A very large part of my life has been devoted to the study of God’s Word, increasingly so with time, and with time I have gotten better at it. I use and apply extensive language and research tools learned via seminary, bible school, university, preachers I follow, books and blogs. Mostly, though, it’s just me with God’s Word, with the Holy Spirit leading me into the truth. I do have a routine of starting my day with the Word and prayer, which in fact is never routine but usually mind-blowing, the most mind-blowing of all being that God, you know, the One who created heaven and earth, loves me. But even if there are days that start out with little motivation, I keep pushing until something lights my world. And for all who do the same, something will. Which reminds me of George Mueller’s assertion that his morning devotionals lasted as long as it took for him to become “happy in the inner man”. Though we may not always have the time for this, we can make the time at least one day a week. That’s what the Sabbath is, a day devoted to resting in God. I tend to do this more than one day a week, however. Retirement was never in my vocabulary, except when I was in my teens and it sounded like a great idea. However, being able to schedule my time to do the many projects I feel led to do, that is good. Keeping a sabbath on a day that I can set aside for it has been my custom, because the day that I go to church may actually become too busy. But year after year, I have enjoyed the luxury of spending lots of time with God in His Word, fellowshipping with Him.
Perhaps you are here to learn more about another person’s writing. In my case, it started with family and grew as I grew, because of course, writing is an expression and a reflection of the heart and mind. Having been raised by a reporter, I had stints as a columnist, an assignment reporter, as well as a special-interest scout for various newspapers and publications. The introduction of digital media meant I could add photos more easily than in the days when I developed my own in dark rooms fashioned in a closet of an apartment. Then God did this thing that He does, coming up with a personal plot twist for my life (ever experience one of those?). In this case, transitioning to fiction was the move He was calling me to, something that was always a desire of my heart. Riding the wave of the Spirit’s leading, I was able not only to finish but notice publishing opportunities. Anthologies picked up my work. Novels began to form. Yet learning to write fiction – the kind that I would want to read, anyway – was a process. Despite many years as a reporter and columnist, it took three years for a fictional piece to come forth that I felt had merit, and the process of learning continues as I write each book. Truly, as Steven Spielberg says, the only way to learn how to write is…to write.
Letting God lead you while writing is another level. I could tell you story after story about the plot changes He has effected in my books, the words and phrases He’s pulled out of me, the nudges from the outside about a character arc or style and devices, kairos moments that are more than coincidence. And yet, while writing is a deeply satisfying adventure, be ye prepared, it’s a mostly-solo deal from a human standpoint. With God, writing becomes an extension of one’s prayer closet and in this sense, one is not alone. Making connection with other writers and with readers alleviates the human isolation.
Possibly as you read my books, you’ll get a sense of the joy and inspiration I experienced in their creation. Let’s hope my heart and my fingers get better and better at being His “ready-writer”. Even more, I pray something I say or write will inspire others to yield in surrender and receive by faith the gift of righteousness we could never attain through our own effort but through God in Christ, by the amazing grace which provides innumerable attending benefits, especially living loved. (Jer 31:3, Romans 2:4, Eph 1:15-2:9)
My Amazon author page features what’s been published so far. There are also brief video trailers, blurbs and links accessible here from the menu above.
My books provide healthy entertainment which convey practical principles for living well, gathered from a lifetime habit of actively listening to other people’s stories. I write from experience, but my characters are never based on actual people. I write to show others the way to get their breakthrough. This renders my fiction a realistic blueprint for resisting the enemy, whether ignorance, depression, abuse, shock, oppression, past trauma, current adversity or trials, poverty, or sickness. My experience helping people within these life crises professionally as a therapist/case manager, and personally, can be beneficial to many others through my books.
Faith comes by hearing, so does fear! You can immerse yourself in a movie or a book that gives you excitement but leads to doubt and fear, or you can read and listen to books like mine which will build you up in faith and the knowledge of the Lord. This was the impetus for writing fiction for JRRTolkien and CSLewis when they discussed the need for spiritually enriching fiction as co-founders of The Inklings. It’s the impetus for many Christian writers today.
I’ll end with a note of inspiration for any reader, whether you write or aspire to, or whether your calling is elsewhere. The Lord gives success, health, provision and peace, and He adds no sorrow to them. All this was wrapped up in what Christ accomplished on the cross. The world adds sorrow enough, but He gives good things, more than enough to make up for the fallenness, the curse and the evil, if we will hold on. Check out Prov 10:22, James 1:17. God surely answers prayer and brings blessing, but you have to know how to access it. And the Bible has a lot to say about this. Despite setbacks, despite the barrage of offenses coming at us in this earthly life, we can overcome and see our blessings add up in ever-widening circles over time. If as you read this your skeptical mind is bringing up the failures, the setbacks, the losses, read the above again. I didn’t say there wouldn’t be problems, suffering, loss and temptation.
So what are these basics to apply? What principles can one learn in order to get to the place of great blessing? For Jesus is indeed Lord of the universe and one day, all things will be put in their rightful place. The whole of history could be summarized as the unfolding of that plan. In His incarnation and resurrection, He has overcome this world. The secret, no longer secret but now manifest, is that He has given us back the means to overcome, too. That puts us in the front seat with the Driver. So put on your finest walking shoes, don your helmet, strap on your shield and sword. In this life, you can never, ever let up.
The main characters in my stories are living out an overcoming life, their imperfections and problems are plain to see and yet what they are learning through the course of their story reveals many specific godly strategies proven to work in real life.
If you don’t quit, you win,
Danyelle Wolfe Read
Ps 116:10-12 In my discouragement I thought, “They are lying when they say I will recover.” But now what can I offer Jehovah for all he has done for me?
The Living Bible
Author Danyelle Wolfe Read 