“You have to go through something and come out on the other side of something to know the full lessons and to know how to give proper hope and encouragement.” — Hannah Brencher

Many writers make a career out of sharing their personal stories with readers. These stories can run the gamut from humorous to sentimental to encouraging, but what often connects most deeply with readers is a difficult story shared from a place of vulnerability. 

How do you share your difficult stories without divulging too much while also giving readers a sense of hope? The following tips will help you share your hard story.

Write with caution and wisdom.  

Some stories are best shared within a safe, private relationship. A wide, unknown group of readers may not be the best audience for your hard story, particularly if you are still living that story or if it requires you to share intimate details about another person. Accept that there are some experiences you may never...

If you’re a writer who is working towards publication, you’ve probably heard about the importance of building your platform. Essentially, a platform is your base of readers, those who read your work regularly via your blog, newsletter, or social media posts. Building a platform can be one of the most challenging parts of the writing life, but it’s a necessary one. Publishers expect us to build an audience for our work. 

If you’re struggling to build your readership, author and acquisitions editor Jennifer Dukes Lee offers practical advice for how to take steps towards publication — even with a small platform. 

Jennifer’s advice can be summed up with a single memorable phrase, “Grow slow.”  Read on for her practical tips on growing slow.

Show Up

First, we need to decide which platforms work for us and then show up regularly to serve our readers. Remember: Our goal is to share a message. Our goal is not to strive...

When seasoned editor Cindy Bunch decided to write a book of her own, she found that in spite of her expertise, she still struggled with negative thoughts about her own work. Frustrated and increasingly empathetic towards her writing clients, she began to use soul care practices to silence her inner critic. 

Instead of ignoring the inner critic, Cindy suggests we welcome the negative thoughts, process them, and then release them. She offered hope*writers the following suggestions for quieting the inner critic and moving forward with our work.

Share with someone else.

Is there someone in your life who’s a good listener? Who supports your writing no matter what? Who always has a kind response, a great pep talk, or gentle kick in the pants? Tell them how you feel about your writing life and process those negative feelings with them. No one else knows the internal battle a writer faces with fear, discouragement, boredom, or lack of motivation. We’re the only...

How do we live a soulful life in a world of media overwhelm, hustle, and increasing complexity? This is the question author John Eldredge answers for hope*writers in our conversation about how to care for the soul of a writer. An author of multiple books, John discovered that his writing suffered when he didn’t pay attention to his own needs during the writing process. He realized how easy it is to live in the shallows of life, moving from one thing to the next, while forgetting to care for his heart. 

As writers, we have to be especially intentional and deliberate about soul care so that we have something to offer the world out of the wellsprings of our own lives. John recommends three practices for healing your writer’s heart if you’ve been swept up in the hustle of life.

Seek Beauty 

When the pace of life and the constant barrage of information overwhelm us, beauty is good medicine. It heals, nourishes, and calms the soul, while also awakening...