Welcome to The Writing Desk, where I share the practical writing tips and tools plus insights I’ve gathered from years of working with words. Whether you’re polishing a manuscript or just starting to explore your writing voice, I hope you find encouragement, clarity, and direction here. As a Christian author who has edited, mentored, and written for many years, it’s my joy to pass along lessons that light the way for your own writing journey.
-
Faith & Calling – When God Calls the Unqualified—and Leaves Them That Way
Faith & Calling If God waited until we felt ready, confident, and fully equipped before calling us, very few of us would ever take the first step. When I first felt God calling me, I thought He was calling me to preach. That was the word I kept hearing—preach. It startled me. It didn’t fit…
-
Building Characters: Backstory, Motivation, and Meaningful Detail
Foundational Writing Lessons – Lesson Three Building Characters: Backstory, Motivation, and Meaningful Detail Lesson Focus Stories are carried by characters. In this lesson, we’ll explore how to build believable characters by understanding backstory, motivation, and meaningful detail—while learning to separate what the writer needs to know from what the reader actually needs to see on…
-
Understanding Story Structure: Three-Act and Five-Part Frameworks.
Lesson Two Understanding Story Structure: Three-Act and Five-Part Frameworks Lesson Focus Stories don’t move forward by accident. In this lesson, we’ll explore why structure matters, how both three-act and five-part frameworks work, and how understanding story structure gives your writing direction without stifling creativity. Why This Matters Many writers resist structure because it feels restrictive.…
-
Doubting My Manuscript
What to do when, like me, you say, “I’m doubting my manuscript.” Last night, I finished the final edit of my book When Justice Sleeps. I sent the manuscript off to a professional editor and to three beta readers, then sat back with a deep sense of joy and relief. I felt good—really good—about what…
-
Finding Your Story: Ideas, Genre, and Writing Goals
The Writing DeskFoundational Lessons for Fiction and Devotional Writers Lesson One – Finding Your Story: Ideas, Genre, and Writing Goals Lesson Focus Every piece of writing begins with an idea—but not every idea becomes a finished story. It’s all about Ideas, Genre, and Writing Goals.. In this lesson, we’ll explore where story ideas come from,…
-
Faith & Calling – A Series for Writers on the Journey
Faith & Calling. Most writers don’t wake up one morning knowing exactly what God has called them to do—or how that calling will take shape. For many of us, the journey unfolds slowly, quietly, and often with more questions than answers. This series was written for writers who feel a nudge they can’t ignore…For those…
-
The Writing Desk Foundational Lessons for Fiction and Devotional Writers
Introduction: A Place to Learn, Practice, and Grow Every writer needs a place to return to—a place where ideas are tested, words are shaped, and stories slowly take form. For me, that place has always been the writing desk. Now, In this series of free writing lessons, I want to share with you much of…
-
Faith & Calling – Writing as a Calling, Not Just a Hobby
Faith & Calling Writing as a Calling, Not Just a Hobby My personal writing journey didn’t arrive all at once with a trumpet blast from heaven. It was gradual—so gradual, in fact, that for many years I didn’t recognize it as anything special at all. I just thought I was being me. I’ve enjoyed writing…
-
Ten Ways to Make your First Five Pages Sparkle
If you’ve ever heard the saying “your first five pages can make or break a book,” you know there’s a little truth and a lot of pressure wrapped up in it. Those first pages are where readers, agents, and editors decide if they’re in good hands. They want clarity, voice, movement, and a hint of…
-
Finding Your Voice in Fiction
Finding Your Voice in Fiction (Without Forcing It)One of the questions writers ask most often is, “How do I find my voice?” It sounds mysterious, almost as if it’s either something you either have or you don’t. As if one day you wake up, sit down at the keyboard, and— That’s not how it works.…