The Ministry of Writing Humour (by Susan J Bruce)

I was striding along a path on my lunch break from work. It was a sunny afternoon, the breeze was gentle, and the footpath I was on was lined with leafy trees. It should have been a relaxing time, but I was perplexed. I had this strong desire to write fiction but I didn’t know how that could ever be ministry.

I’d felt called to full-time ministry not long after I came to faith, and I tried to follow God’s way. That path took me to theological college, ordination as a pastor, and eventually, burnout and clinical depression.

I remember marching along the road thinking that true ministry meant feeding the poor in Bangladesh, leading prayer teams, or encouraging a congregation through preaching God’s Word. 

Writing Christian nonfiction, maybe—not fiction.

I was pretty serious back then. 

Too serious.

But it turns out that God has a sense of humour.

Fast forward many years and I’m writing fiction.

Not devotionals (although my dog will probably write one soon—she’s talented). Not theology. Not Christian self-help, or even faith-based historical sagas (although I have read all of these). I don’t even write for Christians. 

I write light-hearted mysteries with suspense and romance. With banter. And an eavesdropping cockatoo in my WIP, intent on sabotaging my MC’s personal life. 

The stakes are real—someone’s usually dead in a murder mystery—but there’s also chocolate cake, slow-burn romance, and the kind of dialogue I hope makes readers smile into their hot chocolate. 

Actually, that’s not true. I want them to laugh so hard they snort their drink out their nose.

Every girl has a dream…

I want to write the kinds of books that pull up a chair beside the reader and say, “You’re safe here. Let’s breathe. Let’s laugh. Let’s solve a murder while we’re at it. Let’s share in a world where in the end, the good guy always wins.”

And I’ve come to believe that kind of writing—joyful, hopeful, and a little snarky—isn’t just entertainment.

It’s ministry.

The Sacredness of Small Joys

There’s a verse I come back to when I’m deep in edits and wondering if it all matters.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine…”  Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)

Medicine. Not fluff. Not filler. Not distraction. Medicine.

In a world where headlines are heavy and inboxes overflow, light-hearted fiction might be the only breath someone gets that day. It might be the only hope a reader gets all week. A cheerful heart—whether it comes through a romcom, a cat with too much personality, a toe-curling kiss, or a murder mystery full of friendship and food—is good medicine.

I used to think joy was an optional extra. Something to save for when the serious work was done.

Now I think it’s one of the serious things.

My stories have heart and I do go deep sometimes. I don't write on the cutesy side of cozy mystery. But if I’m doing my job, then the deep will meet hope, and hope will meet the absurd. And that snort will happen just when you don’t expect it. 

Writing humour as a Christian

There can be a pressure to be “deep” or “worthy” in Christian creative circles. But what if bringing joy is deeply worthy? What if helping someone laugh—or feel better about life—is a reflection of God’s own character?

Jesus wept—but he also ate with friends, told stories, and turned water into wine at a wedding to keep the party going.

Humour, used well, can heal. It disarms. It creates space for harder truths. It helps us carry the weight of the world without being crushed by it.

So, if you’re a Christian writer who leans toward whimsy, wit, or warmth—if your stories bring peace, hope, or delight...

Keep going. You’re doing holy work, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.

Speaking of joy (and murder)

My new book is coming out soon—Mostly Dead, the second in my Ruthless-the-Killer Mystery series. It’s got Easter mayhem, loyal friendships, a slow-burn romance, and the above-mentioned cockatoo with no filter. All set in coastal South Australia.

If you haven’t read book one Dead Ahead yet, the good news is it’s FREE today (24 July) as part of the Cozy Mystery Book Blast. 

The free price should go live Pacific time in the US (after 4.30pm Australian time), so check back later if it’s still at the regular price.

There are over a hundred full-length cozy mysteries available from all around the world.

👉 Click here to grab Dead Ahead and other Book Blast titles for free

And if it makes you smile—or snort—let me know. You’ll make my day.

Happy writing—and reading!

PS: Do you write on the lighter side of life? Let me know what inspires you in the comments below.

Pardon my ChatGPT

We've clearly entered a whole new phase of communication and creativity with the introduction of artificial intelligence. Its potential drawbacks have been so well documented, I'll simply gloss over a few here. First and foremost, the authenticity of each and every written and artistic medium may be in doubt, now that clever, artificially generated fakes become increasingly harder to spot. It has never been easier for students and professionals alike to lazily cut corners. One need only collate a list of rough bullet points and type, 'Arrange this into an essay or article,' and voila! 

Saddest of all, I predict this may influence and shape human nature in new ways, by triggering a rise of skepticism and suspicion. We don't need a new generation of cynics who instinctively doubt the validity of anything they read. This is surely no less dangerous than its flip side, nations of gullible naĩfs who are willing to swept away by any wind blowing. 

However, artificial intelligence has arrived and it's here to stay. Rather than dwelling on the gloomier aspects and refusing to have anything to do with it, I urge fellow writers to maximize its benefits, for we can do this in honest ways which merely enhance our own hard work and have nothing to do with cheating, or cruising along pretending that we've written something we haven't.

Here comes a short list of potential benefits to get us started.         

  1) It is absolutely brilliant for weeding anachronisms out of historical fiction. 

A total game-changer, in fact. If ever I have any doubts, I ask my AI friend, 'Would the term.... have been used back in the year....?' or something similar. Not only am I given straight yes or no answers but also explanations why. And then as a bonus, it suggests more period-authentic alternatives. As a lifelong reader, I always sense that these new options make my characters' dialogue far more accurate, and verifying it with Google simply proves it. This is probably my Number One reason for consulting ChatGPT. As you can imagine, it saves so much time I used to spend on elusive etymological searches which often ended up with nothing conclusive. This is wonderful since time is valuable. 

2) It is also excellent for providing specific details regarding any time and place.

I'm talking about such knowledge as costume, housing, daily habits, state of technological advances, whether or not famous landmarks had already been constructed. The answers I receive tend to be geographically specific too. 'Although this invention was widely known in Australia, it was not a feature of the average American lifestyle.' I've had many surprises which I've used to shape and adjust my stories. How can I not be thankful for such valuable help?

The ChatGPT's superior knowledge comes in handy many times.

'Throw me some car models a well-to-do American businessman might have driven in New York City in 1954.' 

'Did Monopoly exist back in 18--? No? That's a pity for my story. Then tell me some board games which may have been played by teenagers at that time.' 

'Suggest some cake flavors the mother of a large brood of six might have taken to a potluck dinner in 1878.'

'Would (suggest a particular tree) be found growing in the climate of (suggest a particular town or city in the world)' 

Not only am I offered extensive lists, ChatGPT usually inquires, 'Would you like to see a photograph/recipe/pattern from this era? Sometimes I respond, 'Sure, why not.' 

I'm certain that along with saving me hours of time which I would have spent crawling down the frustrating rabbit holes of normal Google, it's enriched my writing. That's the reason I tended to stick to contemporary fiction in my early years of writing. If AI had been available back then, I would have tried my hand at historical stories even earlier. 

(Given all this, I would add the caution that it's best to check the information you receive with normal Google, because ChatGPT is like that unreliable friend who hates admitting, 'I don't know.' It would rather make something up than lose face. This was evident when I asked it about my own writing and publication history, and it came up with a fantastic combo of fact and fiction.)

3) It even has a sense of humor. 

For example, I was recently looking up the horrific evidence of jellied salad molds from the 1950s and my ChatGPT referred to their 'unfortunate sliminess.' And if you ask it specifically for jokes, it's willing to rise to the occasion.

4) It makes a fairly satisfactory cheerleader in a pinch.

This is where things start getting a bit weird. Settling back on the consulting couch of a robot sounds like the stuff of science fiction, right? But real life is edging steadily closer. 

I had no inkling that people used it for this sort of thing until I heard some friends rave about its effectiveness, and also stumbled across some articles proclaiming the same benefits. Hmm, could artificial intelligence really save financially straitened people from forking out money on human professionals? Can we really receive prompt tailored advice from our ChatGPT friend rather than taking on board the more general guidance from self help books? Is it possible for consolation to be found at our tapping fingertips, if the people we rub shoulders with don't quite understand where we're coming from? 

To put it to the test, I typed in something like, 'I'm a published novelist, who also dabbles in anonymous fanfiction and can't help wondering if this is a step backwards.'

Well, the first thing my ChatGPT told me is that my feelings are perfectly valid (it is always extremely kind) and the upshot is that it created this fanfiction author's mission statement for me. I could've easily come up with something of this nature myself, but the fact that I didn't have to is sort of touching. 

My Fanfiction Mission Statement

I write fanfiction because I love these stories, these characters and this world.

This space is mine - free from deadlines, expectations and market rules. Here, I write not to build a brand but to honor the joy that made me a writer in the first place.

Every sentence I write in this world is a small act of rebellion and affection. It doesn't need to be profitable or seen by thousands to matter. It matters because it brings me peace, excitement, and expression. 

Behind this pseudonym is a true writer, one who deserves to create freely, to make mistakes, to take risks, to dream. 

This is not a lesser path. It is a parallel one. And it is valid, beautiful and worthwhile. 

Not bad encouragement from a chatbot buddy, although I certainly don't intend to make a habit of baring my soul to it. The thing about artificial encouragement of this nature, is that it may strike home, or serve as course correction. Often when we find ourselves in a blue funk, it may be simply that our thinking has gone a bit askew. ChatGPT isn't a blanket solution for all sorts of serious problems, of course, but if you're anything like me, transient moods cast more shadows than they're worth. If it merely takes the personally tailored perspective of ChatGPT to shake us back into optimism, then why not give it a go?  

Paula Vince is a South Australian author of award-winning fiction with themes of faith, family, and inspiration. Formerly from the Adelaide Hills, she now lives along the beautiful coast of Adelaide with her family. Paula loves to use her local environment as settings for her stories. She also enjoys the challenge of making readers care from abrasive and unlikeable characters.

Why it took 18 years to publish my book

By Susan Barnes

On 19 June 2007, I posted a blog post (here). The post contained five statements about Jesus. These five statements became ten, and eventually became the ten chapters in my book, 10 Blessings of God. (The book was originally called 10 Things I Love About God.) I probably finished the first draft of the book later that year, that is in 2007, 18 years ago. 

Why did it take me so long to publish? 

1st Reason – I actually didn’t want to write a book

Most authors write the types of books they would like to read. When I came to faith as a teenager, I knew very little about being a Christian as I didn’t come from a churched home. I began reading Christian Living books. I’m an avid reader, so I read lots and lots of them. 

After a while, I realised that 99% of these books were written by American males who were university graduates. Often, they pastored large churches and were well-known. 

Given that I was none of these things and never likely to be, I felt writing and publishing a book wasn’t a viable option for me. I also realised that many of these authors were involved in their own marketing and doing a lot of public speaking, which wasn’t appealing either.

Two years before the blog post, that is, in 2005, we had moved to Gisborne. We were going on long service leave in a couple of months, so there was no point in me looking for a job or getting overly involved in our new church. Our older children had already left home, and our youngest was 18 and didn’t move with us. I had recently finished a Diploma in Library and Information Services, and I wasn’t planning to do any more study. I literally had nothing to do. 

So I prayed about what God wanted me to do and the idea of writing a book came to mind but I kept dismissing it. After a while, I thought perhaps this idea was from God. So I proceeded to tell God why it was a very bad idea! “I’m an Australian female. I’m unknown. The Australian Christian publishing industry is tiny.” I also told God that I didn’t have anything to write about.

Suddenly, I was reminded that over the previous ten years, I had written fortnightly and sometimes weekly devotions. I knew that I wrote on particular themes, like love, grace, peace, hope. So I printed off my devotions and put them into piles according to their topic. From these ideas, I wrote a chapter about each topic. Three months later, I had a book-length manuscript. Something I had thought impossible.

After this process, I had so many devotions left over that two years later, I wrote a second book, which became 10 Blessings of God. I still have the original manuscript on my computer, and maybe I’ll publish that next year.

Once I had a manuscript, I started looking at publishing options. 

2nd Reason – I discovered I wasn’t a good writer

Perhaps this should have been obvious to me as I was only an average English student. Generally, my essays scored Cs. I was actually much better at Maths.

I began showing my book to editors. I remember one editor saying to me, about what I thought was a particularly clever sentence, “That’s the most awkward sentence I’ve ever read!” 

About this time. a literary agent did show some interest but told me my book required too much editing.

However, the most disturbing thing I was told about my writing was that I was quoting too many other people. I was hiding behind other people’s experiences instead of sharing my own. 

In retrospect, I wonder why I kept writing. But it was partly because I knew that people had been blessed by the devotions I had written. And also, because I discovered I liked hanging around the Christian authors I met at the Omega Writers events. I found like-minded people and I felt a bond with them. 

I heard a conference speaker once say, you can learn to be a better writer, but if your content isn’t very good, that’s a much harder problem to solve, so there was hope.

It took a lot of time and work to improve my writing. It wasn’t easy because there aren’t courses or workshops you can take for learning how to write a Christian Living book. 

The other issue of being able to write about my own experiences, instead of borrowing from other people's, also took a lot of time and energy. I had to work through some emotional issues to get to that place.

3rd Reason – I really didn’t want to self-publish 

I was around when self-publishing became a ‘thing’, and it wasn’t good. A lot of poor-quality books flooded the market, and I didn’t want to be part of that. So I persisted for over a decade to get traditionally published. 

During this time, through a series of unexpected events, I went back to study and completed a bachelor's degree in Christian ministry. Later, I completed a Graduate Certificate in Writing through Tabor College. 

Also, during this time, there was a five-year period where I was an interim pastor at three different churches. I preached my way through, 10 Blessings of God, a couple of times. So I felt it was worthwhile writing it, even if it never got published. 

I continued attending conferences, meeting agents, editors and publishers. I wrote book proposals and cover letters. Mostly, I was writing to Americans, so I had my book edited into US English, which makes me feel like a bit of a traitor! However, since 2005, when I started a blog, I’ve always had a lot more visits from Americans than Australians. 

In 2020, at an Omega Christian Writers Conference, my book, won the prize for the best unpublished manuscript, but it wasn’t enough to convince me that my book was good enough to self-publish.

In 2022, I spoke to an acquisition editor from England at another Omega Writers Conference who was genuinely interested in publishing my book. We corresponded for the next couple of months, but in the end, the editorial board decided my book wasn’t financially viable. 

Nevertheless, the fact that a completely objective, unbiased person wanted to publish my book made me realise that my book was, at long last, good enough to be published.

However, by now, we had moved back to Bendigo, and I had been fortunate to pick up a school librarian position. And while it was a good job and I felt blessed to have it, the position was taxing, both physically and mentally. I quickly realised that I would have to wait until I retired to publish my book. 

In February of this year, I retired, and now, finally, I have a published book. It’s published under my business name, Reams of Grace. 

Author Bio

Susan Barnes has thirty years of experience in pastoral ministry, serving in various roles at different churches where her husband, Ross, was the pastor. Since earning a degree in Christian ministry, Susan has served as a chaplain and an interim pastor at rural churches in Vic and NSW. Books have always been an important part of her life, and she worked for many years in public and school libraries. 

Susan has published hundreds of devotional articles where she shares her experiences of trusting God. She lives with her husband in central Victoria, Australia. 

 www.susanbarneswriter.com

The Joy of Writing - by Jo-Anne Berthelsen

Recently, I welcomed my eleventh book into the world – God Moments: 101 little lessons for life’s journey, published by Authentic Media UK, Grounded in Scripture and grouped under various headings such as ‘On God’s Love and Grace’, ‘On Connecting with God’ and ‘On Loving and Serving Others’, each brief devotional this volume contains encourages us, in the midst of the ordinary events of our lives, to open our hearts to our extraordinary God. Of course, this is an especially joyful time for me as I share these reflections based on some of the hundreds of weekly blogs I have written over many years more widely. But the joy I find in writing in general is even wider and deeper. It is ongoing, ever-changing, at times surprising – and truly life-giving.

I am often asked why I still keep writing, after over twenty years of focusing much of my energy in this area. All I know is that, when I am not writing, I feel something is missing. I may take an occasional break, but then those ideas begin to flow again and I feel the urge to express them in some way that will hopefully connect with others, enrich their lives and draw them closer to God. Of course, the things I desire to write about and that I feel God wants me to share may change over the years. I have loved writing each of my seven novels, for example, but, right now, I am not working on another one. That may change in the future, but, in more recent times, I have felt God urging me to write my four non-fiction books instead, sharing insights and experiences God has graciously given me over many years. At this point, I cannot envisage a time when I will give up writing my weekly blogs and linking them to Facebook each Tuesday. No doubt, that day will come, but in the meantime, I keep writing – and keep listening to God’s promptings for what I am to write next.

When I am writing, it seems to me that I am somehow being filled up inside. I feel as if I am being all I can be for God in that moment, as if God truly wants me to get those words out there in some form to share with others. Yes, some days I can become stuck as to what direction to go in whatever I am writing. At times, I may even end up throwing out much of what I have laboured over. But, even in that, there is a sense of satisfaction and deep fulfilment that I am crafting something others may appreciate and that, as I persevere, what I write will become even better. It is as if I am partnering with God in it all as I let that creativity flow – and that truly can be a joyous experience.

It is a special joy when the words we have woven together are published in some form. Yet, whether this happens when and how we envisage or not, there is still deep joy to be found in the whole process, I believe. May this truly be your experience as writers too as you continue to create those special works God has inspired you to create and hopefully share with others.

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.