Jeanette O'Hagan

Story and Structure

At the beginning of the year, I attended Genre Con (put on by Queensland Writers Centre) which included a number of presentations and workshops on Manga and Asian story telling structure, on Scot Wilson and the Indigiverse, as well as a workshop that compared three ways of telling stories - the Hero's Journey, the heroine’s journey and the Asian Kishōtenketsu (起承転結) (a classical four-act narrative structure originating in Chinese poetry that is widely used across East Asian literature, manga, and cinema). And in May, at Christian Authors Showcase Queensland (CASQ), Anne Hamilton digged deep into the Hero's Journey.

And six months later, I'm still pondering about the different approaches to storytelling and structure. 

 

Plotter or Pantser

I have a confession to make. I wrote in first draft most of what is now the Akrad's Legacy series (four books) before seriously looking into structure. . It originally was meant to be one book, though now I'm trying to keep it to four (Akrad’s Children, Rasel’s Song, Lumi’s Allegiance and Mannok’s Betrayal). Mostly because every time the story became too long, I’d split that book into two, but then needed to add additional plot arcs so each book had its own resolution within the overall narrative arc.

Well, since then I have dived into the different approaches to story and structure - including K M Wieland's many wonderful posts a lot of useful information on plot and structure, Stephen King's On Writing,  Blake Synder's Save the Cat (which focuses on modern movie structure), Lisa Cron's Story Genius, Susan May Warren's Story Equation, Stephen James' Story Trumps Structure.  (Both King and James are pantsers.)  Plus, while getting a MA (Writing) lots on Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces and Chrstopher Volger's The Writers's Journey (an adaptation of Campbell).

So I know the theory. 

But here's the rub.  I'm an organic writer or a discovery writer or maybe a tweener or a planster. When I start writing I need to have three tent pegs (or maybe triangulation points) to start the story - not necessarily the same each time. It could be any combination of a theme or premise (a lot of my short stories start with theme or genre), or the main character, or the setting, or sometimes the end or an even along the way. The rest develops as I write and I often plot on the fly. And  then there are the times the story and/or the characters take over.

I don't think that means my stories lack plot or structure. In fact, at least one reviewer thought my books were plot driven. (I like think they are both character and plot driven.)

Firstly, as avid readers we imbibe an intuitive sense of story structure, much as we first learn language - not by studying grammar but by soaking up the language that surrounds us. 

And secondly, I learn intuitively and write intuitively. Give me a garden with curving lines, fallen leaves and sprawling flowers, not strict, straight, geometical patterns. 

I love learning patterns, but I hate having to plod one foot in front of the other. I like tweaking and transcending (not breaking) the rules. So sitting down with a plan with precise percentage points of when center elements should be added in kills my creativity. 

We are all different.

Each of us probably falls somewhere along of the spectrum of plotter versus pantser, but even for full blown pantsers, it is still helpful to know readers’ (intuitive or instinctive) expectations of what is a good story. It's still helpful to understand the theory on structure.

We each will probably apply that knowledge in different ways.

Story, Plot and Structure

Story - is what it's all about - the interaction of the characters with the premise, plot, settings and themes. It provides the deeper meaning of the story, that rises from the characters, their past, their moral dilemmas and their journey. It's what keeps the audience emotionally invested.

Plot - is the action that drives the story forward,  the series of external events, usually connected by cause and effect. 

The story can be plot -driven (mainly about the external journey) or character driven (mainly about the internal journey) or often both.

Structure - the order in how the story is told, the way it's put together. It provides pace, organization and ebbs and flows in the story. For instance, in a dual narrative two interconnected stories are told in parallel.  Structure may include different acts (sections), inciting moments, mid-points, climax etc. 

Three Acts and the Hero’s Journey

Many millennia ago, Aristotle spoke of a three-act story - with a beginning (protasis, the set-up or exposition), middle (epitasis, confrontation or rising action) and end (catharsis, the resolution). 

However, Shakespeare's play generally had five acts - Act 1, the exposition and inciting incident, Act 2 Rising action and complications, Act 3 the turning point or climax, Act 4 the consequences of the turning point and climax, act 5 the resolution or denouement.

And some modern plays (Waiting for Godot) have a two-act structure. Other propose a 4-Act story. While other story telling is episodic.

Novels (unlike screen plays) are not often explicitly divided into Acts. Even so, they usually follow similar structures in development of the story.

According to Joseph Campbell, the most common (or he would claim 'universal') structure is the Hero’s Journey. Certainly, it is a widespread and popular approach often portrayed as a circle (from normal  world to the new normal) and with a number of - 18 steps or Campbell.Volger simplifies it into 12 steps - such as 1. the normal or ordinary world, 2. the call to action, 3. the refusal of the call, 4. meeting the mentor, 5. crossing the threshold, 6. tests-allies-enemies (sometimes called fun and games), 7. approach the cave, 8. the ordeal, 9. the reward, 10. road back (back lash), 11. the resurrection, 12. bring gifts to the normal world. Some definite similiarities here with Jesus' life, death and resurrection.

Stories such as Star Wars – New Hope, Eragon, or the Matrix follow the Hero’s journey and as do many modern movies.

Can you think of other popular stories that follow this structure. Or perhaps others that don’t?

Btw, for a neat discussion that go beyound 3-Act structures and the Hero's Journey check out this blog.

Breaking the Mould

Slice of life stories and literary fiction are less dependent on plot and focus more on character or setting (or both). Such stories are much more about the journey than the destination.

As a pantser (or planter), I found Stephen James’ StoryTrumps Structure, helpful. But, as I said, I’m also intrigued with different story structures. And …. in the tradition of splitting up things in three parts – I hope to dive deeper in the Heroine’s Journey and Kishōtenketsuin in subsequent posts.

Jeanette O'Hagan has spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight. She enjoys writing fantasy, sci-fi, poetry. Her Nardvan stories span continents, millennia and cultures. Some involve shapeshifters and magic. Others include space stations and cyborgs.

She has published over forty stories and poems, including the Under the Mountain Series (5 books), Akrad's Children and Rasel's Song, the first two books in the Akrad’s Legacy series and more recently, Rise of the Consortium. Her story in Stepping Sideways, 'In a League of Her Own' won the 2024 Aurealis Award for YA Short Stories & 'Anomalies at Prospero Base' (in Rise of the Consortium) was shortlisted in the 2025 Aurealis Awards.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and writing. She loves reading, painting, travel, and pondering the meaning of life. She lives in Brisbane.

Find out more about Jeanette at:

My Website | Facebook Author Page | Amazon | Books2Read | Goodreads

Those unexpected writerly benefits

 

Apart from any innate, God-given literary talent we might possess, there are certain qualities that are helpful to have or develop, I believe, if we are going to last the distance as writers – things such as patience, self-discipline, perseverance and humility, for a start. But I wonder if you have ever considered how, as we hopefully grow in these areas via our writing journeys, these can also benefit us in other endeavours we might undertake in life.

Take perseverance, for example. Recently, I started learning the violin, an instrument I have always wanted to play. As I practise, I am thankful for all the perseverance God has taught me in my writing journey of over twenty years now. Without that determination to keep writing, even when deeply discouraged, I suspect I would not keep trying again each day now to play a recognisable tune on my violin. Instead, I would have given up weeks ago, after yet another practice session filled with false starts, scratchy sounds and plain wrong notes!

 In the time I have been playing, I have also needed to walk the humble path of being a complete rookie yet again and of making copious mistakes, especially when trying to play for someone else. Eek! But I still remember my early attempts at novel writing and how humbling it was to receive honest feedback from critique partners and editors and am grateful for the lessons learnt then. I remember too discovering such concepts as handling point of view well in fiction and of finding my own writer’s voice – concepts I had never heard of when I first started writing. The need to be willing to learn back then and to continue to do so is definitely paying off for me now, I believe, as I struggle with figuring out how to use my bow well and exactly where to put my fingers so that those notes do not sound flat and scratchy.

Then there is the whole area of attention to detail needed as I practise each day. Whenever I make a mistake, rather than forging on, I try to discipline myself to go back over the particular phrase until I get it right. Those little errors matter – just as our little errors in grammar and punctuation matter in our writing, if we are not to put readers off or confuse them. So I am thankful for the many times I needed to be meticulous about such things in my writing. My hope is that, just as those grammar and punctuation rules have now become second nature to me, so those things that make for good violin technique will also become second nature – one day!

God has more beautiful music ahead for each of us to make, not only through our words, but in life in general, whether we are musicians or not. So in those moments when we may wonder if all the effort involved in writing is worth it, may we all remember how God sees the bigger picture of our lives, knows what we need and is shaping and blessing us in ways and for purposes we may never expect.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Jo-Anne Berthelsen is a Sydney-based author of seven novels and four non-fiction works. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked in teaching, editing and local church ministry. Jo-Anne loves encouraging others through both the written and spoken word and is a keen blogger. Jo-Anne’s latest book, God Moments, is available via her website, Koorong Books and Amazon

GEO Is the New SEO: Sort of (by Susan J Bruce)

The other day, I was chatting online with some writer friends about how using tropes in our book descriptions and social media posts can help readers find our books.

Interesting how one small discussion can send you down a rabbit hole 🙂.

I hopped over to Claude AI and asked about popular tropes in Christian historical fiction, set outside the United States. I was delighted to see that two of the example titles it gave were books by our own Carolyn Miller.

Go, Carolyn! You’re in the system.

Well, in that particular search, anyway.

By ‘the system’, I mean that Claude knew who Carolyn was, understood what she wrote and considered her books relevant enough to recommend.

That matters because some readers are no longer starting their search for a new book by scrolling through Amazon. They’re asking ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity or whichever helpful robot happens to be nearest:

I love warm, Christian historical romances set in England. What should I read next?

And the AI gives them a list.

The term you’ll increasingly hear for making yourself visible in those answers is Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO.

Think of it as SEO’s younger, faster-moving cousin who has arrived at the family gathering, rearranged the furniture and announced that everything works differently now.

Traditional Search Engine Optimisation helps our websites and books appear in search results. GEO is about helping AI tools understand who we are, what we write and when one of our books might be a good answer to someone’s question.

GEO doesn’t replace SEO. The usual foundations still matter: useful content, clear information and a website search engines can read.

But the way people search is changing.

Instead of scrolling past hundreds of tiny covers, a reader can now ask for:

A funny cozy mystery with romance, a coastal setting and a mouthy parrot. 

Well,  that might be too specific.

Not that I have any particular books in mind...

Whether we love AI, tolerate it or wish it would go and sit quietly in a cupboard, AI-assisted discovery is becoming part of the publishing landscape.

So how do we help it understand our books?

1. Make sure the internet knows who you are

If your website says you write animal-forward romantic cozy mysteries, your retailer biography says mystery and your social media profile says simply author, search tools have to work harder to understand where you belong.

And search tools, like overtired readers, may simply move on.

Use consistent descriptions of yourself, your genres, your series and your books across your website, retailer profiles, social media and reader platforms.

You don’t need to paste the exact same biography everywhere. The basic facts just need to agree.

This also reduces the chance of an AI tool getting those facts wrong.

As we know, AI can be extremely confident while being spectacularly mistaken. 

2. Tell people what the book actually is

Your categories, keywords and book descriptions should make it clear what kind of book you’ve written.

Use the language readers use when searching: small-town romance, grumpy/sunshine, biblical fiction, romantic cozy mystery, flannel-forward holiday romance (is there any other kind?) with rescue dogs or whatever applies to your sub genre.

For Christian fiction, it may also help to clarify the role faith plays in the story.

Is faith central to the character’s journey? Is the book overtly Christian? Is it faith-inspired or faith-filled?

Readers shouldn’t have to guess, and neither should a search tool.

This doesn’t mean stuffing your description with keywords until it reads like a shopping list:

Small-town, grumpy/sunshine, second chance, forced proximity, mail-order bride with a dog. 

Although I would probably read that.

It means making the genre, emotional promise and major tropes easy to recognise.

3. Give every book somewhere to live

An author website, even a simple one, gives search tools a reliable source of information.

Where possible, give each book its own page rather than relying on one long row of covers and buy buttons.

Include the things a reader might actually want to know: the description, genre, setting, series information, major tropes and retailer links.

You can also add publication details, reviews, endorsements and information about faith content where appropriate.

The goal isn’t to build a shrine for an algorithm.

It’s to create a useful page that answers a reader’s questions. It's a bonus that clear information is also easier for search engines and AI tools to understand.

4. Let other people mention you

You tell the world about yourself through your website. 

Reviews, interviews, blog posts, reader recommendations and book club discussions show that other people recognise your work.

Keep your Goodreads author profile and book information up to date.

I’m feeling a wee bit convicted as I type that.

Claim your retailer author pages. Encourage readers to review and recommend your books. Take part in reader communities when it feels natural.

The important word is natural.

Dropping into an unrelated Reddit discussion to announce that your book is available now for only $4.99 is unlikely to delight readers, moderators or algorithms.

Genuine mentions help build a clearer picture of who you are and what you write.

5. Ask the robots what they think they know

One useful way to begin is simply to ask.

Try:

What can you find online about me as an author? Please cite your sources.

How would you describe the genre, themes and tropes of my books?

What information about me or my books appears inconsistent or unclear?

Then check the answers.

Do not assume they are true just because the AI presents them in a tone of calm authority. Ask for sources. Try the question in more than one tool.

You can also ask:

How could I make my website and book pages more useful to readers and more discoverable through AI-assisted searches?

This is one of the better free uses of these tools. They’re good at spotting missing or confusing information.

You still need to decide whether their advice is sensible.

This is also true when asking AI for life advice, medical advice or whether you should cut your own fringe.

Where do we start?

I’m not an expert on this. I’m learning as I go, and I certainly can’t point to my own website and say, ‘Do exactly what I’m doing.’

Funnily enough, my website is down as I write this because I’m trying to make it more GEO-friendly. So... things are going extremely well.

But I wanted to raise the subject because it matters.

We don’t have to like AI. We don’t have to use it to write our books or run our author business. But we do need to understand the world in which readers are searching for their next favourite read.

Start with one thing. Check your author biography. Update one book page. Make the genre and tropes in one description clearer. Ask an AI tool what it thinks you write and see whether the answer makes you nod, laugh or consider banging your head against the plasterboard.

The good news is that the basic principle isn’t particularly new or frightening: write good books, provide accurate information and make it easy for the right readers to recognise that your books are meant for them.

If you'd like more information, you can read Google’s guidance on AI search and SEO.

And if you have questions, insights or experiences with AI recommendations, please leave them in the comments. I’d love to know what you’re discovering.

Now, if you’ll excuse me... (slinks away to go and fix her website). 

Susan J. Bruce is a former veterinarian and self-confessed animal addict who writes romantic cozy mysteries with heart, humour, and plenty of fur. Find her binge-worthy Ruthless-the-Killer series at www.susanjbruce.com.She also writes funny-with-feeling romantic comedy as Holly Hartman, where falling in love feels like finding home. Follow Holly Hartman on Amazon for swoony, emotionally rich, fade-to-black romance with small-town warmth and second chances.

Pantser Writer Tackles Taboo Subject: by Jo Wanmer

 

MY EXPERIENCE TELLS ME  there are some topics that good Christians don’t discuss after church or even over coffee. These topics don’t tend to turn books into Christian best sellers. But they can become literature that pulls important ideas into the open and challenges readers to consider a different point of view. It can also put God in the middle of the mess, not seated high above controversy, unwillling to view the unclean parts of real life.

Francine Rivers wrote about abortion in ‘The Atonement Child'. I appreciate that book because it acknowledges that rape is real. It looks at the cost of not having an abortion, facing the fact that we may be opposed to abortion until it is the only way to save the family’s reputation. Challenging stuff and a great read.

 I began to write books because I wanted to tell of the amazing things God has done in our life. That story, Though the Bud be Bruised, included sexual abuse, christian witchcraft and religious superiority, as well as God’s incredible grace and mercy. What I didn’t know was that a series of books would follow, with the same theme, showing a wonderful personal God.

(Pic showing the books where my writing is published)

 A few years ago, as I asked God what He wanted me to write next, I felt He asked me to write about pornography. I was unimpressed and suggested He give me a different topic. But there weren’t any other ideas in the heavens! I summoned my courage.  After all there was no harm writing it. Publishing would be the challenge and that was unlikely to happen. I mean who wants to read a book on a taboo subject?

It was NaNoWriMo time. I started. This discipline leaves no time to question anything. Just 50,000 words on the screen in the month. And so began another pantser adventure. I asked the Spirit to write with me and looked forward to the journey. When I finished, I loved the story, the adventure, and the God-revealed truth. And yes, it exposes pornography and brings hope.

Time has passed. Since then, I’ve published El Shaddai and El Roi thanks to Anne Hamilton, of Armour Books. In the back of mymind I knew the next book is the one about porn. I was excited because it’s a great book, but nervous because it could upset many and may negatively affect my reputation. However obedience is my highest value.

All nervousness pushed aside, it is now in the final phrase of editing. I sweat over many passages. Is it too graphic? Is it not shown well enough? Why don’t I write books that are fun and comfortable, and not controversial? As God has said in other circumstances, He chose a different path for me. By definition His path is a good path… the best one for me to follow. So, it seems I write about taboo subjects.

How do I know God is in this? Simple things like writing revelation that I’d never thought of before. And when I re-read, I see things at the beginning of the story that become important in the end… not that I knew!

In checking the structure of the book, it is close to right…as If someone (not me) knew what they were doing. This book has two stories running parallel.  They need to be the same length so I checked. The book has about 240 pages. The stories have only two pages difference. Not plotted. Not planned. Just Holy Spirit keeping balance!

The story has a new name in keeping with other books of the series. It’s called El Gibbor, which means Mighty God… the One who does the impossible. It’s this character of God that brings these protagonists to the fulness of restoration.

 I have one more book waiting in the wings and then it will time to write a new one. I wonder what adventures God has in store for me next.

Tell me… 

• How do you pick your topics? 
• Are you dealing with other taboo topics? 
• Would you read El Gibbor, knowing it deals with pornography?

Jo Wanmer is a story teller, that has learnt how to turn those stories into acceptable prose. She writes with the help of the Holy Spirit. Without His inspiration, there would be no books. Though the Bud be Bruised was published thirteen years ago. Late in 2024 El Shaddai was released and its prequel, El Roi, was released late last year. She lives, with her husband of  fifty-five years, just north of Brisbane. Family, God and writing are her three passions. Eleven great-grandchildren now fill their home with love and chaos.

The Beauty of Words

by Anusha Atukorala

I was eleven years old when I first read “Anne of Green Gables”. It was a book like no other! I was hooked. Totally! So of course, in no time at all, I’d feasted on the entire series, smacking my reader’s lips over every morsel, relishing every word, hungry for more, a child who’d not had a decent meal for a week and couldn’t get enough soul-food in! My heart was filled to overflowing, with a story seeped in beauty and wonder and the love of life. Anne fans would understand, I know. Since then, as you might guess, I’ve read through the entire series countless times.

A few weeks ago, I was hunting for an audio book to enjoy. Usually, when doing boring chores around the house, it seems a good time to fill my soul with eternal treasures so I choose Christian books. I found the audio version of Anne of Green Gables on offer, so I decided to give it a go. How I revelled in it ... and surprisingly, I enjoyed even more than when I’d read the book from cover to cover. Rachel McAdams did a perfect job of reading it. 

The exquisiteness of L.M. Montgomery’s words filled me with joy, her themes revived me and the relationships she’d created blessed me. For days after I finished it, I continued to savour it. It is a story that contains beauty, humour, life, varying seasons, courage, forgiveness, love. And more. Beauty, truth and goodness.

 

So what is my takeaway as a reader? 

What is my takeaway as a writer?

Despite it not strictly being Christian fiction, the timeless truths of Jesus and His loving plans for His world, resonated in every page,  ‘Anne of Green Gables’ expressed eloquently that our lives are filled with of all kinds of everything. Seasons of growth and learning, quieter seasons when nothing grand occurs. There are seasons of joy but also seasons of pain. There was the sweetness of Anne winning the Avery scholarship and the delight it brought her and Matthew and Marilla. But very soon after, too soon in fact, her beloved Matthew died. I shed tears for them. Our writing lives too have many seasons, as you have no doubt discovered. Creativity one moment. A dead end the next!

I enjoyed 10 grand years being a writer on steroids, enjoying every moment, until my chronic illness got so bad, that I couldn’t do much –  on days I had time to write, my fatigue and pain didn’t give my brain any ability to function. That started 9 ½ years ago. This past year, I’ve responded to God’s call to get back in harness, so I pray He will give me more energetic days which I can put to good use, both in writing and in blessing His world. In fact, by faith, I’ve booked for the Omega Writer’s conference in October! And Yay! I am so excited!

I wonder what your own season is like, dear writer friend? I’d like to re-assure you that all of it matters – the thriving times, the sleepy times, the arid times, the hard times, the good times, the creative juice flowing times. All of it! In God’s economy, nothing is wasted. In my almost 10 years of doing less, God has been working in me … and I have collected plenty of research I can use in my next book or two. Or three. I’d love to encourage anyone who has been struggling. Better days are ahead. No matter what today looks like, our faithful God continues to walk beside you and work out His plans for you, even if they are different to your own.

As a reader, I learnt from Anne of Green Gables, that you can shout out what God is like through your story, without mentioning Him often. Lucy Maud Montgomery had a wonderful gift, not just in the delightful stories that she weaved in her head, but also, having at her fingertips, words that enthral and create enchanting pictures in our mind’s eyes. It was like cool water, that refreshed me. I laughed aloud, far more than I’d done when reading the book. I realised again, the beauty of words and ideas. The Word of God is alive today. And His divine life permeates each of us writers, so we can communicate His words to His world. 

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness." 2 Peter 1:3

 

Anne was transformed from a chattering, emotional, expressive little 11 year old to a thoughtful, caring, beautiful 16 year old by the time the book ended. Her own story was transformed when she learn to forgive Gilbert and a beautiful friendship she'd thwarted for far too long, was begun. Transformation. For us, believers, that’s surely what life is about, don’t you think? When Jesus transforms us from the inside out, the words we share and the books we write will be transformed as well. Which means that if God is keeping you on the backburner for a little while, it’s OK. He knows what He is doing.

I believe He is working all things together for good in your life and in mine, just as He promises, to all who love Him. And so dear friend, let’s use the words, ideas, stories that God’s given us, to build God’s kingdom, one day at a time. One sentence at a time. One prayer at a time. And may all that we write, be used by Jesus to glorify His Name, as we yield our pens to Him, the Author of each of our stories. 

Anusha’s been on many interesting detours in life, as a lab technician, a computer programmer, a full time Mum, a full time volunteer, a charity director, a full time job chaser, until one golden day (or was it a dark moonless night?) God tapped her on her shoulder and called her to write for Him. She has never recovered from the joy it brought her. She loves to see others enjoying life with Jesus and does her mite to hurry the process in her world through her writing and through her life. The goodness of God is her theme song through each season, as she dances in the rain with Jesus.

 

Her first book Enjoying the Journey contains 75 little God stories that will bring you closer to your Creator. Her 2^nd book ‘Dancing in the Rain’ brings you hope and comfort for life’s soggy seasons. Her 3rd book, ‘Sharing the Journey’ is a sequel to 'Enjoying the Journey'.

                                             

'

Do drop in on her two websites to say G’day! She’d love to connect with you.

Dancing in the Rain 

Light in the Darkness 

 

 

 

The How and Why of Book Reviews

Book reviews offer gold to authors, representing one of the best ways to market a book. Even ten reviews on Amazon will add significant credibility to your book and place it above poorly formatted and badly edited books. Readers also find reviews on Goodreads valuable, and many look for their next book on this site. Goodreads costs nothing to join and leave reviews. In comparison, Amazon expects you to spend $$$ on its site before you can review (currently, this means AUD $50 in the last 12 months). Other helpful places to leave reviews include blogs and book retail sites.

Sadly, obtaining reviews proves surprisingly difficult. Giving away advanced reader copies doesn’t guarantee that readers will actually write a review for your book – a disappointing reality. 

As Australian Christian authors, we have an advantage over the thousands of US Christian authors. We can leverage our smallness to get to know each other and support our fellow Christian authors. Commendably, many Christian authors buy their friends’ books. I’ve seen writers leave the Omega Conference bookstore with an armload of books. However, if they never read or review the books they buy, they only offer their friend a token financial gift, roughly the cost of a cup of coffee. Imagine if ten people supported them by writing a review, and each review encouraged just two people to buy the book, suddenly they would have sold twenty copies.

The Instruction of Jesus

Jesus said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). If we want other Christian authors to support us, we need to support them. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by reading and reviewing books. This doesn’t function as a “tit for tat” system where I’ll write a review for you if you write one for me. Jesus said this as a general way of treating others, not a pay-back system when someone treats us well.

Book reviews don’t require long or complicated formats. A simple four-sentence book review looks like this (many other simple templates exist online):

The Four-Sentence Book Review

1.         Introduction

Include the title, subtitle, name of author, genre, and setting (or location of author for non-fiction).

2.         Overview

What happens? Mention the overall theme.

3.         Evaluation

What did you like or dislike about it? Identify strengths and possible weaknesses.

4.         Audience

Recommend the type of audience who would like the book.

A Fiction Example

Australian author Barbara Hannay sets her romance story, Second Chance Family, in Townsville and the Atherton Tablelands in northern Queensland. The story explores the developing romance between Carrie Madden, a widow with two teenage girls and an eight-year-old son, and Ben Galbraith, a bachelor from Scotland with a banking background. The major strengths of the story include its descriptions of the Tablelands and its exploration of how past unwise decisions influence the present, which make for an intriguing read. While I found the romance a little drawn out, it will appeal to romance readers.

 A Non-Fiction Example

American Pastor Levi Lusko's latest spiritual growth book has the rather long title, Blessed Are the Spiraling: How the Chaotic Search for Significance Can Lead to Joy Through Life’s Shifting Seasons. Through the book, Lusko tells the story of his own midlife crisis, which led him to confront many issues from his past, including his parents’ divorce, a pornography addiction, and an excessive desire for success and recognition. I appreciated Lusko's honesty and the many lessons he shares about learning to trust God more deeply. Though the book aims to reach men in their late 30s to early 50s, I did gain some insights for myself.  

If you stick rigidly to this structure, your review may sound stilted. Also, if you write a lot of reviews, they will start to sound the same. So use your creativity and editing skills to add your personal touch.

Screenshot of some of my Goodreads book reviews from Christian authors

A Common Concern

What if I don’t like the book or find lots of errors? If you have received the book as an advanced reader copy, let the author know and gently tell them why you feel unable to write a review. I have read books I dislike, but have reflected on whether others would enjoy them and/or may not notice the errors. In the four-sentence book review, only one sentence focuses on your opinion, so consider highlighting one positive aspect while remaining true to your values. Including a small criticism doesn’t reduce the value of a review. For example, in my fiction review above, I mentioned that I found the romance a bit drawn out.

As Australian Christian authors, we all benefit from visibility, credibility, and word-of-mouth recommendations. Yet, writing book reviews remains one of the most powerful and effective ways we can support one another. 

[Featured Photo from AAGraphics on Pixabay]

Author Bio

Susan Barnes, author of 10 Blessings of God, holds a degree in Christian ministry and writes to renew the mind and stir the soul. She has over thirty years of experience in pastoral ministry, serving alongside her husband, Ross, in various roles. They live in Bendigo, Australia. 

Find out more about Susan at:
My Website | Facebook Author Page | Amazon | Books2Read | Goodreads

HOW CHAPLAINCY HAS INFLUENCED MY WRITING

 

I have been a Chaplain in a variety of settings for 30 years. 

In this time I have learnt to express ministry in an authentically compassionate way that thinks, pioneers, develops and responds with innovative, proactive empowerment and solutions.

Story telling has influenced my chaplaincy practice. My chaplaincy practice has influenced my writing. It is interesting how many parallels I have discovered in each. Both Chaplaincy and writing are grounded in presence, empathy, relationship building, narrative theory and story-holding. 

In Chaplaincy I have the privilege of sacred encounters with people every day.

In writing I get to nurture sacred encounters with readers too.

Let us consider some essential tenets of Chaplaincy delivery and how it may inform our writing.

AUTHENTIC PERSON-CENTRED ENGAGEMENT AND EMPATHY

Essentially, I carry a heart of authentic engagement with people from my philosophy and praxis of Chaplaincy into my writing. The alternative pastoral care that chaplaincy offers focuses on creating safe spaces through holistic care methods like narrative, metaphor, art, community development to help individuals navigate life’s challenges and faith transitions (Layson et al 2023). 

As a Chaplain and writer, I aim to express compassionate presence, actively listening to the human experience, and helping individuals or readers process deep emotions, suffering, and meaning. We write for people. People who have souls who require authentic person-centred engagement. As we write we need to ensure we are not caught in a pattern of mechanical content development but have a genuine, empathetic perspective. This requires vulnerability, active listening, and a deep understanding of the audience's needs. The heart of this is to be about redeeming our texts from the potential traps of shallow monologues, thin characters, unrelatable scenarios and weak prose into shared human experiences.

Chaplains exercise deep empathy, utilizing "perspectival knowing" to understand the world as their wards experience it. To write a compelling character, an author must step inside that person's psychological framework. To ensure that a character is relatable this means that an author needs to be able to do the same with their audience

THE EMPOWERMENT JOURNEY. HOLDING SPACE TOGETHER

Chaplaincy expresses a journey metaphor. It means walking alongside care-seekers supporting them as non-anxious companions in unfamiliar or painful territory. Spiritual exploration is viewed as an ongoing process of discovering purpose, meaning, and resilience, rather than a final fixed destination. The journey metaphor honours the unpredictability of human experience, giving people room to process at their own pace.

The "empowerment journey" refers to a shift from rescuing or dictating solutions to instead walking alongside individuals, honouring their agency, and facilitating their own spiritual or emotional growth. Chaplaincy treats the care seeker as ‘the expert’ of their own life and meaning-making process. It is a holistic, participatory process aiming for empowerment, and sustainable change. For me, writing is too. 

Chaplaincy creates a judgment-free zone where the individual (or community) can process grief, uncertainty, and emotional or moral conflict. It means simply being with someone in their time of trouble. It is the sacred practice of ‘holding space’ or ‘with-ing’: being fully present with the people right in front of us that we are caring for (McBride 2025) and -for me- who I am writing for. 

Chaplains act as "story-holders" (Blanco 2024). They create a safe and nurtured space to allow people wrestling with challenges to untangle their own experiences, helping them find continuity and purpose during emergencies, crisis, grief, and trials. Kerry Egan (former hospice Chaplain and author) writes that chaplaincy is less about storytelling and more about “story-holding”.

“We listen to the stories that people believe have shaped their lives. We listen to the stories people choose to tell, and the meaning they make of those stories.”(Egan 2017). 

As writers we craft narrative arcs that give events meaning and help characters discover meaning and life solutions. As writers we create and hold space with our readers as they engage with a well-told story, characters that they empathise with and story arcs that resonate with their own life journey.

Presence is the connective tissue serving as one of the most powerful forms of care we give as Chaplains (Blanco 2024). Simply being present. As I have grown in my role as chaplain, I have been grateful for the opportunity to deepen practices of active listening, bearing witness, staying grounded in the here and now, and ‘holding’ others with respect and compassion. Simply bearing witness to someone’s pain and letting them know they are not alone. In our creativity and storying development we have the privilege of holding countless sacred stories of love and loss and of suffering and resilience, bravery, inspiration and life change crafted with our characters and creating ‘presence’ with and for our readers.

Chaplaincy is empowering, not overpowering. Care is highly person-centred and  often shows radical respect. Chaplains avoid imposing their own dogmas or beliefs and foster self-determination. Chaplains ask open-ended questions that empower the care seeker to identify their own core values, strengths, and personal strategies for coping. While chaplains rely heavily on the unspoken elements of communication—tears, silence, and presence—to build a safe space for healing. Writers avoid heavy-handed exposition by using metaphor and scene. This is the necessary art of "showing, not telling": In both fields, truth is often found in the subtext.

Similar to the chaplain, an author of fiction is not trying to overtly persuade, but is effective in inviting readers towards perceptions of some aspect of the world, perhaps from the points of view of more than one character, and prompts the reader to consider: "How do you feel about this?"…"What do you think?" ... "What would you do?"

 

MEANING AND COPING FACILITATION

At the care seeker's invitation, chaplains aid in the exploration of spiritual, existential, or religious concerns to help them find meaning within their crisis.

Chaplains guide individuals through a process of spiritual discernment, stripping away distractions to help them focus on what they value most. Writers know that editing is where the true story emerges. Effective writing requires cutting away the noise to find the core message.

A chaplain helps individuals access inner reserves and external resources . Spirituality and faith are often used as tools that empower people to cope with adversity.

It is interesting to consider the question :

What internal or external resources have I been able to help my readers to discover?

CATALYSTS OF CHANGE

“Change spawns stories and stories can trigger change”(Brown et al 2009).

Chaplains act as agents of change by introducing new ideas, mobilizing support, empowering local people to take ownership of their own solutions, and facilitating collective action to solve problems.

In Chaplaincy we respond with a spirit that is empowering, grounded, and caring. I think the world needs more of that right now and perhaps can experience it through us as writers and our writing.

God’s desire for us is holistic flourishing, and I have come to realise that through my writing- as similarly to my Chaplaincy - I get to participate in the redemptive work of healing, growth, recreation, love and living.

In both chaplaincy and writing, transformation in others is a sacred privilege. We accompany people as they confront sometimes painful truths, wrestle with questions of identity and meaning, and begin to reframe their own stories.  

It’s powerful to be able to be a part of someone’s journey and to help inspire hope when the ground is shifting under their feet through seasons of change, desperation, suffering, awakening, flourishing and celebration.

Shane Brigg and friend holding space together Central Australia

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Blanco, J.  Editor (2024) Issue #28 “ Chaplaincy” . Fuller Magazine. Fall 2024

Brown, A.D, Gabriel, Y., Gherardi, S. (2009) Storytelling and Change: An Unfolding Story

Brown, A.D. and Humphreys, M. (2003) `Epic and Tragic Tales: Making Sense of Change', Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 39(2): 121-44.

Egan,K. (2017) On Living .Thorndike Press.

Layson, M. D., Carey, L. B., & Best, M. C. (2023). “The impact of faith-based pastoral care in decreasingly religious contexts: The Australian chaplaincy advantage in critical environments”. Journal of Religion and Health, 62 (3), 1491-1512.

McBride, G. (2025) ”The Weight-ing Game. Friends.  Is There a Right Way to Hold Space for Someone in Crisis? Providing support for someone in tough times is simpler than you might think”. Psychology Today. Posted March 1, 2025

Photos various chaplaincy and missions  contexts I have been involved in. 

Shane Brigg In PNG 'Journeying' and hearing and telling stories