Part of a series of interviews with experienced Christian writers—of academic and popular theology, fiction, and those writing for a non-Christian audience.
How did you decide to take writing more seriously? Did someone encourage you to do so?
I remember wanting to be a writer when I was in primary school. I was a reader. I loved books and I lived in a house filled with books. Reading made me want to be a writer. Mind you, I didn’t know what or how to write. I did tiny pieces of creative writing for school, but no-one really said ‘why don’t you write something more lengthy?’
How do you think about your explicitly Christian writing? As a ministry? A hobby? A vocation? A side hustle?
Writing is a ministry and a vocation. But it is also a habit that I have. I write something almost every day—I do it almost without thinking. Again, this came from being a reader. I didn’t read too many Christian books when I was younger, but I developed a taste for words. I have been ministered to by so many good books, whether sacred or secular. My imaginative world has been shaped by great books. I write because I know how blessed I’ve been by writers, so I want to be that blessing.
How do you think about your less-explicitly Christian writing, whether fiction or non-fiction? A hobby? Part of the cultural mandate? Cultural engagement? Pre-evangelism?
Sometimes it is just fun. But I do think writing is one of the opportunities we have to express words in the public square—to add something that people might find constructive and interesting. Lots of Christian publishing intends to address the wider world … but very little of it is read by non-Christian readers. If I am a trusted or interesting voice on a particular topic, then I might just get a second hearing with non-Christians.
Where do your ideas and inspiration come from?
Often from spending quality time reading, and reading a variety of things. E. M. Forster said ‘only connect’ and good things will follow. Human creativity is not ex nihilo. We make things by putting things together that maybe haven’t been put together before. So ideas come from saying ‘what if I put these two ideas together?’ ‘What if I looked at this the other way around?’
Do you have any advice for those starting to seek publication? What insights can you give into the mysterious publication process?
Yes. Writing is a craft. You need to write rubbish first, and then get feedback. You need to get knocked back and work out a way forward.
Start a Substack and write for it regularly.
It is worth remembering that personal links help. So get to know those who edit the websites that your intended readers read. Open a conversation with them.
You need to write in order to write. True story.
How do you think and feel about getting feedback and editorial input? Has that changed over time?
I pride myself on being able to get a pretty good first draft done. Editorial input however can make a B- into an A! The trick is not to get too much conflicting feedback and not to get such devasting feedback that you never want to write again. Some people who are too critical!
What are your coping strategies for rejections, or not hearing back from people you share your work with—whether editors or friends and family?
Have a cry and get on with it.
Never ask my wife for feedback.
It is always good to know why something hasn’t worked.
Is it difficult for you to promote yourself and your work?
It is difficult and not always pleasant, but you have to do it. If you have written something you think is worth reading, then you have to tell people about it. On the whole, publishers of books do very little to promote the books they publish and bookshops even less. Unless you are J. K. Rowling, you don’t have a marketing professional on your side. So that means: you have to do it.
Social media makes it easier, I guess. But people won’t read your stuff unless you give them a reason to.
What are particular temptations for writers? What are some strategies to resist them?
Writing is hard work. So it is very tempting to plagiarise and to rely on AI. But even more, it is tempting to be a lazy thinker. Which means taking short cuts in research, ranting rather than writing, follow familiar tropes, and not challenging your audience. It takes no courage to tell people what they want to hear. Lots of contemporary Christian writing runs along culture-war lines—but no one who disagrees with it will actually read it. So who has been persuaded? Imagine that a critic is reading your work. Will they find their view well represented?
The other temptation is that you can write and publish something in an hour on the internet. But real thinking takes time … it needs to mature. It is a slow burn. Don’t mistake volume of output for depth of thought. Any idiot can write a lot—and some idiots do.
How can friends support Christian writers?
Writing is lonely, and feedback is not immediate. Any response is better than no response! But it is always lovely to have a genuine engagement with your writing. Not just fluffing their pillows, but really engaging with their ideas.
How can ministry leaders support Christian writers?
Don’t give up on reading as beneficial to the Christian life. Christian communities should be full of readers. Recommend new (but good) books. This requires you to be a reader yourself. It helps to be citing your reading in sermons, which often leads to people going away to read what you’ve mentioned.
What do you recommend to those who want to work on their writing?
Write. And then write. And then write. There’s no substitute for this.
Develop an ear for language. I write by hearing words in my head. I don’t want to sound bland or barbarous.
You could read Annie Lamott’s great book Bird by Bird, too. I would also read George Orwell’s classic essay Politics and the English Language.
Words really, really matter. Treat them well.
