The First Spark: Finding Your Writing Purpose

What if writing was more than a hobby?

What if the words you so carefully weave together mean more than what you first believed? What if the whispered stories you tell yourself are something bigger than you ever dreamed? What if your characters you so lovingly create and nurture could inspire more than just yourself?

What if your writing had a purpose?

Imagine all the stories you’ve read that brought you to tears, or brightened your day, or taught you something about yourself you never realized. Imagine your own stories in the hands of readers, having that same kind of impact. It sounds strange, like a dream you have that you don’t want to wake up from, but reality must take precedence at some point. But what if it’s not just a dream?

My name is Emma G. McKee, and my goal is to inspire writers who, like myself, dream of impacting others with their stories but don’t know where to start. I want to show you the path and become like the wizened old mentor who guides the main character through trials and trouble to reach their dreams. (Or the one who brings you along to help destroy an evil piece of jewelry, despite your only wish being to go back to your cozy hole in the ground. But I digress.)

I bid you welcome to my new blog series/writing course, Faith-Forged Fantasy, a year-long journey into what makes a story inspiring and how to get there. I want to show you how to follow God’s calling for your life and your pen, starting with the foundations of writing Christian fantasy. But I also want you to actually take away something beneficial for your writing, which is why every main post will have a free downloadable worksheet available through my monthly email newsletter.

My introductions can only last so long, however, so without further adieu, let’s begin discussing the topic of this post: finding your writing purpose.

Everyone is gifted in some way. Some people are wonderful artists, able to create awe-inspiring landscapes and characters that feel alive. Others might be gifted in music, and can compose beautiful melodies and play all manner of songs. People can be gifted in athletics, teaching, and even empathy and kindness. You’ve met people like this– those who seem to excel at what they love doing, or those who pursue certain things with more passion than you thought possible. Everyone is gifted at something in this way, and reader, writing is one of these gifts.

If you love penning stories and building worlds, creating characters and puzzling over themes, writing might possibly be your gift. If you’re reading this post, it most certainly is, for one of the things that defines someone’s gift is the willingness to learn how to better use it. But the problem still stands: how do you use this gift?

Let’s go back to the beginning. Remember when I asked the question of whether your writing had a purpose? Let’s rephrase that.

What if your writing could have a purpose?

There. That sounds much more doable. But what is this purpose, and how does one achieve it?

Well, let’s go back to the spiritual gifts. Everyone is gifted in some way, and usually for a reason. Someone gifted in music might write worship songs. An empathetic and understanding person might become a therapist. For writers, our gifts could span a number of purposes, but it can all be summarized in honoring the One who gave them to us.

For me personally, I hope to write fantasy that mirrors our broken world but also reflects the hope that Christ gives us and the love He calls us to share. Your purpose may be different. It might take you many stories and prayers to discover it. But finding your writing purpose is no idle matter, and there are some things to think about that might help you define it.

Firstly, think about the kinds of stories you want to write. What excites you about the books you love to read, and why do you enjoy writing what you do? Understanding your motivation is key when discovering your purpose, and the type of stories you love to read and write are a large part of that. Personally, I’ve always been drawn to the fantasy genre, where magic and fantastical worlds abound and characters have all manner of trials before them that would not be feasible in our modern world. What I also love about fantasy is how, even while being an escape from reality, it teaches us things we never knew about ourselves and our world.

When thinking about your passion for writing, you also need to consider the themes and tropes you love to include. Whether it’s found family, sacrifice, or light versus dark, everyone has certain themes they love to write about and explore, and this can be a part of your writing purpose.

Another thing to think about is your faith and how it appears in your writing. Christian authors write a wide range of faith-filled fiction, from expansive allegories like Chuck Black’s books to more subtle experiences like The Green Ember, and books that are in-between, like The Wingfeather Saga. Finding your calling when it comes to your faith in writing is a prayer-filled endeavor and something that the Lord will reveal to you in His own time. But there are things you can think about in the meantime. What are some lessons that the Lord has taught you in your walk with Him? What themes might lie in these? How can you share God’s love through your writing? Considering these questions will help you discover what direction God is guiding you toward in your writing.

Finally, think about your audience. If God is calling you to be an author and share your stories with the world, thinking about those who will read them is quite important. What do you want your readers to feel when they finish one of your books? What do you want to teach them? What can you show them about themselves that they never realized? And how can you become a stepping stone on their walk to growing closer to God?

If all of this feels overwhelming, remember your reason for pursuing writing in the first place. Remember why it brings you joy and how God has gifted you with a passion for story. You don’t have to figure this out in one day. In fact, it took me years to discover why I wanted to become an author, as well as many failed attempts at writing a book and too many story ideas to count. It may take you a long time before you truly know, and that’s okay.

Finding your purpose as a writer, or at least beginning to, is a wonderful first step into the world of writing. Once you discover it, your path forward will become clearer, and you’ll know what kinds of stories you want to bring into this world, as well as what themes you want to instill in them. Your purpose as a writer will be what guides you and motivates you when struggles come and the ink runs dry. It’ll be the feeling readers have after finishing your book with a contented sigh (or a gasp of shock at a particularly twisty cliffhanger).

So reader, what if your writing could have a purpose? An inspiring, impactful purpose?

And what if you could find it?

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If you still feel a bit lost, or if you want something to help you implement the steps discussed in this post, I’ve created a worksheet that could help! It’s completely free and available when you subscribe to my monthly email newsletter, where you’ll receive life updates, exciting announcements, and behind-the-scenes looks at my current writing project. I encourage you to take a look and consider subscribing– it would mean so much to me!

See you among the shelves,

Emma G. McKee

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