

From Edie: Discover how faith, risk, and creativity intersect in the writing life. Learn to trust God with your dreams and step beyond your comfort zone to write boldly.

Faith, Risk, and Writing Dreams: How to Trust God with Your Creative Calling

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas

“Dreams always require risk.” Les & Leslie Parrott, Healthy Me, Healthy Us, p.92

Over the course of my writing career, I’ve learned my dreams and passions for writing are always found just outside the boundary of my comfort zone.

I enjoy writing but I often find it a chore to sit myself down, open the laptop, and be creative. The drive just isn’t there. A nap is sending its sweet melodies, beckoning with images of the comfort of the couch, which has somehow been transported to a shade covered beach on Maui. Or a new novel is calling me to start reading it.

How to Write Christian Suspense: Balancing Fear, Faith, and Redemption

From Edie: Learn how to write Christian suspense novels that balance fear, faith, and redemption. Discover tips to craft thrilling stories with spiritual depth.

How to Write Christian Suspense: Balancing Fear, Faith, and Redemption

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Suspense novels drop a character or characters into danger, whether from unscrupulous people, natural disasters, predatory animals, debilitating illness, the loss of basic needs, mental instability, or spiritual deceptions. The fear is real. It’s unavoidable, and something must be done to stop the ever-increasing threat.

How does a Christian writer tackle the tension when violence takes over a character’s life? How is redemption portrayed without a naïve approach? Can suspense and spiritual depth truly coexist in a world where faith is often viewed as a crutch or unreliable? 

How Christian Writers Can Overcome Fatigue, Discouragement, and Closed Doors Through Faith and Community

From Edie: Feeling weary or discouraged in your writing journey? Discover how faith and community help Christian writers overcome fatigue, rejection, and closed doors.

How Christian Writers Can Overcome Fatigue, Discouragement, and Closed Doors Through Faith and Community

by Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes @KHutch0767

I have to admit, I’ve had my share of laughs watching how movies and TV shows portray writers. You know the scenes—an author types a few lines, sends off a manuscript, and within days they’re whisked away to a glamorous book signing tour, complete with a six-figure publishing deal and glowing reviews in The New York Times. If only! The reality is, for most of us, the writing life looks very different. It’s filled with long hours, quiet persistence, and many moments that test both our faith and endurance.

What many new writers don’t realize is that writing—especially as a Christian author—is costly. It costs time, energy, and resources. We pour ourselves into our work, not knowing if it will ever see the light of day. Rejections and closed doors are part of the process, and they can be discouraging. Only a tiny percentage of writers make a full-time living solely from book sales. Most of us juggle other jobs, ministries, or responsibilities while continuing to pursue our passion for words.

Email Marketing for Authors: How 2025 Platform Changes Impact Deliverability, Costs, and Growth

From Edie: Email marketing is evolving fast. Learn how 2025 platform changes—MailerLite, Kit, and more—impact authors, deliverability, and your email strategy.

Email Marketing for Authors: How 2025 Platform Changes Impact Deliverability, Costs, and Growth

by Kate Huff @KateOliviaHuff

Email Platforms Are Changing. Why Does It Matter to Authors?

The world of email marketing isn’t static, and platforms are evolving fast. If you haven’t checked your email provider lately, now’s the time—especially as your list grows.

Recently, I’ve had a lot of questions about changes at MailerLite. But what most people don’t realize is that a shift started last year, and it’s important to recognize the technical changes happening on all email platforms. Here are a few things for authors to consider as we walk through the changes.

How to Find the Perfect Writing Schedule That Actually Works for You

From Edie: Struggling to stick to a writing schedule? Discover how to create a routine that fits your life, boosts productivity, and makes writing enjoyable again.

How to Find the Perfect Writing Schedule That Actually Works for You

by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam

Without a doubt, there must be organization in the writer’s life. One of those items of organization is for the schedule for writing. Writers are inundated with the perfect schedule to write. Write early in the morning before anyone in your home is awake. Stay up after everyone has gone to bed. Set a timer. Don’t set a timer. Find a spot in your home or a dedicated office. No, writers go to coffee shops, sip massive amounts of coffee and write there. There are so many more perfect schedule suggestions out there, too.

YouTube for Writers, Part 2: How to Define and Reach Your Target Audience

From Edie: Learn how Christian writers can define and reach their target audience on YouTube. Discover faith-based marketing tips to grow your platform effectively.

YouTube for Writers, Part 2: How to Define and Reach Your Target Audience

by Samantha Evans Tschritter @LoveSamEvans

Remember Your First Meeting with a Literary Agent?

Most of us have experienced the first-time pressure of sitting across the table from an agent or publisher to present our heart on a platter. Ten minutes beforehand we run into the nearest bathroom to check our teeth for leftover lunch and cup a hand to our mouths long enough to regret choosing garlic chicken. We’ve practiced our 30-second elevator pitch at nauseum, and after a deep breath we whisper to our reflection, “you’ve got this.” With one last swipe to dry sweaty palms down our hips, we gather our confidence and stride into the meeting room, knowing our manuscript is the next New York Times best-seller.

In my case, the distance between dreams and reality was more of a learning cliff than a learning curve. In fifteen minutes, the acquisition editor enlightened me about platform, audience, and passive verbs. 

Remembering Linda Gilden and Her Warning that All of Us Have a Writing Goose

Edie here: Linda Gilden has written for this blog for years, and this week she moved on to a different address and is now walking the streets of Heaven. For those of us left behind, we face a big hole in our publishing industry. Linda was the director of the Carolina Christian Writers Conference, leader and founder of an active writing group, and mentor to more people than I can count. She will be missed for her wisdom, her humor, and her gentle insight. Today I'm republishing one of her most popular blog posts. Please pray for her family and friends as they adjust to the new normal. 

Remembering Linda Gilden and Her Warning that All of Us Have a Writing Goose

by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden

I was sitting on my porch enjoying the inspiration of nature when the chickens started making a lot of noise. I looked toward the coop and just outside the fence was a goose. I had never seen him before and don’t know where he came from. Not only were myeyes on him to see what he was going to do, there were thirty-eight chicken eyes watching every move he made.

The chickens followed that goose as he moved around the yard. The roosters immediately positioned themselves in the doors of the coops. The hens who weren’t in the coop went under them, only occasionally peeking out.

One lone goose moved in without a sound and paralyzed 19 chickens by just being there. That same goose distracted me from my writing and caused me to spend many minutes just watching him and the reaction to his presence instead of writing.