What does it actually mean to be “called” to write? Do you need that calling to keep going? This week we’re digging into what Scripture says about calling, how to recognize it in your own season of life, and the faulty mindsets that can quietly distort it.

In this episode, we cover:

* What the Bible primarily means by “calling” (hint: it’s not what you think)

* The internal and external elements of recognizing a specific calling, drawing on Jared Wilson’s The Storied Life

* Three faulty mindsets that turn a calling into pressure instead of purpose

* Why your calling doesn’t have to look like a burning bush — or a book

Reflection questions:

* Have you sensed both the internal and external parts of a calling to write?

* Which faulty mindset tends to pull at you the strongest?

Continue the conversation in the comments!

You can download the “Christian Writers’ Mindset Makeover” here.

The Purposeful Pen is a weekly podcast for Christian writers designed to help you build a writing life with eternal impact. Each week you’ll hear practical tips and Biblical truth on topics such as improving your writing, honing your message, and managing your time. I always respond to listener emails and I’d love to hear from you! Amysimon@amylynnsimon.com

This week we’re tackling a mindset that keeps so many writers stuck: the belief that we aren’t worth investing in. If you’ve ever hesitated to spend money on a writing course, a community membership, or a coach because you weren’t sure you were “serious enough” to justify it, this episode is for you.

I share my own story of wrestling with this during Covid, when I felt God nudging me away from writing assorted magazine articles and toward building something of my own: a website, a focused message, an audience I could actually serve. I found an online writing community that felt like exactly what I needed, but it came with a monthly cost, and I froze. Was it worth it? Did I even believe my writing was worth it?

Spoiler: investing in that community changed everything. And I think a lot of us need permission to ask the same question about our own writing.

What We Cover

* The empty-nest season many of my coaching clients are in, and why “what’s next” can feel disorienting after years of pouring into other people

* The difference between spending money and investing wisely: courses you finish but never apply, memberships you never fully engage with

* Practical ways to invest in your growth as a writer: a paid community like the Writers’ Bloc, a writer’s conference, or working with a coach

* Why it’s worth journaling through where this mindset came from in the first place (a practice we talked about back in episode 150)

* What it means to be a good steward of the gift of writing, not just a good steward of your money

Scripture We Return To

Proverbs has plenty to say about the cost of gaining wisdom. But the passage I keep coming back to is the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Each servant was entrusted with something and asked to invest it, not bury it. If writing is a gift we’ve received, we’re called to invest in it so it can grow and become a blessing to others. Sometimes that means spending money. Sometimes it means spending time. Either way, it’s an act of stewardship, not indulgence.

If this episode stirred something up for you, I’d love to help you take the next step. Book a free discovery call and let’s talk about where you’re stuck and what investing in your writing could look like for you.

And if you’re not ready for a call yet, join us for Pen Points, our weekly email where we dig into mindset, craft, and calling together.

The Purposeful Pen is a weekly podcast for Christian writers designed to help you build a writing life with eternal impact. Each week you’ll hear practical tips and Biblical truth on topics such as improving your writing, honing your message, and managing your time. I always respond to listener emails and I’d love to hear from you! Amysimon@amylynnsimon.com

Who am I to have anything of value to offer? If that question has ever stopped you before you started writing, this episode is for you.

We’re unpacking imposter syndrome from three angles: two identity issues and one skill issue.

The writer you think you’re supposed to be. We often carry a picture in our heads of what a “real” writer looks like: confident, experienced, never stuck. But that picture is usually a myth. Even successful authors write from kitchen tables and bleacher seats, wrestling with the same doubts we do.

The spiritual worthiness question. This one runs deeper. We wonder if we’ve “arrived” enough to have something worth saying. Jesus tells us the truth in John 15:5: apart from Him we can do nothing. But that’s not the whole verse. When we abide in Him, we bear much fruit. Our worth to write was never about our own sufficiency.

The skill question. Sometimes we’re just not there yet, and that’s okay. Skill grows through writing and through community. We talk about how a space like Writers’ Bloc’s premium membership offers a safe place to get real feedback and grow.

A question for you: Which of these three angles hits closest to home? What’s one step you can take this week to lean into what’s actually true? Share in the comments!

Resources mentioned:Writers’ Bloc premium membership: www.mywritersbloc.com

The Christian Writers’ Mindset Makeover: www.amylynnsimon.com/makeover

The Purposeful Pen is a weekly podcast for Christian writers designed to help you build a writing life with eternal impact. Each week you’ll hear practical tips and Biblical truth on topics such as improving your writing, honing your message, and managing your time. I always respond to listener emails and I’d love to hear from you! Amysimon@amylynnsimon.com