Episode #55: Abiding in Christ when Writing Fiction with Lady Lits'

The Refuge Podcast with Jennifer Elwood

Welcome to my first panel interview for the Podcast! My dear friend Nancy Ness reached out to me last year and I’m delighted to share our interview on how to abide in Christ as a writer (or creative of any kind).

This episode also stands as a tribute Nancy. Two weeks after filming this episode, we received news that she suddenly passed away. Her heart desired connection and she embraced the gift of encouragement. She left behind many friends and family members with fond memories of her gentle, kind nature.

And she wrote beautifully. You can enjoy her final work in Jill Wilson’s Lift Newsletter.

During our episode together, the group and I discussed:

• The Bible verse of focus for their Mastermind group: “My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer” Psalm 45:1 (NIV).

• The location and published books, or works in progress, of each author and the Bible verse that inspires their personal writing
• A synopsis of their upcoming Christmas anthology, coming in late Fall 2023!
• How they write fiction while abiding in Christ as well as helping their characters abide in Christ as well

We mentioned Ginny Yttrup, https://ginnyyttrup.com.

We also mentioned Tessa Afshar, https://tessaafshar.com.

Nancy Ness bio: Nancy grew up reading the backs of cereal boxes and every children’s book with a horse as the hero. Her story of emotional healing was sparked by taking a brave first step to trust God to heal her childhood wounds. You can read her work at www.nancy-ness.com

Linda Sammaritan bio: Linda writes realistic fiction, mostly for kids ages ten to fourteen. She has completed a middle grade trilogy, World Without Sound, based on her own experiences growing up with a deaf sister. Her current work-in-progress is a women's fiction series entitled The Cracked Quartet. You can follow her journey at her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

Susan Marie Graham bio: Like a lot of writers, I'm an introvert. I'm also disabled, so my way of sharing the Gospel is through Christian fiction. I'm currently working on a series about the Fruit of the Spirit. You can follow her journey at her website, Instagram, Substack & Facebook.

Jill Wilson bio: J. Bea Wilson joyfully adopted her pen name after living with chronic pain for more than two decades. A freelance editor for over thirty years, she is now in her season of knitting wooly yarns, both fiber and fiction. Her passion is using story to unveil and celebrate the essential role of people with disability within the body of Christ. The six novels planned for her Blemished Sheep Series recast biblical accounts into modern or future contexts. Subscribe to her Lift! newsletter by visiting her website and follow on Facebook and Instagram.

Sarah Soon bio: Sarah is a freelance writer who's collaborated with other authors in a devotional anthology, Option Ocean. She’s also ghostwritten two memoirs and wrote several physician biographies in the coffee table book, The History of Medicine in Tulsa County. And she’s written magazine articles for Tulsa Lifestyle Magazine. You can follow her journey at sarahsoon.com.

Mari Eygabroad bio: I have served as a missionary for over eight years in Africa with my husband, a pilot/mechanic with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). My heart is to encourage and equip other women preparing to go into missions. You can check out her book and workbook Living Uprooted as well as follow her journey at www.marieygabroad.com, and on Instagram and Facebook.

Janet Weiner bio: I grew up in southern California and studied French against my 6th-grade teacher's advice that I'd never use it. I’ve now lived in France for over twenty years. Based on actual events, my first historical novel takes place in my village and home, the over 500-year-old Château de Planque. You can follow her journey at www.janetjoanouweiner.com, Instagram and Facebook.