Keep Writing — We Need Your Voice by Bob Jones

 

“Pastor Bob, keep writing about these issues. We need your voice.”

That one simple sentence was enough to breathe fresh wind into my sails. It encouraged me, stimulated me, and reminded me why I write.

Because I know what a single word of affirmation can do, I’m intentional about encouraging other writers too.

Encouraged

We hadn’t seen each other in over fifteen years. I was their pastor when they moved to South Africa for medically related humanitarian work. Recently, they returned to Edmonton, and we set up a coffee date.

We share many values and perspectives that sometimes leave us on the margins of our faith communities. Over coffee, we spoke honestly about the cost of those convictions—the price of speaking up, of advocating for others.

Then they said something that made me pause:

“Pastor Bob, keep writing about these issues. We need your voice.”

I was deeply moved. Knowing that my writing had offered support and encouragement to someone doing hard things reminded me that words really can make a difference.

At times, the pushback to my writing has been louder than the praise. But that one comment—from someone I love and respect—was enough to keep me going.

Stimulated

God often draws my attention to people on the margins and the challenges they face. I write to understand, to give voice, and to celebrate those who advocate for others.

When I listen long enough, stories emerge—stories that invite empathy, understanding, and hope.

Motivated

I launched REVwords in 2019 to communicate hope through stories of faith.

Most of my writing centres on mental health, resilience, and hope—with the occasional book or movie review thrown in.

Lately, I’ve been writing about the people I’ve met in Ukraine, the state of the Church, and issues like Christian nationalism, immigration, women’s leadership, and justice.

The Christian landscape of 2025 looks nothing like it did five years ago. Whether it’s the post-COVID ripple effect or the influence of alt-right politics, some expressions of Christianity have drifted far from the way of Jesus.

As Russell Moore recalled, when one pastor preached, “If someone strikes you, turn the other cheek,” a congregant shouted back, “Where did you get those liberal talking points?”

It’s a different world. And it’s never been more important to write truthfully—and graciously.

An Encouragement to Fellow Writers

It doesn’t take much to encourage a writer. I know—I am one.

A text.

A short comment on a post.

A one-line email from a reader who felt seen or understood.

That kind of feedback is fuel for the writer’s soul.

A writing friend recently messaged me, “Thanks for the encouragement to write. You’ve been very instrumental in my writing journey.”

And that—more than anything—is why I’ll keep writing and encouraging.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

Thank you for reading.

I always look forward to your feedback and connection.

P is for Procrastination by Carol Harrison

 

P is for Procrastination

Procrastination. I am good at that. Do you ever struggle with procrastinating?

Procrastination is the act or habit of delaying or postponing some task that needs to be done, whether it is around the house, at work, or in our writing. I have always tended to procrastinate some things and I am in a season right now where procrastination seems to loom large in everyday life. Tasks appear to be larger than they really are. The tiredness due to health concerns and grief make motivating myself difficult. What causes you to put things off?

Some of the causes of procrastination for various people include:

-        Fear of failure

-        Lack of clarity about the task

-        Lack of structure

-        Perfectionism

-        Laziness

-        Allowing good reasons to become excuses once the reason is no longer valid

I’ve been reading (another way I procrastinate) about ways to overcome these various causes of procrastination. Even good things can sometimes become those excuses to delay doing a necessary task such as reading. It is a good thing for writers to engage in but I’ve found myself reading so much other things get left undone.

Fear of failure:

-        Start with small steps that are manageable as you work towards a larger end goal.

-        Build your confidence by taking small steps

-        Listen to what others have said about your writing. Read critiques you received. Sometimes our mind only sees the negatives and forgets to look at the positives.

Lack of clarity:

-        Can you break down the task into smaller steps – stepping stones to reaching the destination of a job completed?

-        Having deadlines to work towards gives a clearer vision of necessary timelines for your goals. I seem to work better when there are deadlines, even self-imposed ones.

Lack of Structure

-        Find a place that works for you to concentrate on your writing – a dedicated space if that is what works for you.

-        Figure out a designated time of day that is optimal for you to accomplish some writing or editing.

-        Remember that editing and marketing are part of the writing journey too.

 

Lack of Motivation

-        Is there some physical reason for lacking motivation? Is there a health concern or a need to step back from tasks for a short time due to circumstances?

-        Get an accountability partner. I have people who ask me how my writing is coming, what I’m working on, and how I’m feeling about the entire process. They also pray for me as I write or speak.

-        Accountability partners can also help with goal setting or breaking those goals into smaller steps on your to-do list. My one daughter reminds me to look back at what I’ve crossed off the to-do list and get a picture of the done list to see what I’ve managed to accomplish.

There are likely many more tips you’ve encountered or that work for you regarding this topic of procrastination. It has been a good exercise for me to take a look at why I procrastinate and get some ideas about how to overcome it. Now to put them into practice sooner rather than some time in the future.  

 

 Carol Harrison writes and often procrastinates from her home in Saskatoon. She loves exploring other adventures through spending time researching family history and reading.

 

WHY WRITE? by Bryan Norford

It's Always Different

I have been fascinated while reading our September blogs by the variety of paths that inspire writing. Those stories relate surprising and intricate ways God has brought many InScribers to write for Him, and I confess provoke a little envy that my journey is just plain ordinary.

But the form of our call is does not determine its importance. God has a storehouse of methods to gain our attention and call His people to action, more than we can imagine. Furthermore, His timing does not always coincide with ours.

I didn’t venture into serious writing until my late sixties. But I was always intrigued how versatile the English language is, particularly in determining the tone of our message, whether to friends, in ministry, or for business documents.

During those earlier years, like many people, I always had a vague desire to “write my story some day.” But as I grew towards retirement and an increasing assurance of my faith, I became incensed with so much arrogant nonsense our declining culture calls truth.

 With the Great Grandkids

Coupled with that, our growing family of grandchildren and great grandchildren became the focus of our concern and prayers. We didn’t want our dear family caught up in falling and failing values that increasingly bring misery.

So began a journey to leave a legacy of basic truths of our faith, and their relevance to a joyful life of meaning: a life not dependent on earthly health or wealth, but energized by a settled status with God and his eternal reality.

The words of Paul continue to be my motivation, “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal,” 2 Corinthians 4:18. Little in this life makes sense without this starting point.

Thus, among other areas of ministry Ann and I feel called to in our latter years of life, writing has become a major focus—as long as we remain coherent! A written legacy of faith will reach further into coming generations than spoken words that dissolve in the wind.

Sixty Years Married

Are You Deadline-Driven? by Steph Beth Nickel

"Would you like to write a guest post for my blog?"

What a honour! If we've hit a slump in our writing, there's nothing like being asked to write for someone else. That happened to me tonight, and in researching the possibility, I visited this site and realized today's the third. And I post on the third.

Photo Credit: pixabay.com

They say writers are deadline-driven. (And talk about an impending deadline. It will be August 4 in just over two hours—Eastern Time, that is.)

Lord willing, I will be traveling to the UK in less than a month. Therefore, I had to impose some rigid deadlines if I was going to get ahead of my responsibilities before setting off across the Pond.

I wrapped up one project on Friday and another today. I hope to have Phase 1 of a third completed by the end of the week. 

And on another front . . . My hubby and I are redecorating and decluttering room-by-room. We have the front room pretty much the way we want it. Woohoo! 

We are working on the house with a different kind of deadline. We haven't set dates for ourselves. We are simply completing one room and then moving onto the next. We will not put anything back into a freshly painted room that we don't intend to keep. As we go, we'll toss out the garbage and donate smaller items we don't want to tuck away for a yard sale. And before we know it, we will have achieved a lot.

And so it goes. Step-by-step. Deadline-by-deadline. We'll get there.

How about you? Do impending deadlines provide the motivation you need or do they stress you out? Perhaps it's a combination of the two.

Photo Credit: pixabay.com

If you find deadlines helpful, here are some tips to apply them to your writing—and other areas of life:

1. Choose a major project.

2. Break it down into "bite-sized" chunks.

3. Give yourself a deadline to complete the first goal on the list.

4. If you achieve your goal in the allotted timeframe, do a little happy dance.

5. If you don't achieve your goal, don't beat yourself up. It happens to all of us, and unless you're nothing like me, guilt is more likely to immobilize than motivate.

6. Consdier why you didn't achieve your goal. As the saying goes, "Life happens." We're all familiar with unexpected eventualities. Just be honest with yourself. There is a difference between an excuse and a legitimate reason.

7. Either way, set a new deadline and get down to work.

What keeps you motivated? What deadlines have you given yourself recently? How do you get out of a slump?

Christian or Secular? by Susan Barclay

Rebecca Miller's blog post, 'Christian Fiction - For What Purpose?', expresses dismay that "Christian writers would have no higher purpose" than to give readers another thrilling story. She argues that "stories can be about Christ, about faith in Christ, even about Christians and Christianity, and still be interesting and universal and timeless" and that Christian readers "would have no hesitation giving [these] books to their non-Christian friends."

I understand her argument, but I also wrestle with it. In reading over some of the other Inscribe posts from this month, I find myself nodding when Bonnie Way says, "So I believe that fiction's first (mandatory) purpose is to entertain; it's second (optional) purpose is to educate." I concur with Bruce Atchison's insight that the best Christian fiction doesn't tell the reader what to think, but encourages her to do her own thinking through a well-developed plot with realistic characters.I applaud Ruth Snyder's statement that "God is just as delighted with me expressing His image through a creative, fun story (fiction) as He is with a thought-provoking devotional (non-fiction)." I'm only sorry I don't have enough space in my own blog post to provide a quote from each of this month's thoughtful writers.

I've recently pulled out my unfinished novel and begun to write the pivotal, climactic scene. The book began as a secular read, with themes pertaining to family and forgiveness. At some point I considered whether to rework it for Christian readers, bringing in God and Christ and prayer. There wasn't enough conflict in the husband-wife relationship, so perhaps that could be increased by making one of the spouses a Christian and this could be a source of tension between them.

But then I wondered if making that change would seem forced. Isn't it okay to be a Christian writer whose story might gain a wider readership if not restricted by the "Christian" label and content? As Miller points out, even Christian publishing houses have moved away from producing books that are - pardon the phrase - overly Christian. While books can have strong Christian content and still be excellent (think Francine Rivers, for example), perhaps the important thing isn't so much to create an overtly Christian plot line, as to write a story that encourages a discussion of faith issues and leaves the reader thinking long after s/he has turned the last page.

Isn't it okay to deal with situations that can face anyone, Christian or not, and to discuss forgiveness in a broader context? After all, even non-Christians benefit from forgiving one another. And isn't it okay for non-believing characters to think about prayer, or to pray, even though they're not sure that anyone is listening?

As I push toward completion of my novel's first draft, I've decided to leave it as it is for now. I've found another conflict that can work for my married couple and, to be honest, at this point I just want to finish the thing.

Anyway, perhaps the real question to be asked concerns our motivation for writing. This, I think, is a little different from the "purpose" discussed in Miller's article, which strikes me more as "entertainment" vs. "lesson" or "moral". Is your motivation fame and fortune? Are you writing for yourself or for others?  Do you wish to display personal skill or honour God? Are you giving away any of your writing?

The writer who is Christian should want to please God in all that s/he does. This means involving Him. Maybe He has given you an idea or a fully developed piece. Maybe He is your first reader. Whatever the case, ask Him to guide you and to guide your writing. If God is at the centre of your work, you can trust Him to prepare those who will read it, and to ensure the maximum impact on their lives whether your story is branded as Christian or not.

Let's face it, once the story has been published, in whatever format, it's out of your hands anyway.
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For more of Susan Barclay's writing, please visit her website at www.susan-barclay.ca