Writing Tips From Jesus

Edie here. Today I'm excited to introduce you to a new author, Linda Dindzans. Her debut book will release next month. She's going to be an author you want to keep track of! Beyond that, her insight into Scripture and humble way of sharing will endear her to you as much as it has me. I'm proud and honored to have her on my blog and to call her my friend. Be sure you give her a warm TWC welcome!

by Linda Dindzans @Linda Dindzans

As I was contemplating what to contribute for this blog, my mind first went to What would Jesus do? That quickly morphed to What would Jesus write? And a split second later—like an inserted thought—the question twisted What did Jesus write?

We know He could read because He read the Torah aloud and taught at the Temple and in synagogues. We know He could write, but there is only one instance where the Bible mentions Him writing. When the woman taken in adultery was brought to Jesus, He wrote something short in the sand. Sand. A place where it would not be preserved, and the words were not recorded. (John 8:1-11)

Jesus wrote nothing—nothing preserved for posterity. 

Does this mean Jesus has no writing tips to offer?

Of course not. Not only is He to be our model for everything in life, but He was a masterful storyteller who got it so right in so many ways.

7 Tips for Writers from Jesus

1. Pray first: He did, at the beginning of the day, at the end of His life, and before His Ascension. I admit, prayer first is a habit I am just now improving. I have a writer friend who posted a picture of her laptop propped on top of her Bible as a reminder to pray for our writing and our readers. Her habit is to start each day with a devotion and prayer. Away from home, after she had finished her morning devotion, she needed to place her keyboard higher, so she used the Bible, the book nearest at hand. The Bible was constantly in view, and she was happy to report she had a very productive day.

2. Start with a great opening line: Jesus did. He knew we were “wired for story” so he often began with the phrase “there was a certain man.” This was the first century version of “once upon a time.” There was a certain man was an opening that signalled to the listener that the story they were about to hear was not fiction but featured a real person. Aren’t we all more engaged by movies, and books based on a true story?

3. Know your target audience, then write what you know and love: Jesus told stories with metaphors drawn from people in His everyday world. People pursuing everyday things—fishermen, tax collectors, housewives, brothers, farmers, Pharisees—people He loved and came to save. 

4. Confront Universal Truths with believable characters struggling with authentic problems: In the parable of The Lost Coin, a woman who has ten coins lost one, went to great lengths to find it, and called neighbors to celebrate when it was found. Who has not lost something of great value or great sentiment or both? Jesus told the parable of The Prodigal Son who leaves his family and spends his inheritance recklessly, only to return broke and broken. Who has not been or struggled with a wayward family member? 

5. Create unforeseen plot twists: In the parable of the Good Samaritan, who would have expected a Samaritan to rescue a beaten Jew after a priest and Levite pass him by? Or the story of Lazarus and the beggar? No one would have expected after death that the rich man would go to sheol (hell) and the shunned beggar to enter paradise? 

6. Be concise, but complete the entire story: The parables of Jesus have no muddy middle. But the lesson taught in the parable of the Prodigal Son would be incomplete without the elder brother’s anger and rebellion.

7. Create a satisfying ending: It could be a call to action, a lesson or a question to ponder: In the Parable of the Sower who randomly sows seed into many types of soil, a question is raised. Which type of soil am I? When a widow gives her last two coins at the Temple, in the Parable of The Widow’s Mite, Jesus teaches a lesson about giving with a grateful, humble heart.

Jesus chose not to write anything during His incarnation on earth. So, what is a writer to do with that example? 

Fulfill your own Calling: Jesus was called as a prophet, a priest, a King, and Savior, not a scribe. Eyewitnesses were later called to become the historians and writers who preserved His teachings and the events of His life. 

Why do you think Jesus chose to write nothing? Is there a time you believe you should not write? Be sure and leave your comments in the section below

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Writing Tips from Jesus from author @LindaDindzans on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Linda Dindzans, M.D. is a writer with the heart of a healer who offers readers stories of redemption and restoration. Though her compelling characters inhabit the treacherous times of the Bible, Linda believes there is nothing new under the sun. The struggles of her characters still speak to hearts today. Her debut novel, A Certain Man will be releasedAugust 13, 2024

Featured Image provided by Linda Dindzans, Photographer.