The Christian Writer’s Nest
Where writers of faith are nurtured.
Last year I talked a lot about all the changes I was making, and the ways I was orienting myself to make writing and being a published author a full-time career.
I spent time not just on thinking through what my branding looked like, but also what my brand IS. I spent time defining things like my over all mission, my long-term vision, and the values that drive everything I do.
As I worked with a business and branding coach who has now become a friend and partner, she helped me define not just what I wanted to do, but why I wanted to do it at all.
My original plan was to do nothing more than write and publish stories of hope with a splash of romance. That’s always going to be at the top of my ‘what I do,’ but she helped me see there is so much more I could be doing with the talents God has gifted me with.
Over the course of months, she and I talked not only about my business and my writing, but about dreams and prayers both of us have been dreaming and praying for decades.
For many years, I was the women’s ministry co-ordinator for my local church, and the highlight of my month was the one Tuesday evening each month we women would gather for a short devotional lesson I or a guest speaker would prepare. Then we spent the rest of our time sharing what was going on in our lives. We prayed for, encouraged, laughed, and sometimes cried together. We spent the evening sharing common struggles and successes, dividing the weight of the hard things and multiplying the joy of the good.
Connect with other Christian writers for encouragement and support when writing a God centered message feels more like wrestling with culture than sharing the good news and hope of Jesus.
Making new connections to other writers has been a pursuit of mine for many years. Years ago, I was able to host a meeting for a group of writers doing NaNoWriMo, and some of us continued meeting even after the month was over. Eventually, we all went our separate ways, and finding a new group close enough to home that I can have that kind of connection with the other members has been difficult.
Starting a group was something I had considered before, but I never really had the time or the resources to do it the way I wanted to. But starting on March 13, 2026 I will be hosting The Christian Writer’s Nest at the Franklin Branch of the Franklin Springboro Public Library on the second Friday of each month from 11AM to 3PM. If that seems like a VERY long meeting, this time frame allows for both a formal meeting and an informal writing time.
My vision for the first portion of the time is to host a formal Christian writing and critique group. Each meeting will start with a short devotional that encourages us to remember where our creativity comes from. That will be followed by a short, practical teaching on things like the craft of writing, tools and resources for writers, branding and marketing education, and other writerly topics.
Sometimes I will be the presenter, but one of the greatest things about the group of ladies I was privileged to be part of was the way everyone shared their wisdom with one another. With that in mind, I plan to invite guest speakers and encourage group members to share their knowledge and wisdom during this part of the meeting.
After the teaching, the floor will be open for group members to bring a section of a work in progress for feedback from the group. I have found that a good critique group is the best place to present new ideas, get help plugging up plot holes, and brainstorming through the sticky middle of a manuscript. The focus of the feedback is to make us all stronger writers, as well as being encouraged when that sentence we re-wrote seventy-eleven times makes us want to give up writing for good.
We will end with a prayer, and then the rest of the time I’ve reserved the room is set aside as what I call a ‘write in.’ No teaching, no agenda, just a dedicated, quiet space to get some words written. It is a time for us to do sprints together or work individually until it’s time to go.
It was during those write in times with my writer friends that friendships were formed and deepened. And that is at the heart of why I do what I do. To build relationships with not just readers through the books I publish, but to connect with other Christian writers for encouragement and support when writing a God centered message feels more like wrestling with culture than sharing the good news and hope of Jesus.
If you are local to the Franklin, Springboro, Middletown, or Miamisburg, Ohio areas, and you are looking for a Christian based writing community, I would love for you to join us for our first meeting on March 13, 2026. All ages, genres, and skill levels are welcome. Though anyone under 18 does need to be accompanied by an adult.
To keep up to date with meeting times and announcements, join the Christian Writer’s Nest Facebook group.
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