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How I Write: Shadia Hrichi

May 16, 2022 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

I talk with a lot of novelists here, but today we’re going to chat with a Bible teacher because I love learning about all kinds of writing. If you’re interested in writing Bible studies (or other instructional books), today is your day, and Shadia is your girl!

Thank you so much for being here! What do you write? How did you pick your genre?

I write women’s Bible studies that center on “messy” stories in the Bible that are often overlooked or even avoided. I am drawn to these stories because I can relate to them. But with each one, I also want to know what I have been missing, and what fresh insights will I discover about God through the story? For example, my latest Bible study centers on Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah, who disguised herself as a prostitute and slept with her father-in-law. Talk about messy! She took risks, and God used her actions to alter the trajectory of human history!

At the same time, Tamar’s story gives me hope. I look at her story and think: if God can step into kind of mess and turn it into something beautiful, He can certainly help me get through whatever I’m dealing with.

What’s the most difficult part of writing your genre? How do you work through those challenges?

Usually, the hardest part is when God asks me to share something difficult from my own experiences. As a Bible teacher, I love studying God’s Word and writing studies that encourage readers to really dig deep into their Bibles. But when God taps me on the shoulder and essentially says, “Let’s make it personal,”that’s sometimes hard. And yet, those stories are often what God uses to help the reader connect to me as the author, so that they feel like we are journeying through our stories together.

How long does it take you to: write a bible study? Edit it? Finalize it?

I typically structure my Bible studies to be divided into 6 or 7 weeks (however, because the studies are in-depth, I often recommend readers double that time to get the most they can out of them). I usually spend one and a half to two weeks writing each day of homework, including editing and rewrites. Once a full week of study is drafted, I’ll then reread the full week several times and make additional edits. Once I’m satisfied, I send the week (chapter) to my team of five beta readers for their input/suggestions/feedback, after which I’ll make even more changes. Each study takes an average of 14 to 16 months total before it’s ready to send to the publisher.

Which was harder to write: the first book or the following books?

The first Bible study was definitely the hardest. When I wrote my first in-depth Bible study on Hagar, I had to think through and create many structural elements to organize the days and weeks of the study in a way that was both functional and appealing to the readers. A study that is merely academic is not always interesting, so I added special features to the structure, such as Pause to Ponder sections for personal reflection and Your Turn sections for personal application. These types of structural elements became the template for the next studies.

I’ll never forget the first developmental edit I received back from my publisher. The publisher asked me to cut 10,000 words from the last two weeks of the study. The editor explained that readers would be unprepared to suddenly discover the last weeks required more work. I realized he was right, but ouch! Ten thousand words was hard! (Believe me, I never made that mistake again.)

How do you prepare to write your books?

I actually created a 10-step form to help me outline my Bible studies before I write a single word. The form guides me (or any writer) through a series of steps whereby I brainstorm answers to specific questions.

For example, my first step is to list the primary and secondary themes for the study. That may sound simple, but having a topic in mind for the study is different from identifying the primary themes of the study. I include questions on the form to help me narrow down the key themes. Step two is to brainstorm the main takeaway for the reader (this is something you envision will appear on the back cover of the printed book). There are 10 detailed steps in all. Several will take days to brainstorm and complete, but once I complete all of the steps, I have everything I need to begin writing.

I’ve taught these 10-steps at writers conferences, and the workshop is now available on my website if that’s something your readers might be interested in.

What advice do you have for new authors?

Wherever you are in your writing ministry, before you go any further, gather a prayer team to support and encourage you. Writing is HARD for anyone, but for the Christian, you also contend with an enemy who will stop at nothing to keep your words from ministering to others. Schedule monthly prayer meetings at home or on Zoom. Communicate with your prayer team regularly via email, so that they can print your prayers and praises and pray for you.

Writing is not only hard, but it’s a solitary experience. Staying in touch with a committed circle of prayer warriors and sharing your struggles – and triumphs – in your writing journey (or in ministry in general) will provide a strong foundation of support and much needed encouragement.

What does your revision process look like?

I like to physically print the pages and go through them word by word with a simple red pen. First, I’ll read it silently and look for breaks in the flow, questions that aren’t clear, or anything else where I see room for improvement. After that edit, I’ll type in the changes, print the pages again, and grab the red pen.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Several times.

Once I have a working draft that I’m satisfied with, I’ll print it out again; only this time, I read it out loud all the way through. I may pause briefly to make some quick notes, but my aim is to read it straight through to hear the flow and rhythm of the study. Finally, I’ll read it again silently and make further edits until I believe it is as good as it can be.

But I’m not finished. Then, I sleep on it and re-read it the next day (or a few days later). God usually shows me ways it can be improved even more. After those changes, I send it to my beta readers along with a document I put together called a “chapter evaluation form” and wait to read their suggestions, which always help to make the manuscript even better. After all, God describes his church as “one body; many parts.” We cannot do this alone!


Shadia Hrichi is a passionate Bible teacher, author, and speaker who stirs the hearts and minds of her audience through personal story, illustration, and her unwavering confidence in the authority of God’s Word. She holds a master’s in biblical and theological studies as well as a master’s in criminal justice. Shadia is the author of several Bible studies, including TAMAR, HAGAR, LEGION, and WORTHY OF LOVE, and is the recipient of the 2022 WCCW “God’s Word is Alive” Award.

In addition to writing and teaching, Shadia leads Online Bible Studies, and provides coaching for writers, theological review of manuscripts, and online workshops. Visit her Just For Writers page for details. Currently residing in northern California, Shadia often speaks at churches, conferences, women’s retreats, and loves to join women’s Bible study groups on Zoom. Each week, she makes it her aim to head to the beach for “a date with Jesus.” Visit https://www.shadiahrichi.com

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: author interview, Bible studies, editing tips, nonfiction, writing nonfiction, writing tips, writing tools

Why Read? by Sandra Glahn

May 3, 2022 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

I teach a seminary course in Theology and Literature, and I asked my students on the last day of class to tell me why people should read. I got my main points from them:

Read for information. Want to learn about women at the time of the earliest Christians? You can find books about that. Want to learn how submarines work? Your library has resources. Reading can expand our knowledge. In the days of Martin Luther, when a man was ordained, he marked the occasion by gifting the local monastery with a book—because books were so rare. Fast forward five hundred years—we can download scores of classics for free, find inexpensive paperbacks, and shop in stores full of used books. We can get PDFs of academic articles from all over the world, and we can have the latest Nobel winner delivered to our door. Reading is the doorway through which we enter all these worlds of ideas.

Read for empathy. Reading is the closest we’ll get to omniscience. Through reading, we can get inside the mind of another and see the world from his or her perspective. According to Harvard Business Review, “We may be assuming that reading for knowledge is the best reason to pick up a book.” But research “suggests that reading fiction may provide far more important benefits than nonfiction… Reading literary fiction helps people develop empathy, theory of mind, and critical thinking.” And empathy can change us. For all its weaknesses, the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin, published in two volumes in 1852, allowed nineteenth-century literate Americans to see the world through the eyes of enslaved persons. Consequently, Stowe’s work “helped lay the groundwork for the [American] Civil War.”[1] Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy is helping later generations to feel the effects of an unjust prison system and advocate for change.

Read for exposure to people and places. Earth is currently comprised of 196 countries. One of my friends has a goal to read a book set in each one of them. Why? So she can better understand the world. She won’t get to travel to all 196 countries, but she can enter far-off places through her imagination. I will probably never visit totalitarian North Korea, but the Pulitzer winner The Orphan Master’s Son allowed me to experience life under its cruel dictatorship without having to suffer its abuses.

Read for companionship.  When my husband and I experienced a decade of infertility and pregnancy loss, I often felt alone in my grief as my church experienced a baby boom. Reading books by others who had gone through the same trauma helped me feel less alone. As I read, I thought, “You too?

Read as a spiritual discipline. In his book Under the Unpredictable Plant, the late pastor Eugene Peterson lists reading as one of the spiritual disciplines. When he was a young pastor lacking role models, he holed himself up in his office for several hours a week and read great novels. One such work was The Brothers Karamazov. Dostoevsky’s book shows grace embodied in the lives of several characters. Les Miserable’s “candlestick” scene provides another such picture of what grace can look like lived out in human interaction. 

The Count of Monte Cristo showed me why revenge never satisfies. Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time convinced me that “perfect love casts out fear” long before I realized she was quoting 1 John. Mako Fujimura in his book Culture Care helped me see the need for “slow art,” described by David Brooks of the New York Times as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time.”

 Why do you read? How have books changed you?


Dr. Sandra Glahn is professor of Media Arts and Worship at Dallas Theological Seminary and author of numerous books, including Latte with Luke (AMG). You can find her at aspire2.com, or follow her on Twitter: @sandraglahn

[1] Kaufman, Will (2006). The Civil War in American Culture. Edinburgh University Press.

Filed Under: best practices Tagged With: author interview, reading, reading fiction, reading nonfiction, reading tips

How I Write: Lori Hatcher

April 4, 2022 by Karin Beery 3 Comments

For all of my nonfiction writers and readers, today’s interview is for you! Lori Hatcher writes Christian devotions, and today she’s talking about her experiences writing and editing those books (including her lastest — see more at the end!).

Thank you so much for being here! Why did you decide to write devotions?

I didn’t pick my genre. My genre picked me! Devotions are my sweet spot. I’ve always loved writing devotions, but for a long time had the (wrong) impression that devotions were the “kindergarten” of Christian writing. You know, something I needed to grow out of as I gained writing skill. The more devotions I wrote, however, the more I discovered it takes great skill to communicate spiritual truth in a small number of words. Now I consider devotion writing the post-graduate of Christian writing (smile).

What’s the most difficult part of writing your genre? How do you work through those challenges?

The wordcount! Some projects I write for allow as little as 150-200 words to craft a cohesive and meaningful piece. It’s easy to write long-form content, but extremely challenging to compose a devotion with a hook, a body, and a conclusion in only a few hundred words.

How long does it take you to: write the book? Edit it? Finalize it?

A normal contract for me has been 5-6 months. I spend five months writing, then I let the manuscript cool for a few weeks, then edit it one more time before I submit.

Which was harder to write: the first book or the following books?

Refresh Your Faith, Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible was much easier to write than Refresh Your Prayers because it had a natural order. The devotion on Leviticus followed the devotion on Exodus, which followed the devotion on Genesis. In Refresh Your Prayers, my editor and I spent a lot of time dividing the book into sections and finding a logical sequence for the devotions within the sections. We began with What Is Prayer, then moved to The God To Whom We Pray to, then Why Pray?, and What Should I Pray? And within those divisions, we also had to order the content.

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different? Describe your strategy.

Both! I plan a general framework first. I write five-minute devotions for busy people, so I knew each devotion had to be no more than 800-900 words. In Refresh Your Prayers, this included an Uncommon Power statement, a Praise Prompt, and a Live It Out challenge. As I crafted each devotion, I prayed for inspiration, studied a ton of Bible verses about prayer, and then selected a real-life story to go with every prayer principle. I call this I guess you could call this plotted pantsing  😊.

What advice do you have for new authors?

Dedicate your writing to God and pray about every aspect of it. Ask Him to guide and inspire your writing. Invite Him to direct your paths and open the doors He wants you to walk through. Trust Him to move you along at the pace He knows is right. Surrender your efforts to Him. Thank Him for allowing you to write for Him. When praise comes your way, give Him the glory.

How did you find your freelance editor? How would you describe the experience?

I’ve had the privilege of working with Rachel Kirsch, an amazing freelance editor, on Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers. She was assigned by my publisher, Our Daily Bread. The experience was a wonderful learning opportunity. Rachel provided me with a style sheet that guided me through the preferences of the publishing house (ex. Capitalized deity pronouns, books of the Bible spelled out). She helped me organize the devotions into a logical sequence, suggested additional topics she felt were important, and challenged me not to avoid hard topics. My books are so much better because of her guidance and partnership.

How do you self-edit your manuscript?

I always read it aloud or have my computer read it to me. It’s amazing the errors I catch this way. Sometimes I’ll run it through ProWritingAid, a super helpful (free) online editing software. When I’ve polished it as much as I can, I send it to my critique partner. She’s my second pair of eyes. When the manuscript is complete, I let it rest for several weeks to give my brain and eyes a break. Then I print it (yes, all 55,000 words) and read it aloud again, making notes on the hard copy. When I’ve made those edits, I know I’m ready to submit.


Lori Hatcher has been on a lifelong quest to know and love God more. Her deepest desire is for others to join her on the journey. As an author, blogger, editor, women’s ministry speaker, and career dental hygienist, she writes for Our Daily Bread, Guideposts, Revive Our Hearts, and Crosswalk.com. She’s written three devotional books, including Refresh Your Faith, Uncommon Devotions from Every Book of the Bible, and Hungry for God…Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women. Her latest book, Refresh Your Prayers, Uncommon Devotions to Restore Power and Praise releases March 1, 2022. Connect with her at www.LoriHatcher.com or on Facebook, Twitter (@lorihatcher2) or Pinterest (Hungry for God).

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: author interview, editing tips, self-editing, writing devotions, writing nonfiction, writing tips, writing tools

How I Write: Linda Rondeau

March 21, 2022 by Karin Beery 1 Comment

Linda Rondeau’s been on both sides of the manuscript — as an author and as an editor. Today she shares about how she strengthened her writing skills.

Welcome! You’ve written several books in your career. Which was harder: the first book or the following books?

Writing is hard, whether the first or the most recent book. After fourteen published works, I’m still fearful when I start a new manuscript. I think the first book was the easiest because I was not encumbered with fears of failure; I was too enthralled with the ride. After the first book was published, I was overcome with the responsibilities of the aftermath—thinking about marketing as I was writing.

What’s your favorite book on writing? What do you like about it?

The best book on writing I have read is On Writing by Steven King. The first half was about his life and how he came into writing. The second half was basic concepts. I liked the book because he understood and encouraged every writer to follow their own style. It can be harmful for an author to think there is only one correct way to manage a manuscript or to even create one. While traditional concepts may be helpful, they are not commandments. Like the pirate’s code, they are guidelines.

What’s your favorite writers conference? What do you like about it?

I have to give the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference two thumbs up, at least for me. I attended the first one in 2001 and received the Writer of the Year award for a poem. God had called me to write in June of 2000, but I had no clue what I needed to do. At that conference, God cemented his call and reinforces that call each time I attend. Though the conference is managed by different folks, I still feel that same anointing.  

What’s your writing day like?

I must laugh whenever asked this question—I never know what my day will bring.

When my husband and I married, we made only one promise to each other: never a dull moment. Very few of my days resemble one another. I might have a plan when I wake up, but the Hubs and God are very good and rearranging my lofty ambitions.

I do have a few habits involved in my day-to-day life, certain must-do activities in order to function. When I get up, I’m in fog territory. I grab a cup of coffee and do brain exercises to wake up. Then I have my quiet time with God. I look at what I had written down as must do, should do, and maybe can wait a few days. I do try to plan out my writing and marketing tasks as well as my editing expectations, but I’ve learned to be flexible.

What’s surprised you the most about the publishing process?

So many things I had to learn in this process. Perhaps the most humbling was how much editing my works would require. The carpenter’s house barely stands and the plumber’s pipes are always leaking. No matter how much we think we know about writing, we are unable to be adequately objective of our own manuscripts. I was surprised because I thought I had a good command of English, grammar, and syntax. I was humbled as I learned the craft. Writing fiction is much different than writing  a term paper!

What advice do you have for new writers?

Don’t be in a hurry to get published. Learn the craft, get involved with writers’ groups, take online courses and/or attend writers’ conferences, join a critique group, and be patient. Good cooks are not born as good cooks, though they may have talent. To become a master chef takes preparation, thought, and practice.

Don’t start with a book. Perhaps start with a blog. If you’re writing fiction then start with some flash fiction, then perhaps short stories, and then evolve them into books.

How do you self-edit your manuscripts?

I often tell writers the person who edits their own work has a fool for an editor. I’m an editor and I desperately need a pair of objective eyes on my manuscript. That said, there are things we can do to polish our manuscripts other than proofreading. I go over each chapter a dozen times or more. I will look for inconsistences in description. Did my character with blue eyes all of a sudden have brown eyes? Did I change the name in places? I highly recommend the book Self-editing for Fiction Writers.

What does your revision process look like?

Revision is not the same as self-editing. Besides some of the above, I put my manuscript aside for a minimum of three-five days. I need to look at my work with fresh eyes and a less fatigued brain. Ideally, Steven King recommends six weeks or more. I often don’t have that much luxury of time.

While some authors prefer to work chapter by chapter, I prefer to complete the story first. Because I’m a more intuitive writer, I can’t really critique myself on story development until I’m finished.  Then, I examine the work for cohesiveness, consistency, impact, and relativity. Rather than look at the trees, I examine the manuscript as a forest.


Award-winning author, Linda Wood Rondeau writes stories that grip the heart, inspired by her nearly thirty years of social work. When not writing or speaking, she enjoys the occasional round of golf, visiting museums, and taking walks with her best friend in life, her husband of forty-five years. The couple resides in Hagerstown, Maryland where both are active in their local church. Readers may learn more about the author, read her blog, or sign up for her newsletter by visiting www.lindarondeau.com.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lwrondeau
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/linda-wood-rondeau
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Wood-Rondeau/e/B006FNG1BI
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/lindawoodrondeau
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/authorlindawoodrondeau/ 

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: author interview, Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference, editing tips, fiction writing, Linda Rondeau, self-editing, Stephen King, writing conferences, writing fiction, writing tips

How I Write: Susan K. Stewart

March 7, 2022 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Don’t adjust your screen. You are seeing a picture of today’s featured author (and editor) Susan K. Stewart and her donkeys. Why? Because they play an important role in her most recent release!

You can learn more about that at the end of the post, but until you get there, Susan’s going to give us a peek at her writing life and how she’s made a career in the book publishing industry.

Thank you so much for being here! Let’s start with what you write: wow/why did you pick your genre?

I write nonfiction primarily expository writing. Most of my books and articles tend to give instructions or guide the reader. Although I do write devotions and essays also.

My goal had been journalism. My dream was to be Lois Lane. I love chasing the story, uncovering the facts. News writing and raising a family wasn’t compatible for me. So, I moved to magazine articles, then onto books.

How long does it take you to: write the book? Edit it? Finalize it?

I recently pulled a manuscript out of the drawer that I started about fifteen years ago. Will I finally finish and submit it? I’m not sure, but God has led me to take another look.

It doesn’t take me fifteen years to write most books, though. When research and editing time are factored in, two years is not unusual for me to have something ready for publication. One book took less than a year because I used previously published articles and blog posts for the foundation. The research was completed. I need to update some of the information, put it in order, then start the editing process.

If you’ve written multiple books, which was harder: the first book or the following books?

Each book seems to get harder because I’m harder on myself. I look back at that fifteen-year-old manuscript and think, “What terrible writing?” I drive to continue to learn and improve.

What’s your favorite book on writing? What do you like about it?

One? I have to pick one? If I were telling a budding writer who can only have one writing book, it would be Struck and White’s Element of Style. Yes, some of the style has changed in the years since it was written, but the basics of good writing are wrapped up in that tiny volume. If that same person can get two books, the other would be Getting the Words Right: How to Revise, Edit & Rewrite by Theodore A Rees Cheney. It’s a great companion to Elements of Style. I could spend the rest of the interview on all the other books I’ve read and re-read.

What’s your writing day like?

My day begins between 3 and 4 a.m. I homeschooled, so my children were still sleeping, and I could have some quiet. I also found people don’t make phone calls at that early hour. I continue the same practice now.

I start with a cup of coffee and warm up my brain by reading. I do devotional/Bible study reading as well as reading professional books. Then I dive right into writing with my second cup of coffee in hand. After a couple hours at the keyboard, I’m ready to join the rest of the world—have breakfast, read email, and maybe scan the news. My business day is ended by 11 a.m. or noon.

Oh, my! I thought my 6 a.m. start time was good. I’m happy to know that you’re done by noon. 😊 Otherwise, that would be a long day!

How do you prepare to write your books: pantser, plotter, both, something completely different? Describe your strategy.

I’m a bit of both. Having started out writing for a newspaper, I learned to find the facts and write from there. Then go back to verify and edit. I usually start with a skeleton outline. As I research, the outline becomes more detailed. Sometimes I start writing within the outline. This helps guide my research because it’s easy to go off on unrelated trails.

If you’re self-published, why did you decide to go that route? If you’re traditionally published, why did you decide to go that route?

I’ve published both ways. My self-published books are niche. Although they fill a need, the need isn’t big enough for most traditional publishers. My latest book, Donkey Devos: Listen When God Speaks, has been published by a traditional publishing company. The advantage for me is not having to do all the backend work—cover design, formatting, sending to distributors, etc.

If you’ve ever worked with a freelance editor, how did you find that editor? How would you describe the experience?

I wouldn’t publish a book without a professional editor. As a managing editor for a publishing company, I know the value of having a freelance editor before submission. I’ve become friends with my editor, but she’s still tough on me. I think the Christian Editor Connection is the best place to find a good editor.


Susan K. Stewart, Managing Editor with Elk Lake Publishing, teaches, writes, and edits nonfiction. Susan’s passion is to inspire readers with practical, real-world solutions. Her books include Science in the Kitchen, Preschool: At What Cost?, Harried Homeschoolers Handbook, and the award-winning Formatting e-Books for Writers. Her latest book, Donkey Devos: Listen When God Speaks, was released in July 2021. You can learn more at her website www.susankstewart.com.

Click here for a free 2022 Donkey Devos Lent Guide.

Visit Susan and her donkeys at:
Donkey Devo Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DonkeyDevo
Practical Inspirations Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/practicalinspirations
Donkey Whispers Newsletter https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r6s4i5
Pinterest-Donkey Whispers https://www.pinterest.com/susankstewart/donkey-whispers/
Twitter https://twitter.com/susan_stewart
Practical Inspirations https://www.susankstewart.com/

Filed Under: interview Tagged With: author interview, book publishing, Susan K. Stewart, writing tips, writing tools

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ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

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