This is Lesson #2 in a special Substack series called “5 Steps to Transform Your Writing.” Hands down, this is the most useful tool in my editorial kit at Penguin Random House, and I’m excited to share it with you.
Excited for this series, Will. Thank you! Here’s the problem that’s asking me to research and write these days: Even as members of the laity, we are all called to be saints, but answering that call often feels impossible, especially with so few canonized examples of modern laymen and laywomen who have done it.
I’m in the infancy stages (maybe even 26 week preemie infancy stage) of narrowing my thoughts about how to connect to a reader’s pain. With that disclaimer this is where I’m headed, with one more nuance about the assignment. I’m actually reading Comer’s book now and I appreciated him writing about where he felt stuck, but also where he was headed. He knew if he continued like he was it wouldn’t end well. Sadly I went farther down that trajectory than he did, so I’m hoping to write - if I’m brave enough - about the road back. I’m considering writing to someone who has realized they’ve felt an ambient temperature drop in their relationship with God because of grief, ongoing hardships, distractions and business, or sin, and wonder how to recover from a harassing fog of shame and sadness to a sense of gratitude, wonder, and joy again.
Thanks, Wil. I’ve thankfully shifted from listening to, reading, and taking notes on basically everything you’ve shared that I can get my hands on for the last few weeks - and I’ve actually started writing! I have a lot to learn about every aspect of writing, but it’s almost all I can think about, to write perhaps only in a journal, maybe for a small group of people, or to publish if that’s a way God could be honored. I’m surprised about saying “No, no, no!” about writing for years to now feeling like I absolutely have to do this. Thanks for the generous amount of tools you’ve shared. I’ll be getting your course as soon as I feel like I have my bearings a little more.
When moms of littles feel depleted, spiritually starved, perhaps in the midst of an identity crisis, and tempted to be resentful of a stage of life they expected would be (and usually still believe) a huge blessing and noble endeavor.
I’m trying to identify a sticky question/problem related to a sense of Home. Something like, in an increasingly rootless and transient world, what does it mean to have a sense of Home or place?
Personally I feel this problem on the family level, having experienced disruption of “home” as a child experiencing loss. But I think it’s broader than that too.
My team and I are writing a homeschool theater curriculum. You hit our problem with this series. We realized that we're going to the solution first. Saying it's a fine arts credit doesn't get it. We have struggled to put together a sentence. Here it is - very rough indeed. " Even though students regularly consume stories/media, they are not equipped to think critically and ethically about the messages they hear and need to learn how to create their own quality performance arts in a meaningful way." Thanks for putting together this series. It's so helpful! I look forward to the next post!
Will! I just self-published my FIRST ebook (on amazon). It's a start! I decided to just go for it! I'm excited! It's the first day of the rest of my life! Now on to the question. In my world, the "pain" is people don't need to know what to do in the gym, they can find millions of resources on that. What they need to know is how to not quit what they know to do. 80% of the population doesn't get enough exercise even for basic health. But most people have started something and quit.... several times.
I got a little lost in all the comments below. Wow. Just a ton of amazing ideas.
Here's mine, and this is a great prompt, so I will have to come back to this again...
"Chaos (all around) teems with monsters, and we can only occupy such a small space in the world, so how do we stay clear, congruent, and calm in our souls while fighting for life, balance, and a safe(r) home?"
Lynn, thanks for sharing. I'm curious what you mean by "monsters". It's a vivid term but can mean a lot of things. Perhaps with more context it would be more clear, but you want to state the problem so that it's immediately understandable. Hope that's helpful!
My post coming out tomorrow directly answers your question, if you're still interested. It was good to think about and try to be more clear. Thanks for your work here!
Religious formulas and “biblical” promises are highly attractive to frightened people looking for safety and security—which is why a new generation is falling for the same old lies.
I spent a decade in Bill Gothard’s IBLP cult before I got out and learned to live in the real world. But lately it feels like my cult has moved mainstream. It’s bizarre how social media seems to be filled with young influencers peddling familiar promises and beliefs. I want to dig into the why behind it all. And growing up in it, I think I have some potential insight.
As Christians, we long to contribute to God’s kingdom and share what we know with future generations, but we often suppress our legacy with the thought of our death instead of living intentionally.
Danelle, yes! It sounds morbid, but I'm with you: it's good to think about death, so we are more intentional with this one life we're given. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. You made me wonder if I have something to say around the challenge of parenting in the face of mental health (particularly suicidal ideation). I tried the following:
Parenting a child with poor mental health can feel like an impossible, lonely and at times an incredibly cruel battle, in a seemingly endless war, with the way you parent and the choices you made today, yesterday and all the days before that.
Sarah, thanks so much for this. I can't imagine the difficulty of the problem you articulate here. Writing on this topic could be balm for lonely souls. Keep on.
I work with hurting families. Building a family that nurtures healthy relationships and supports children is not to be taken lightly, and it doesn't happen by chance.
Excited for this series, Will. Thank you! Here’s the problem that’s asking me to research and write these days: Even as members of the laity, we are all called to be saints, but answering that call often feels impossible, especially with so few canonized examples of modern laymen and laywomen who have done it.
Emily, wow, yes that's a biggie. Thanks for sharing.
I love this prompt! Here’s my answer:
Even when we feel called to the “path less traveled” in life, there is both beauty and a surprising loneliness that can feel overwhelming to navigate.
Well said, Bailey. Leadership is lonely.
I’m in the infancy stages (maybe even 26 week preemie infancy stage) of narrowing my thoughts about how to connect to a reader’s pain. With that disclaimer this is where I’m headed, with one more nuance about the assignment. I’m actually reading Comer’s book now and I appreciated him writing about where he felt stuck, but also where he was headed. He knew if he continued like he was it wouldn’t end well. Sadly I went farther down that trajectory than he did, so I’m hoping to write - if I’m brave enough - about the road back. I’m considering writing to someone who has realized they’ve felt an ambient temperature drop in their relationship with God because of grief, ongoing hardships, distractions and business, or sin, and wonder how to recover from a harassing fog of shame and sadness to a sense of gratitude, wonder, and joy again.
Kathleen, I so appreciate your vulnerability here. And I encourage you to write about your journey.
Thanks, Wil. I’ve thankfully shifted from listening to, reading, and taking notes on basically everything you’ve shared that I can get my hands on for the last few weeks - and I’ve actually started writing! I have a lot to learn about every aspect of writing, but it’s almost all I can think about, to write perhaps only in a journal, maybe for a small group of people, or to publish if that’s a way God could be honored. I’m surprised about saying “No, no, no!” about writing for years to now feeling like I absolutely have to do this. Thanks for the generous amount of tools you’ve shared. I’ll be getting your course as soon as I feel like I have my bearings a little more.
Individual and cultural identity is harder and harder to find , and the more informed and advanced we become the more separate we seem to be.
Thank you for sharing.
Believers know that billions of people have never heard the gospel, but they don't know what to do about it from their local context.
Jamie, yes, when the problem is writ large, it feels insurmountable. But it starts with the people in our lives, next door, etc... loving them well.
When moms of littles feel depleted, spiritually starved, perhaps in the midst of an identity crisis, and tempted to be resentful of a stage of life they expected would be (and usually still believe) a huge blessing and noble endeavor.
P.S. That is definitely a run-on sentence 😜
Elisabeth, this definitely hits for us right now with three young kiddos. I'm sure my wife would resonate with how you articulated this :)
I’m trying to identify a sticky question/problem related to a sense of Home. Something like, in an increasingly rootless and transient world, what does it mean to have a sense of Home or place?
Personally I feel this problem on the family level, having experienced disruption of “home” as a child experiencing loss. But I think it’s broader than that too.
Hannah, love this idea. Yes, we live in a disconnected, nomadic age. There is much wisdom in rootedness, to a place and a people.
My team and I are writing a homeschool theater curriculum. You hit our problem with this series. We realized that we're going to the solution first. Saying it's a fine arts credit doesn't get it. We have struggled to put together a sentence. Here it is - very rough indeed. " Even though students regularly consume stories/media, they are not equipped to think critically and ethically about the messages they hear and need to learn how to create their own quality performance arts in a meaningful way." Thanks for putting together this series. It's so helpful! I look forward to the next post!
Wow, what a cool application of my post... thanks for sharing. This encourages me. And yes, in all your communication, start with the problem :)
Thanks, Will. I appreciate all your efforts to help us writers do better!
Will! I just self-published my FIRST ebook (on amazon). It's a start! I decided to just go for it! I'm excited! It's the first day of the rest of my life! Now on to the question. In my world, the "pain" is people don't need to know what to do in the gym, they can find millions of resources on that. What they need to know is how to not quit what they know to do. 80% of the population doesn't get enough exercise even for basic health. But most people have started something and quit.... several times.
Yes, this is good Andrea. I say run with it!
The problem I'm addressing in my writing is the accepting the love I actually desire.
Well said. Yes, this is a huge felt need.
I got a little lost in all the comments below. Wow. Just a ton of amazing ideas.
Here's mine, and this is a great prompt, so I will have to come back to this again...
"Chaos (all around) teems with monsters, and we can only occupy such a small space in the world, so how do we stay clear, congruent, and calm in our souls while fighting for life, balance, and a safe(r) home?"
Lynn, thanks for sharing. I'm curious what you mean by "monsters". It's a vivid term but can mean a lot of things. Perhaps with more context it would be more clear, but you want to state the problem so that it's immediately understandable. Hope that's helpful!
My post coming out tomorrow directly answers your question, if you're still interested. It was good to think about and try to be more clear. Thanks for your work here!
Good point. It’s a rich term for me. I will work on that.
Religious formulas and “biblical” promises are highly attractive to frightened people looking for safety and security—which is why a new generation is falling for the same old lies.
Christy, wow, thanks for sharing. This sounds like an intriguing issue to tackle.
I spent a decade in Bill Gothard’s IBLP cult before I got out and learned to live in the real world. But lately it feels like my cult has moved mainstream. It’s bizarre how social media seems to be filled with young influencers peddling familiar promises and beliefs. I want to dig into the why behind it all. And growing up in it, I think I have some potential insight.
As Christians, we long to contribute to God’s kingdom and share what we know with future generations, but we often suppress our legacy with the thought of our death instead of living intentionally.
Danelle, yes! It sounds morbid, but I'm with you: it's good to think about death, so we are more intentional with this one life we're given. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. You made me wonder if I have something to say around the challenge of parenting in the face of mental health (particularly suicidal ideation). I tried the following:
Parenting a child with poor mental health can feel like an impossible, lonely and at times an incredibly cruel battle, in a seemingly endless war, with the way you parent and the choices you made today, yesterday and all the days before that.
Sarah, thanks so much for this. I can't imagine the difficulty of the problem you articulate here. Writing on this topic could be balm for lonely souls. Keep on.
The problem- how do you approach forgiveness in a dysfunctional relationship
Wow, what a visceral, relatable topic. Thanks for sharing.
I work with hurting families. Building a family that nurtures healthy relationships and supports children is not to be taken lightly, and it doesn't happen by chance.
Barbara, sounds like you do meaningful work. Thank you.