A persuasive argument, therefore, requires a clear and deliberate shape. The opening establishes orientation by showing what is at stake and why it matters. This does not require elaborate language or artificial clickbait urgency. The reader should be able to understand, right away, what is being addressed and why it deserves careful thought. In that sense, the task resembles the instruction to “make it plain” so that it can be readily grasped (Habakkuk 2:2).

From there, a presentation develops through steady progression. The central idea is introduced and then expanded with care, each paragraph building upon what has already been established. Transitions can serve as an internal GPS of the piece (turn here, turn there), guiding the reader from one thought to the next and ensuring a smooth ride. When transitions are neglected, the writing feels abrupt (a dead end). When they are handled well, the argument makes more sense.

The hardest part of any book, or speech, is the middle. This is where many writers begin to lose focus, often by introducing tangents that, while interesting, do not serve the central point. If you are not careful, the listener will start daydreaming and the reader will find something else to read. But, a cohesive and powerful idea, laid out and supported with well-chosen words, will serve you better than several ideas competing within the same space.

As the argument approaches its conclusion, the writer begins to gather what has come before. Nothing new needs to be introduced. Instead, what has been well established becomes reasserted in digestible form. The reader sees the point and its significance without having to reconstruct it.

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There’s really only one response to just about every question, and it always comes down to competition in the publishing world.

Why are agents so difficult to connect with? Competition. This agency receives several thousand proposals each year from aspiring authors; and among the five agents, we offer representation to less than 1%.

Why are traditional publishers so hard to crack? Competition. Most of the books they publish each year are from experienced, proven authors. For the few openings allocated to new authors, each will receive dozens of proposals for publishers to consider.

Why is an author platform such a big issue for everyone? Competition. You are competing for attention with authors who embrace the platform requirement and flourish with it. A solid author platform reduces the financial risk of publishing.

Why is it hard to sell your book? Competition. There were four million books published in 2025 (according to Publishers Weekly). That’s 11,000 per day.

Why is it difficult to gain traction with podcasts and YouTube channels? Competition. There are millions of podcasts worldwide and over 100 million YouTube channels. That’s channels, not videos. There are about 20 billion videos on YouTube, with around 7,500 more uploaded during the time it takes you to read this blog post.

Christian publishing is competitive. Publishers compete for authors, books, sales, and employees. Agents are also part of this same competition.

Christian ministries compete for attention with other ministries. Christian colleges compete with one another for students. And, yes, Virginia, even churches compete with one another.

Trying to explain why things are the way they are without actually getting to the real issue only delays reality from setting in. The presence of competition explains a lot, maybe everything.

Even the apostle Paul wrote this about the Christian life in general:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, NIV).

Why do you think the biblical metaphor of the armor of God in Ephesians 6 is protection and weaponry for competitive battle? The Christian message is a battle cry since the world considers it foolishness. In this fallen world, every endeavor is a competitive pursuit; except for Christians, it isn’t against flesh and blood. Knowing that should focus your approach.

Publishing is for those unafraid of competition. The friction-based process alone will mature your faith. It is both challenging and worth it.

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• earn its place
• move the story forward
• reveal character
• increase tension
• change the reader’s understanding
• or set up and pay off something important.

So, how do we make that happen?

Before revising a scene, ask yourself these three basic questions:

What does the character want?
What stands in the way?
What changes by the end?

If you can answer those questions, your scene probably has direction. If you can’t, the scene may have issues.

Let’s look at the first question. It’s fairly simple, right?

What does the character want?

Your character may want to escape a burning building, find a missing child, get a confession, hide a secret, avoid an argument, make a phone call, or survive dinner with her mother.

A scene becomes stronger when the reader understands what the point-of-view character is trying to accomplish. Even if the character doesn’t fully understand her own deeper need, she should want something in that moment.

Without a goal, a scene often becomes a collection of conversations, description, memory, and movement. Things may happen, but the scene lacks drive. And if you have a bunch of those, an editor is liable to label your story episodic.

The second question is:

What stands in the way?

This is where tension comes in. The conflict.

The obstacle may be external: a locked door, a storm, a villain, a deadline, a missing file, a suspicious police officer, a flat tire.

It may be relational: a friend who won’t tell the truth, a love interest who asks the wrong question, a parent who refuses to listen.

It may be internal: fear, pride, grief, guilt, doubt, or the lie the character believes.

Often, the best scenes have more than one obstacle. For example:

• The heroine needs information from the detective, but she doesn’t trust him.
• The hero needs to apologize, but admitting fault may cost him something he can’t afford to lose.
• The witness to the murder wants protection, but telling the truth may put someone else in danger.

The third question is:

What changes by the end?

This may be the most important question.

A scene should not end with everyone emotionally and practically in the same place they were at the beginning. Something should change, such as:

• The character learns new information.
• A relationship warms or splinters.
• The danger increases.
• A choice is made.
• A secret is exposed.
• A plan fails.
• A fear becomes harder to ignore.
• A lie begins to be revealed.

You get the idea. Whatever the case, the change can be small, but it should matter.

Here’s an example:

A woman goes to her brother’s house to ask for help.

Okay, that’s a start, but it needs shape, right? Let’s go to our three questions.

What does she want? She wants him to loan her money.
What stands in the way? He knows she lied about why she needs it.
What changes? He refuses the money but gives her a key to their late father’s storage unit and tells her she can start cleaning that out because he’s tired of paying the monthly payment. He’ll give her some money if she’ll do the work. She agrees and, in the process, finds something she was never meant to see.

Now the scene has movement, tension, and change.

These three questions are not a formula meant to flatten or disrupt your creativity. They’re a diagnostic tool. They help you see whether a scene has a reason to stay in your story.

Next time, we’ll look at why some scenes still feel flat—even when they’re technically well written.

Take a look at your scenes and let me know if these three questions helped you spot something you needed to change—or delete.

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Think of it from the reader’s perspective. Imagine you are the reader. You approach a piece of writing with your framework already in place. That framework, unique to you, has been formed over time through experience, reading, and reflection. It includes some beliefs already determined, some conclusions that remain tentative, and questions left unresolved. None of these disappear when you begin reading new arguments. Instead, they interact with text and influence your reception.

For that reason, persuasive writing is more than just presenting an idea clearly. It requires understanding how that idea will be encountered. Rather than attempting to replace the reader’s thinking all at once, the writer builds from what is already there. Shared convictions become points of agreement, and the argument develops in a way that feels connected, rather than combative. This approach allows the reader to move forward without building defensive walls.

At the same time, the writer must anticipate objections that may arise along the way. Many of these objections remain unspoken, though they exert a steady influence. Bringing them into view and addressing them with care strengthens the argument and demonstrates integrity, echoing the kind of reasoning seen in Acts where Paul “reasoned with them from the Scriptures” (Acts 17:2).

This process requires patience. Unfold the material gently so the reader can see how each idea connects to the next. When handled well, persuasion feels like guidance, like a fellow traveler showing the way forward.

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What is your most aggravating online checkout experience? Please don’t reveal the store. That is something for their customer service site.

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Anyhoo (more points off for the slang, doggone it), I often find myself saying the same thing to many of those fine writers: “Don’t quit your day job,” “Buy my books,” and “Stop saying ‘begs the question’ when you mean ‘prompts the question’!” And also this: “The problem with being multitalented is that you can do any number of things well.”

Does that not sound like a problem to you? Well, in writing for publication, it can be. Just because you can do many things doesn’t mean you should. Especially when it comes to pitching your work to an agent or editor.

Yes, you can write both nonfiction and fiction. Or both political thrillers and historical fiction. Or devotionals and personal finance.

But as I often explain to aspiring writers, “Let’s say an editor likes your idea for, say, a devotional but in your proposal you also mention that you have a completed novel available. That editor might wonder, ‘Well, now wait a minute. If I take the risk of committing our publishing resources to this person’s nonfiction book, will she go off and write novels instead of sending me a perfect follow-up to this? Is she a devotional writer or a novelist? Does she even know who she is?’”

Yes, I know many of us think in terms of I’ll do either! Just give me my big break and that’s who I’ll be!

But a novelist’s brand is usually not a nonfiction author’s brand. And all the work you’ve put into building, say, an outstanding platform for a nonfiction writer won’t easily transfer to a great platform for a novelist. Or vice versa.

I also know this is frustrating for a multitalented writer. Like me. I’ve had some success in many different genres as an author of 50+ books (thanks to my great agent, who I’m required to credit for all of my publishing success … or I’ll get even more homework).

But Christian publishing has never been more competitive, and publishing a debut book in any genre is such a challenge that both editors and agents (because as agents we take our cue from editors, who are really smart people, which I’m also required to say) often advise, “Pick a lane.” That means to become an expert in your genre and keep at it, month after month, year after year, book after bestselling book.

When you’re famous, of course, then everyone will want to buy your every thought, every word, even your cookbook. Maybe.

But until then, the multitalented writer will probably do best to focus in an area of great passion and skill and show a pattern of producing irresistible content in that area.

And one more thing: “Buy my books.”

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This distinction explains why two writers can come to the same subject and produce entirely different results. One creates conflict while the other creates dialogue. A writer must first take the time to wrestle with and understand a topic to determine what needs to be said, and then begin to write. This internal foundation is the sort of writing Scripture commends when it describes words that are “gracious, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6).

Rhetoric, the art of speaking or writing effectively, presents an idea so it can be seen clearly and followed without being vague. Effective persuasion depends on a reader’s implicit trust in the writer and that author’s clear and unfettered language. When the writer sounds credible, the argument develops naturally, and the words flow freely.

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A________of Writers

A________of Agents.

Put your answers in the comments and have fun!

Here are 50 examples:

1. Business of Ferrets

2. Labor of Moles

3. Mustering of Storks

4. Shrewdness of Apes

5. Gam of Whales

6. Smack of Jellyfish

7. Host of Angels

8. Fusillade of Bullets

9. Baptism of Fire

10. Quiver of Arrows

11. Tissue of lies

12. Murder of Crows

13. Unkindness of Ravens

14. Dule of Doves

15. Clowder, Cluster, or Clutter of Cats

16. Kindle of Kittens

17. Mute of Hounds

18. Pass of Asses

19. Ostentation of Peacocks

20. Team of Ducks (when flying)

21. Paddling of Ducks (when on water)

22. Trip of Goats

23. Sloth, or Sleuth, of Bears

24. Charm of Finches

25. Hill of Beans

26. String of Ponies

27. Hand of Bananas

28. College of Cardinals

29. Shock of Corn

30. Band of Men

31. Knot of Toads

32. Wedge of Swans (when flying)

33. Parliament of Owls

34. Superfluity of Nuns

35. Abominable Sight of Monks

36. Untruth of Summoners

37. Doctrine of Doctors

38. Damning of Jurors

39. Sentence of Judges

40. Rascal of Boys

41. Gaggle of Women

42. Gaggle of Gossips

43. Impatience of Wives

44. Tabernacle of Bakers

45. Poverty of Pipers

46. Fighting of Beggars

47. Neverthriving of Jugglers

48. Herd of Harlots

49. Worship of Writers

50. Hastiness of Cooks

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Who are you?

What do you do?

How long have you been writing?

What do you believe? (because this is Christian publishing)

Where do you live?

And just so you know, yes, it is my business to know this information to represent you well. And if you consider your faith confidential information, there’s a personal spiritual issue about being a clandestine Christian that needs attention. (because this is Christian publishing).

No mystery authors. No mystery Christians.

While simply identifying yourself as a Christian works in most areas of life, in the Christian publishing world, we need to know what kind of Christian you are. The term Christian has been used so broadly that it actually isn’t a description of your theological perspective.

Likewise, “Christian publishing” is not only one thing and is not easy to define.

So, we need more information about your belief structure and will ask specific questions about your church, its teachings, and approach.

Several times over the years, in a client’s proposal to publishers, I’ve placed the author’s information on page one, so a reviewer knows that what follows is someone they will want to work with.

Of course, to the public, you need to be more veiled. It really is none of their concern where you live, what information about your family you share, or which church you attend, unless you want them to know. In fact, as an author grows in reputation, you will likely want less information widely available, as you will be known by your books.

But when working with an agent and a publisher, you need to be more transparent.

Traditional book publishing shares some characteristics with academia. Among them are requirements that authors have the credentials and authority to write. Publishers want books on economics from economists, on sociological issues from sociologists, on music from musicians, and on theology from theologians.

I know that great truths about God can be understood by everyone; but, again, even in traditional Christian book publishing, credentials are required.

When reviewing a proposal, those in publishing ask the question, “Of all the people in the world who could write this book, why this author? Why now?”

Some practical items:

• Have a website that is easy to find. Include your picture and an About tab that clearly states who you are, with as much info as you want to share.
• In a proposal to an agent, start with information about you and even address the issue head-on: “Of all the people in the world who could write this book, why me? Why now?”
• Don’t self-endorse. Leave effusive statements about your work to your endorsers.
• In the author bio, make your information clear and unmistakable. Save the creative prose for the book text. There will be a time and place for glowing language about you, but it will be written by a publisher’s marketing staff.

Don’t be a mystery author. Be a real person with ideas who communicates well.

It works every time.

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Today’s guest post is by Zena Dell Lowe.

Zena Dell Lowe is an award-winning screenwriter and founder of The Storyteller’s Mission, a podcast and online platform dedicated to helping writers craft powerful stories with depth, meaning, and moral clarity. Her work has earned multiple national screenwriting awards, including two Grand Prize honors for her feature screenplay Trial by Fire.

Website: thestorytellersmission.com

Substack: zenadell.substack.com

I used to say the best writing advice was simply “sit down and write.” But the truth is, even when I make myself sit down, I’m capable of getting absolutely nothing done. For years I beat myself up over this, certain I just lacked discipline. But I was writing constantly—just not on the stuff I should have been working on.

I’ve come to realize that when I procrastinate, it’s almost never about discipline. It’s because I’m overwhelmed by the scope of the project in front of me. If something feels too big, too long, or too important, it becomes daunting enough to cause paralysis. So, I started tricking my brain into working around its own resistance.

1. Leave the Document Open.

This sounds ridiculously simple. But at the end of the day, if I leave a document open on my computer, it becomes the first thing I see the next day. I’ll sit down to work and voila, there’s my document, which I’ll inevitably start to tweak. Before you know it, I’m “in it.”

2. Give Yourself Less Time.

Writers often think they need long stretches of uninterrupted time in order to create, but sometimes that just creates more opportunities for dread, avoidance, and overthinking. So, when I start a new project, instead of giving myself huge chunks of time, I limit myself to one hour or sometimes even less. Sounds counterintuitive, but for me, it creates urgency. I don’t have enough time allotted to waste any of it. And it seems possible to write for one hour, whereas four hours seem impossible.

3. Stop Thinking of the Project as “Long Form.”

I can bang out a short project lickety-split. Less pressure. More fun. There’s not so much riding on the outcome. So now I trick myself into thinking of each scene in a long-form project as a short story unto itself. This reduces the psychological resistance and improves the overall writing since each scene has its own emotional arc and includes a clear beginning, middle, and end.

4. Put the Computer Away and Write It Out Longhand.

When I write on my computer, I feel like I’m tapping into my logical, analytical, left-sided brain, where I end up editing the same paragraph a thousand times. But when I write longhand, it feels like I’m connected directly to the right-brained creative muse. I don’t edit because I’m just vomiting up words on the page. For me, the handwritten version often ends up surprisingly close to a finished draft, needing far fewer adjustments than I’d expected.

5. Create Actual Accountability.

Every writer is motivated by deadlines, which is why getting that publishing deal or having an editor/agent is so helpful. But what if no one is waiting to read the work? For me, self-imposed deadlines have never worked. I can just change them!

But if I know someone else is expecting to read my work, it tricks my brain into action. It can’t just be a verbal check-in either. It’s not enough for me to only report back how much writing I accomplished. I need real people who are expecting to see real finished pages. A good critique group is worth its weight in gold.

6. Make the Work Less Precious.

I procrastinate most on projects I care about most deeply because those are the ones where I expect to be brilliant. I don’t expect brilliance from a sketch or stand-up bit. But in my mind, a novel is supposed to be literature, and a screenplay should be eligible for an Academy Award. The expectation of brilliance creates pressure, fear, and avoidance.

So sometimes the trick is to simply make the project feel less precious. This is when I give myself permission to experiment. To play. To be sloppy. The writers who become productive are the ones who allow themselves to write bad first drafts.

7. Diagnose the Procrastination.

Most writers treat procrastination like a moral failure. But in my experience, it’s more about emotional resistance. The key is to find the specific thing you’re avoiding.

Sometimes the project feels too precious. Sometimes we’re afraid we won’t be able to execute the vision we carry in our heads. Sometimes we just don’t know the story well enough yet to write it. Don’t assume you only have a discipline problem. Find out what your resistance is actually about, and the tricks above will make a lot more sense.

Which brings me back to where I started.

The more meaningful something becomes, the more psychologically dangerous it can feel to attempt it. So. resistance isn’t always proof that you’re doing something wrong—sometimes it’s proof the project matters.

These tricks have helped me lower the emotional barriers between me and the page. If you find yourself procrastinating like I often do, I hope they help you too.

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What Can I Expect?

My goal is to get to know authors and, hopefully, make a great impression on all the authors I’m privileged to meet. The appointments are necessarily limited to a few moments, so I don’t look at the consultation as a chance to make a firm decision then and there about an author’s career. Don’t worry about practicing a pitch in front of a mirror for hours. Just be yourself and see if you’d like to work with me.

Are You Looking for Lots of New Clients?

I don’t expect to walk away with a new client after each appointment. Rather, I’d love to interact with you, talk about you and your work, and perhaps offer a few tips to help you be as successful as possible.

Will You Ask to See More?

Unless you’re writing in a genre or category I don’t represent, the probability of my asking to see a full proposal and manuscript is high. This is because I want to go back to the office and review your entire proposal and work rather than being taken away by your sparkling personality (This happens often for me with authors!), a brilliant concept, or social media presence alone. Editors are depending on me to perform due diligence, and I owe them – and you – that process to make the most of everyone’s limited time.

What if I’m Not Ready?

If you’re not ready to send me a proposal, let’s kick back and enjoy our time together. I love talking with authors at every stage, whether they are attending the conference to see if they even want to write, are breaking in, have written for some time, or have sold many books.

The Main Thing…

Enjoy this treasured time with other Christians.

See you soon!

The post I’ll Probably Ask to See Your Work appeared first on The Steve Laube Agency.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced. … For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

(2 Corinthians 12:10; 1:8–10; 4:8–9; Romans 8:35–37 ESV)

“If you pour a pail full of water on the floor of your house, it makes a great show, but if you throw it into the sea, there is no sign of it. So, afflictions considered in themselves, we think are very great, but let them be considered with the sea of god’s mercies we enjoy, and then they are not so much, they are nothing in comparison.”
—Jeremiah Burroughs

From Day Eleven, Spiritual Exercises, Sacred Margins: On the Spiritual Life of a Writer.

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A tutorial on how people in Northern Scandinavia do their laundry.

Here in Phoenix, we just leave the clothes on the sidewalk where they burst into flames. Much easier.

[If you cannot see the video in your newsletter, please click through to the site to view it.]

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