Talk to a hundred writers and 75% of them will say they “don’t do math.” The other 40% only think they can.

And no, the math isn’t mathing.

It often shows up in a person’s understanding of a core truth for writers: capacity counts. Capacity counts more than math.

If you’re still reading, thank you for not bailing after the first paragraph. It’s an important topic that deserves more than a nanosecond of attention. How many nanoseconds in a second?* Doesn’t matter. Well, it does, but not here.

Or does it?

Is this question posted near your calendar, as your phone wallpaper, or near your keyboard?

Do I have the capacity?

If not, you may be missing one of the most important questions a writer can ask. And it doesn’t start when you open your document. It starts when you decide to pursue writing toward publication. And it should never stop being asked.

It’s not “Am I too busy?” or “Do I have the time?” It plunges into deeper questions than those.

• Am I able to consistently keep my deadline promises? (Even self-imposed deadlines? Ouch!)
• What am I willing to set aside in the pursuit of publication? (For most writers, it is an exchange rather than an add-on.)
• Do I see every opportunity as an entity with my name on it? (Some would call that desperate rather than eager.)
• Can I navigate the temptation to commit beyond capacity? (Who is your accountability partner to keep you and your projects afloat?)
• If I cannot get that synopsis written, that hook figured out, that proposal finished, those edits done, what makes me think I’ll suddenly be adept at completing tasks like those and more if I receive a contract? (Writers not yet under contract are developing patterns for their follow-through capacity in the future.)
• Am I often repeating the phrase “When things slow down” in my excuses to myself and others? (You may wait a lifetime for that mysterious, magical, elusive “slow down” season. Do you have the capacity to find time if nothing changes? Is this possibly a season where it is unwise to risk what little capacity you have?)
• Do I assume that the capacity of another writer ought to be my goal? (A doomed pursuit. Your capacity is unique to you.)
• Can I afford to start plotting my next book when my due date for the current book is looming? (Strong temptation. Allow yourself ten minutes to jot down the concept, but then turn your attention to the priority that deserves it.)
• Do I have the emotional capacity to endure what writing for publication throws at me? (You may know someone who is well suited to write, to minister one on one to others, but who would suffer under the weight of publishing’s expectations.)
• Did I give up the concept of rest in my quest for publication? (Are your books then squeezed out of an empty tube or do they emerge from the overflow of a stable, healthy, rested heart?)
• Is my life full and enriched or empty and pinched by my writing life? (If asked and answered honestly, this question alone may shift some priorities.)

The decision to write for publication is inherently signing up for a quest that is hard and costly. No one pretends it isn’t. It can be enormously rewarding. Handled well, it can be a life-changing experience for both writer and reader. A joy-producer. A faith-builder.

And this is also true. Capacity counts more than math.

If you haven’t taken a brutality honest look at your capacity lately, do give it consideration.

*There are 1,000,000,000 nanoseconds in a second. Handle with prayer. 

One of the things I like to do as an agent is give back to the writing community. I once benefited from publishing professionals who spent their time educating and encouraging writers, and it’s a joy to pass it on. All of the agents of Books & Such do this on a regular basis- whether it’s through the weekly blog you’re reading at the moment, our monthly podcast, our Writing Intensive, our Pitch Parties, or serving writers at various conferences and events throughout the nation.

We want writers to feel supported, equipped, and successful. One of the ways I give back to the writing community individually is hosting “Pitch Me Days” on Threads. I enjoy the Threads writing community, and I try to offer publishing insights each week that will move writers along the path to publishing. Since I began hosting pitch days, other agents have joined in to offer their own, with varying rules. One of the other agents opened hers to allow other agents to review the pitches, and writers the ability to practice their pitches even if they weren’t quite ready. This time, I decided to do the same. After all, how can one agent represent everyone? I might as well share the wealth of writers who are seeking an agent.

I knew there would be a good turn out, there always is. What I didn’t expect, was to receive over 700 pitches in 24 hours. SEVEN HUNDRED. I knew this pitch day would be different, as in the first hour, I had over 200 alone. I spent most of the day reading, considering, and scrolling through pitch after pitch…after pitch. I woke the next morning to find about 100 more and did the same.

Some common themes emerged during this marathon pitch fest, especially surrounding the reasons that writers weren’t chosen to move to the next phase (sending their proposal or sample chapters). I thought it might be helpful to our readers if I outlined the top three reasons I passed on a pitch:

The pitch was for a genre I don’t represent

By far this was the top reason I did not request more information from a pitch. This was of course due largely to the fact that I opened up this pitch day to those who were hoping another agent might contact them as a result (and this did happen!). I also appreciated those writers who put their genre at the beginning of their pitch, so I could see right away whether it was one to consider, or keep scrolling. If I had to say what percentage fell into this category to give an idea of just how prevalent this reason for passing was, I would say these made up about 65% of the pitches I didn’t select.

The pitch wasn’t compelling/the hook was weak

Successful pitches are evocative in the best ways. I think to myself, “That’s a different way to frame that felt need,” or “I wonder what decisions that character makes” or “That seems like a world I could disappear into for a while.” Good pitches make me want to learn more. Even during pitch days, I invest my time into researching a writer’s social media pages, learning about who they are, what they’ve written before, and how they’re growing their platforms. Writers may not consider that an agent looks at those even at the pitch phase, but many of us do.

The wording of the pitch indicated the writing needs work

Some writers may become frustrated with me on this- after all, it’s such a short amount of text. How can an agent tell if the writing isn’t where it needs to be from so little? Word choice, especially in smaller word-count situations like a pitch (or the dreaded synopsis) is paramount. When a pitch is well-written, I know that time was spent considering each word that  efficiently tells me what the book is about while also sparking my interest to learn more about both the project and writer.

How about you, have you ever taken part in a virtual or online pitch? What do you like about them, compared to in-person pitches? 

I never intended to spend so much of my time ushering books into movies. Oh, I know that most authors pine to see their books turned into film. But I also know what an arduous journey it is. Thus rendering my enthusiasm lukewarm.

Knowing this is true of me, you may be surprised to learn that I’ve had a hand in the following:

• Three Christmases in a row Robin Jones Gunn’s Father Christmas movies set new records for viewership on Hallmark’s Movies and Mysteries channel. Each year the latest iteration of Father Christmas exceeded the viewership of the film released the year before.
• Robin had a novel from her Glenbrooke Series also turned into a film that was released on the Hallmark channel.
• A nonfiction narrative by one of my clients is being shopped even as I write this by an award-winning director whose exploration of the Tylenol murders was the #1 release on Netflix a few years ago.
• Another client’s novel series was all set for filming to begin the next day by Netflix when the TV series was nixed by an entirely new executive team with the words, “Who would want to watch that!?”
• Another project came to within a whisker of being put into production by Reese Witherspoon’s film company, Hello Sunshine.
• Three other novel series are being actively worked on by production companies to bring them to viewers.

So here’s a peek behind the scenes of turning books into movies. I’ve learned the following lessons:

Patience is Imperative

Just because interest is expressed in your work, don’t expect quick results.

My client with the lost Netflix deal signed a shopping agreement with a production company in 2013. All parties involved hoped shooting would begin on the TV series spring of 2019.

Another novel series has had a film option with a production company since 2017. Each year the producer inches forward in making the magic happen. A great script has been created, and key players are added to the team every year. It’s so-o-o-o close to happening!…But not yet.

The Father Christmas films began when I sent a copy of the novella Finding Father Christmas to a producer who worked regularly on Hallmark Christmas films. It took ten years to move from writing the novella to sending in that book to a movie being shot.  But once the production team read the book, they were all in. And suddenly, Robin and I were on set.

Get Rich Quick?

Considering the long haul to even reach the point of a film being produced, both the author and the agent have to keep a big picture perspective on not only the timing of a movie but also seeing financial gain. The largest payments tend to come when actual shooting takes place. Waiting five years or more for the book to be turned into a movie isn’t exactly a get-rich-quick scheme.

Sometimes even when the book does reach the point of being made into a movie, the payout may not be what a writer would think. Depending on how the film is distributed (streaming  is king, but a theatrical release first will add to the sum) or if a major actor is attached to the work, the author’s payoff varies wildly. Ultimately, the possibility of getting rich is very slim.

Holding It All Loosely

An author must be prepared to hold his creative efforts loosely when it comes to turning books into movies. Once a scriptwriter is unleashed on your book, it’s his imagination and intent that lead the way. Details an author would view sacrosanct must be released.

When Robin and I had our first conversation with the producers about changes to expect in the Finding Father Christmas story, our jaws dropped. The novella takes place in England, with the Father Christmas character and the setting playing a significant role in the story.

But in the film, the story was set to take place in Vermont.

And Santa Claus would be the Christmas character, not Father Christmas.

The Hallmark executive team decided to call the film Christmas in Maine. Fortunately, Robin was able to convince the Hallmark president that Finding Father Christmas made it much more notable among the league of Hallmark movies that exist.

After Robin and I found out the change in the setting and the disappearance of Father Christmas, we wondered why the producers had even bothered to option the novella.

Truth Shines Through

But eventually we came to see that the essence of the story was left in tact. The concepts of longing to belong, the search for identity, and the willingness to forgive survived to shine brightly when the film was done.

The scriptwriter, we noted, surgically removed all the faith elements. But the concepts of loving unconditionally, opening our hearts to others, and having the courage to ask hard questions were so embedded in the story that they remained through the script’s iterations.

But the author must accept that she is releasing her story wholeheartedly to be fashioned into a film that others envision based on the book.

Look for the Blessings

When Robin and I visited the set for the filming of Finding Father Christmas, we didn’t know what to expect. We were prepared to be viewed as in the way, while the crew rushed about to meet the aggressive filming schedule.

Instead, we were given directors’ chairs and headsets, and positioned right behind the director, as we watched the monitors that displayed what each camera was capturing.

Then one of the actors found her lines in a scene not true to whom she thought her character was. The director, listening to her concerns, cast his eyes about and asked, “Where are the writers? They need to change the lines.” Just like that, Robin and I found ourselves offering suggested changes to the script. (The director didn’t always remember we weren’t really the writers of the script. He just knew he had writers of some sort on set.)

Much to our surprise, when the climactic scene was filmed, Robin and I both cried–as if we had no idea what the scene contained. In actuality, we were overcome to see that powerful moment come to life before our very eyes. It’s one thing to read (or write) a novel. It’s another to see actors take words written by the author and make them their own.

Maybe This Isn’t Such a Bad Gig After All…

So, yeah, the road to a film is long, arduous. And full of moments when the author needs to let her creative work fly away to a land the writer never envisioned. But the joy of watching a book turn into a movie is unparalleled.

What books do you wish to see made into a movie or TV series? As a writer, do you think you could hold your creative work loosely enough to see others transform it into what they envision? What do you wonder most about how the book-into-a-movie works?

Featured Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

For today’s writers, social media is more than a place so share pretty pictures, promote a new book, or announce a speaking engagement.  When used intentionally, Instagram can become a powerful tool for building platform, connecting with readers, and establishing your voice in a crowded publishing world.

You don’t need thousands of followers to make a meaningful impact. You need strategy that helps you connect with the right people.

Here are five ways to make Instagram work for you as a writer:

1. Know Who You’re Writing For

Before you post, consider your ideal reader. What are they struggling with? What inspires them? What questions are they asking? Create content that speaks directly to those needs and interests. The goal isn’t reaching everyone but to connect with the people who will benefit from and resonate with your message.

2. Share Your Message Not Just Your Book

It’s a mistake to treat Instagram like a constant advertisement. Instead of always promoting, share the heart behind your message. Offer practical insights, personal stories and lessons you’ve learned.

3. Let Readers Get to Know You

People connect with people, not just book covers. Use Instagram Stories and Reels to share glimpses of your writing life, your personality and the experiences that shape you. Authenticity builds trust, and trust helps turn casual followers into loyal readers.

4. Engage More That You Post

Building platform is about developing relationships. Respond to comments, ask questions, and engage with others. A smaller engaged audience can be more valuable than thousands that rarely interact.

5. Be Consistent, Not Constant

You don’t have to post daily to build a presence.  Develop a realistic rhythm you can maintain. Whether that’s three thoughtful posts a week or a combination of Reels, Stories and carousel posts, consistency helps your audience know what to expect from you.

Though publishers want to know that writers are reaching an audience and are willing to grow their platform, remember, Instagram is not your career. But Instagram is a valuable tool to help grow it, connecting with people and share your message further and wider.

Start small, Show up. Build genuine connections.

What one thing can you focus on to help you use Instagram as a writer?

]]> https://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/beyond-the-likes-using-instagram-to-grow-your-writing-career/feed/ 6 https://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/finding-motivation-to-write/ https://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/finding-motivation-to-write/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2026 08:08:24 +0000 https://www.booksandsuch.com/?p=36690 What motivates you to write? Knowing what motivates you will help you focus and stay on task.  Plus, if you know where to go to get motivation when you’re feeling discouraged, you’ll get out of any writing slump faster. You …

1. Getting a root canal.
2. Sitting on the tarmac in a hot plane for four hours with no air conditioning.
3. Writing a book proposal.

1. Your Title

Yes, we all love book titles. However, just because you love your book title doesn’t mean that it is the right title for your project. Literary agents and publishing teams evaluate titles for discoverability – meaning, how easy will it be for readers to find your book? A question to ask is: Does your title have keywords that readers will use? This is more applicable to non-fiction than to fiction, but novelists will need to address it in their hooks and book descriptions. For everyone, keep this in mind: If your book’s title is too creative, readers may never see it in online searches, where most shoppers purchase books these days.

2. Your Hook

Hooks are the TikToks of books. Just as a brief TikTok video prompts someone to stop the scroll and watch, hooks briefly highlight the “wow” elements of a project that prompt a prospective reader to stick around and find out more.

In my experience of reading queries and hearing pitches, most people confuse a hook with a book description. Hooks convey what’s unique and attention-grabbing, while a book description describes basic details. Based on that, which one do you think will command more interest?

For example:

(Hook) When a shipwreck delivers a stranger carrying proof of the smuggling ring that killed her brother, the lighthouse keeper’s daughter must choose: hide him, or trust the God who let her brother die.

(Description) The Lantern Keeper is a 90,000-word Christian historical novel set in 1840s Cornwall about a lighthouse keeper’s daughter facing grief, faith, and a changing community.

Hooks sell. Keep that in mind and put the time into developing a good one.

3. Your Comparables

Comparables are highly underestimated! It’s important to know how your book compares to recent books on the market. This comes down to good ole’ fashioned market research, which you can conduct on Amazon. Yet, for some, figuring out comparables feels overwhelming. For some, wading through a pile of possibilities feels daunting. Others feel discouraged when they see too many similar books.

May I offer a different perspective? I love comparables because they can give you a leg up on your project. Those competitive books are already published, but you can use those comments to help you make your project better.  If you read the comments, the readers provide valuable inside scoop into their buying behavior. Such as:

Why they decided to purchase the book.

What elements of the book connected most.

What they didn’t like about the book.

As you study those comparables, you can see whether there are reader patterns that you need to pay attention to in your manuscript, whether it’s a novel or non-fiction. Don’t underestimate the valuable information that comparables offer to you!

4. The Synopsis/Chapter Summaries

I call this the “sleeper” element. Most people approach writing a synopsis or chapter summaries as the section they need to toss together. The sample chapters receive our main focus. However, the synopsis (novelists) and the chapter summaries (non-fiction) offer the framework for the project that you’ll come back to after you’ve signed the contract.

I interviewed one of my newer agency clients after the release of their first book. I asked what they want to do differently the next time. Their answer: “I will definitely develop my chapter summaries more fully! I figured out the topic, but I didn’t think through what the reader needed or the transformation experience.”

One of the most important “checks” you can conduct after creating your synopsis/chapter summaries is to map the transformation journey. If you’re a novelist, look at your synopsis and chart how the stakes/plot transform your character during the course of the novel. If you’re writing a non-fiction project, look at your chapter summaries and make sure that you’ve clearly conveyed the “from here to there” journey that you’re taking them on.

If there’s no transformation journey, you’re merely accompanying the reader between a series of topics and events.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Which element of the proposal is the toughest for you to persevere through? Do you have proposal hacks that you’ve learned and you’re willing to share?

© Barb Roose, Books & Such Literary Management 2026

Wendy Lawton Senior Literary Agent Emerita 

For two-thirds of the more than thirty-year legacy of the prestigious Books & Such Literary Management, Wendy Lawton has been a core part of its influence and success stories. As Vice President of the company, she has helped steer decision-making and provided thoughtful care of her clients and the agency itself, working alongside its other agents and Books & Such President and Founder Janet Grant.

As of October 1, Wendy’s title will change to Senior Literary Agent Emerita to reflect her stepping aside from daily agent duties. She will continue to serve on the agency’s board of directors and to advise as needed. The new title also reflects her service to the agency, her clients, and the publishing industry. As she retires, she is entrusting her clients to her agency colleagues, with the transition well underway.

The list of authors Wendy Lawton discovered and then helped form their thriving publishing careers is long and, as we say in the industry, storied. With her focus primarily on fiction, especially in recent years, she’s helped develop authors’ careers that reached bestseller and award-winning status, with many of her clients having written hundreds of titles with millions of copies sold. She is proud of the unpublished authors she signed who have gone on to successful careers, including Tessa Afshar, Sarah Loudin Thomas, Lori Benton, Cynthia Ruchti, Amanda Dykes, and Jill Eileen Smith, and others she began representing early in their careers such as Gabrielle Meyer, Kathleen Y’Barbo, and Janice Cantore. Additionally, she has long served authors like Debbie Macomber, Julie Klassen, Ann Gabhart, and Lauraine Snelling and so many others who have enjoyed highly successful careers.

Asked what first drew Wendy to agenting after many years as a successful artist and savvy businesswoman in the field of high-end art dolls , Wendy responded, “The business provided the perfect foundation to becoming a literary agent. I’d spent years developing product, analyzing market trends, and being involved in every aspect of the product supply chain.” She still believes product development is the perfect parallel to book development.

Wendy will continue to be involved with Books & Such as she serves on our board of directors, offering her business insights and problem-solving skills.

Of the 21 years working with Wendy, Janet Grant says, “Wendy was integral to the growth and success of Books & Such. During her tenure as Vice President, the agency has added five agents and expanded our client list to more than 250 clients. She regularly negotiated six- and seven-figure deals and showed her astute grasp of whether an author had the skills to find success in a demanding industry. I’m grateful she’ll continue to be involved with Books & Such as she serves on our board of directors, offering her business insights and problem-solving skills.”

Wendy Lawton has witnessed and influenced a career’s worth of change, adaptation, and innovation and has seen significant victories. She’s creatively approached every challenge before her and has a reputation for caring deeply about the agency and her clients while working collaboratively with each publishing house. The number of titles she has represented is staggering by any measure.

The older I become, the more I know this to be true: generosity is one of the most important traits for a writer (or person, for that matter) to have. Generosity serves a writer in many ways that spill over into other areas of life, but I’ll focus on three in this space that are the most impactful to one’s writing career.

A good writer is generous to readers

Have you ever read a nonfiction book that felt as though the author just wanted to talk about their own story, and never how it applies to the reader? When this happens a reader begins to pull back from the story and wonder, “What’s in this for me?”  Or, have you ever been four pages into a novel, and thought, “Why is this author so focused on the exact shade of green this grass is? I just need some dialogue!” A generous writer actively considers the reader experience every step of the way while writing. They ask themselves, “If I were reading this book, what would I want to experience? How would I want to be engaged, surprised, or inspired?” They know that even though they’re writing the book, it isn’t about them at all. When an author can keep the reader front and center mentally as they write a book, the end result is a happy reader. And happy readers buy, recommend, and share books- which makes writers happy. It’s a lovely cycle, all built on the original generosity of a writer.

A good writer is generous to other writers

Authors never forget those writers who supported them through the best and worst of times.  We remember how they spoke well of us in rooms we were not in. We remember the ones who shared about the book, who cared enough to ask how we were after the chaos of release week died down, and those who commiserated with us through the inevitable valleys along the road to publishing. And those who are further along the path, who answer the call to give an endorsement or share our work with their own established audience? We never forget them, or our gratitude for their generosity of spirit. When writers are generous to other writers, it becomes an inspiration for all involved. We recognize and honor the creative light in one another. No matter where you are on the path to publishing, you have something to offer to the writer behind you. And, rest assured, they won’t forget that you offered it.

A good writer is generous to themselves

As much as writers love writing (or the idea of writing, let’s be honest) it isn’t a relaxing activity. While movies and books may glamorize the experience, with writers escaping to a cabin in the woods to pen the next great novel, we know this couldn’t be farther from the truth. We second guess ourselves, pull our hair out during edits, skip lunch to make it to the next word count goal while we’re on a roll. It’s definitely not as relaxing as reading a book, that’s for sure. This is why a good writer will be generous to themselves. They know their limits. They know when they’ve pushed too hard, and when to give themselves a snack, a break, or when to press “Buy Now” on their entire Amazon cart. Okay, that last one may have been a bit overboard. The point is, generous writers don’t exclude themselves from their own generosity. They know that in order to give to others, they must give to themselves also.

How about you? What does generosity look like in your own writing life? Tell us in the comments!

And, don’t forget, we have a monthly podcast and an upcoming Writing Intensive!

Some authors choose to write discussion questions that will appear at the back of a book or be available on the writer’s website. Having written a slew of such questions and having been trained in writing curriculum, I have a few thoughts to offer that will enable you to write great discussion questions that actually result in good conversations.

Why Write Discussion Questions

A couple of motivations occur to me that make writing questions a good choice.

• The author wants to communicate that this book would make a great book club selection. Some books lend themselves well to being a book club choice. Most novels, for example, give club members plenty of fodder for discussion. Not all nonfiction would rank as viable for a book club–a denser, heavily footnoted title, for example. Or a humorous book on growing old. Ask yourself: What material exists in the book that would lead to a good conversation?
• As a way to drive readers to the author’s website. By offering discussion questions on a website rather than at the back of the book, the writer offers the questions as an added benefit. Bonus material is viewed as more valuable than material at the back of a book–but not as many readers will make the extra effort of traveling to a website. The benefit to the author is that the reader might discover more ways to connect with the writer–listen to a podcast; follow on social media; ask the writer to speak at a gathering; find out about other books by the author; sign up for the author’s newsletter.

Discussion Questions for Fiction

• Avoid questions that can be answered yes or no. Such questions don’t lead the responder anywhere but to a one-word answer. Ask expansive questions that the reader must ponder before answering.

For example, don’t remind the reader of the challenges the protagonist faced in the novel and then ask, “Did you sympathize with the character’s response to these conflicts?”

Instead, turn the question into requiring more than a yes or no: “Which of the character’s responses were you most sympathetic with and why? Which were you most unsympathetic with and why?”

• Be careful to phrase your questions in such a way that the reader is forced back into the story to provide an answer.

If, say, your book includes an exploration of a mother abandoning her children, don’t ask a question that focuses solely on the issue: “Have you ever felt abandoned in some way by your mother?” This query doesn’t push the reader back into the story; you want the reader to interact with the issue as told in the story.

A better way to phrase the question would be, “When Jerusha left her children, which child handled the situation in the healthiest way possible? Which one made choices that were most damaging?”

• Ask open-ended questions that invite readers to express their overall impressions of the story. Lori Benton, in her discussion questions for Many Sparrows, asks such a question: “The struggle over land between settlers and natives is a long one….What was the most interesting thing you learned about this pre-Revolutionary War period?”

Discussion Questions for Nonfiction

The same guidelines exist in nonfiction as in fiction, but the way to think about questions varies.

• Avoid yes or no questions for the same reason as in fiction–you want the reader to probe the book’s content to come up with a more thoughtful answer.

Joanna Weaver, in your Study Questions at the back of Having a Mary Spirit, asks, “Consider the ‘good dog/bad dog’ story on page 35. How do you feed the good dog in your life? How can you weaken the influence of the bad dog?”

• Make sure the questions push the reader back into the book rather than into discussing the book’s points with no reference to the book.

If you’re writing about a social justice issue, it can be easy to phrase questions to center on the reader’s experience or observations rather than to interact with the book’s content.

For example, the author could write, “In what ways have you encountered or witnessed someone encountering racial prejudice?” But the writer will push the reader back into the book by asking, “When you read about Rhonda’s encounter with the TSA employee, in what ways did she correctly perceive the subtle prejudices? In what ways might she have been hyper-sensitive?”

The Best Discussion Question I’ve Ever Asked

• The final point for nonfiction questions is to ask open-ended questions to give readers space to explain their overall thoughts on the book.

I recently lead a discussion for the book club I belong to when we talked about Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky. I had found it to be a maddeningly wonderful–and terrible–reading experience. The structure struck me as a mess, and he kept circling back to repeat himself. On the other hand, oh, my word, salt has influenced so much of human history, it’s mind-boggingly interesting.

So one of the questions I asked the other book club members gave them room to express their thoughts and feelings about the book: “What did you like best about the book, and what did you like least?”

Boy, howdy, did they have opinions! That one question led us to laugh, cry, and even high-five each other. Best. Discussion. We’ve. Ever. Had.

What do you think makes for good discussion questions? Which of the “don’t-do-this” types of questions do you tend to fall into?

Book image by beasternchen from Pixabay

Bears imag by Mabel Amber, who will one day from Pixabay

Group discussing image by Naassom Azevedo from Pixabay

As in life, every writer goes through seasons in their creative journey. Every season changes the way people think, plan, buy, reflect, and connect. Perhaps it’s time to consider if your season as a writer is shifting too. Maybe you have written Bible Studies but now your desires are shifting to writing articles or short stories. The key is to listen to what is going on inside of you and use your current season as a lens to determine your calling in this moment rather than living in the past. Living in what is fresh today, may lead you into writing seasonal and relevant content.

Seasonal content works because it taps into what readers are already experiencing. Spring often brings renewal, planning, and fresh starts. Summer can signal movement, energy, travel, and flexibility. Fall creates momentum around routines, decisions, and preparation. Winter invites reflection, gratitude, urgency, and reset.

These shifts create writing opportunities. A seasonal angle can reframe a familiar message, make something feel more relevant, and give your reader a timely reason to engage.

• What is your audience thinking about during this time of year?
• What pressures are they facing?
• What goals are coming into focus?
• What decisions are they delaying, accelerating, or reconsidering?

Instead of simply writing “spring is here” or “the holidays are coming,” connect the season to a problem, emotional need, or practical next step. That is what makes seasonal writing feel useful rather than decorative.

Seasonal writing can shape more than blog posts, it can guide social media themes, pitch decks, and creative briefs. When the seasonal idea is strong, it can become a unifying thread that connects readers to your message.

Common Seasonal Writing Mistakes to Avoid

• Using tired language: Phrases like “fall into savings” or “spring into action” can feel overused unless given a fresh twist.
• Forcing the theme: If the season does not connect naturally to the message, the writing will feel thin.
• Publishing too late: Seasonal content often needs to be planned weeks or months before peak interest.
• Ignoring audience context: A seasonal trend that works for one industry, region, or client may not work for another.

Great seasonal writing does not chase holidays for the sake of filling a calendar. It uses timing to deepen relevance. As the year changes, your writing can change with it—not by abandoning your core message, but by giving it a fresh reason for it to matter right now.

What are you working on  this season? Is your writing shifting? Are you continuing to grow as a writer? These questions help to keep us fresh, on point and growing no matter what season we are in.

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