The Purposeful Pen - Clarity for Christian Writers

Do you dream of spending hours in a cabin writing but realize that's not realistic in the slightest right now? In this episode, we'll talk about creating a writing life that actually works for the real life you're living right now.

I talk about...

* looking honestly at what time you have available

* evaluating what exactly you're trying to accomplish and how to get there

* dividing tasks into those that need "crack time" versus "chunk time"

* working with your natural rhythms of energy and focus rather than against them

Coaching can be a great environment to work through these issues as they relate to your specific situation. Book a free discovery call with me to see how I can help.

How do you know who you're writing for?

In this episode, I talk with Anna Rachel Bolch about how she went from writing about anything and everything on a blog that 12 people read, to knowing clearly who she is writing for and what specific message she offers them.

Some topics we touched on:

• Liturgy and its role in our faith


• The questions she asked herself when determining her message


• For a while, her reader was herself from several years past and why that changed


• What is "Cheerwine", anyway?

More about Anna Rachel:

Anna Rachel Bolch is a spiritual formation writer and teacher dedicated to helping others keep life with God simple, never shallow. She believes in developing a spirit of practice over perfection, remembering that all of life is sacred when we invite God into it. When she learned about spiritual formation in college, it changed her life. She found such freedom and meaning in Christian spiritual practices that now she can't stop talking about them. She writes with a teaching mindset, pointing others toward a meaningful life with God through spiritual formation resources and reflections.

Anna is also an avid reader with perpetual wanderlust. She loves Cheerwine and pimento cheese—a true Carolina girl.

You can find her at AnnaRachelBolch.com or on Instagram at @annarachelbolch.

Connect with Amy:

Are you stuck in your writing - spinning your wheels because you aren't sure who you're writing for and what you offer them? Learn more about the group coaching cohort starting this September that will bring you clarity and direction in your writing.

You can also download 10 questions to help you discover your reader and message.

We all want to be better, more effective writers, right? Caring for our souls is an integral part of having an effective, God honoring writing life. What does that look like? In caring for our souls, we also need to care for our minds and our bodies because we are multifaceted, whole humans. We can’t separate those aspects of ourselves apart and think that one doesn’t affect the others.

In this episode, I offer three ideas in each category of how to care for ourselves as Christian writers:

Soul Care

1. Journaling


2. Prayer/Silence/solitude


3. Community

Mind care

1. Reading


2. Creating


3. Conversations with others

Body care

1. Exercise


2. Healthy eating


3. Sleep/rest

Resources mentioned:

Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald

My website resources for journaling and spiritual disciplines

Episode 13 on journaling

Soul Care, by Rob Reimer

Writers’ Bloc Christian writing community

Group coaching cohort beginning in September

10 questions to help you discover who you're writing for and what you offer them

Did you know that even fiction writers benefit from having a clear reader in mind? This week, I talked with fiction writer Althea Damgaard about how she discovered the specific person she writes for.

About Althea:

Althea has always loved writing stories and reading since she was a kid. Now disabled with Multiple Sclerosis, she spends most of her time writing, reading and improving her craft. Her go to fiction is fantasy and science fiction, but she will read any story that promises some adventure and the need to overcome. When not doing that, she is spending time with her husband and family, playing with her cats or playing games.

Learn more about her at https://books.altheadamgaard.com. You can find her book, Champions of Light, on Amazon through going to her website.

What kind of boss are you? As a writer, you are the boss of you! That comes with freedom, but also a different set of challenges. In this episode, I offer five tips for managing yourself.

1. Own your role as the boss

2. Set aside regular time to pray, plan, and set goals for your writing

3. Use a planner

4. When your brain is stuck, move your body

5. Establish boundaries

Links:

Group coaching fall 2023 cohort info

Journaling prompts for reflection and planning

Bullet journaling basics

This week, I interviewed Melissa Smith about how she narrowed down who she's writing for and how she serves that reader.

Some fun takeaways:

• The journey is just as valuable as the destination


• We're multifaceted people - how do we incorporate writing and other forms of creativity into our multi-faceted lives?


• There are many different ways to be a writer.

Melissa is living out her everyday adventures in the suburbs of Texas. She loves three things: God, beauty, and words. When she is not sipping sweet tea with friends or homeschooling her youngest, Melissa coaches writers and creatives as they steward their message in the messy soil of daily life.

Website: ⁠www.framedinjoy.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/framedinjoy/

Do you struggle with narrowing down your reader and message to just one? If so, you're not alone! In this episode, I talk about what doesn't work in this regard and some possibilities of what can work.

If you need help discovering who you are writing for and what you offer them, download these 10 questions to ask yourself and journal through.

If you have questions about narrowing your message and reader to just one, feel free to reach out on IG @amysimonwriter

This week, I interviewed Jana Carlson about her journey to clarity. We talked about the importance of prayer along the path of that journey, as well as how the wise counsel of others helps to bring us clarity.

We also talked about writing off of social media and what that looks like for Jana. So if you're curious, listen in!

Jana Carlson is a writer, Bible teacher, and mentor. She creates resources and offers workshops to inspire women and writers to love the Bible, experience its transforming power for every season of life, and wield the Word for God’s glory. Connect with her at janacarlson.com.

In this episode, I talk about the ways in which a writing coach can help you get unstuck in your writing. I cover commonly asked questions about coaching as well as reference several coaches I know along with their specialties.

Coaching references:

Rachel Baker: She is passionate about coaching & mentoring service-minded, sacrificial women who are overwhelmed by All The Things they're juggling. Her goal is to help them feel empowered to create some breathing room with healthy priorities and live an intentional life. https://racheldbaker.com

Melissa Smith: Melissa coaches writers and creatives as they steward their message in the messy soil of daily life. www.framedinjoy.com

Deb Alexander: Deb coaches women in the areas of prioritizing projects and creative work, goal setting, creating systems and routines, encouragement and accountability, as well as homeschool coaching and curriculum planning. You can find her on Instagram at @debalexander or email her at [email protected]

Amy Simon: love helping Christian writers understand where they fit - how their unique gifts, passions, and life experiences give them a distinct perspective on life that others can learn from. Find out more and book a free discovery call at www.amylynnsimon.com/coaching

This week, I interviewed Rachel Baker about her journey to clarity as a writer. If you need help figuring out who you're writing for and what you have to offer that reader, download these 10 questions to ask yourself and journal through.

About Rachel:

Rachel Baker is a certified life coach, author, and speaker. She is passionate about coaching & mentoring service-minded, sacrificial women who are overwhelmed by All The Things they're juggling. Her goal is to help them feel empowered to create some breathing room with healthy priorities and live an intentional life. She is the host of Create Some Breathing Room - a podcast designed to provide encouragement, support, and resources for these amazing women.

Rachel is also a wife, special needs mom, coffee addict, enneagram 2w3, and bookaholic. Her own life experiences have created a special place in her heart for fellow moms and chronic pain warriors. 

Links:

Website: https://racheldbaker.com

Podcast: https://racheldbaker.com/podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.d.baker

Podcast Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/createsomebreathingroom