If you are an aspiring Christian writer, but you don’t know where to start, writing a letter can help. A letter can be a great way to explore the messages you want to share. Through a letter, you can also focus on your ideal reader and what they might be going through. Let’s take a closer look.
A Letter to God
First, I would encourage you to start with a letter to God. This can be a journal entry, or just something you write on paper. I recommend that you put it in writing, so you can discover who you are as a writer.
You can start by telling God you would like to write Christian material. If you don’t know what you want to write, tell Him that. If you have some ideas, share those.
Write from your heart. Don’t think about grammar or making the sentences sound good. Don’t worry if your thoughts meander. You can add as many postscripts as you need at the end. Just share your heart with God in written words.
When you finish writing your letter to God, sit quietly and listen for His response. You may feel a response right away, and I encourage you to write that down. Or you may begin to sense His response over the days that follow. Write down whatever you sense from Him. A journal may be a helpful way to do this.
You may get clarity or a simple starting point. God doesn’t often set out the whole big picture in advance. Most often, he gives one step at a time, so we continue to depend on Him. Be ready to take a step forward and see where God leads you.
Write a Letter to Your Ideal Reader
After you write a letter to God, you can write a letter to your ideal reader. Maybe you already have some idea of what you want to share—your testimony or experiences, perhaps. Who is your ideal reader? What are they going through, and what would you like to say to help them? Put that in a letter as if you were writing to them.
In the process of writing that letter, you might uncover topics or even an outline for your first written piece. You might think of examples you want to share, or life stories you want to include. Just write your letter, from your heart. See what comes out on paper and where that leads you as a writer. Your letter may even be the start of a new piece of writing.
If you aren’t sure what you want to share, write a letter to a reader who asks you questions about what’s important to you as a new Christian writer. They might ask why you want to write about God or Christian topics. Answer those questions in your letter. You might uncover some starting points for your Christian writing.
As you start to get some ideas from writing your first letters, you can write follow-up letters and see what’s bubbling up in your heart. This is an informal way of engaging your writer’s heart, on paper, without the pressure of trying to start with a formal writing project. Letter writing is a great way to discover what’s important to you as a writer, what message you want to start with, and what you most want your ideal reader to know. Try it and see where God leads you.
Adventures with God 