The Purposeful Pen Podcast

About The Purposeful Pen Podcast

Are you a Christian writer who is trying to figure out your next steps in communicating the message God has given you? Or maybe you love to write, but you aren't sure what exactly is the message you have to offer others or who needs to hear what you have to say. In this podcast for Christian writers, you'll hear a mix of practical help and Biblical truth to help you build a writing life with eternal impact. amylynnsimon.substack.com (https://amylynnsimon.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Build a Writing Life with Eternal Impact

Category

arts · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Dec 2022

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

157 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Episode 156: Is Promoting Your Writing Prideful as Christian?

   Does promoting your writing make you prideful? Many Christian writers quietly believe it does, and that belief keeps good writing from reaching the people who need it. In this episode, we continue our look at faulty mindsets by defining what “promoting our work” actually means, comparing it to boasting, and asking whether we should simply pray and let God bring the readers. We also look at how clear titles and a focused message serve readers and help them find us. In this episode, we talk about * Defining our terms: promotion as placing our writing where readers can find it, not announcing how great our writing is * Why marketing is a way of serving our reader, not boasting * The “God should do the promotion” objection, and why He typically works through natural means * Lessons from raising ministry support with Cru, and how George Mueller’s situation differs from ours * The argument that Jesus never promoted His ministry, and how He still went where the people were * Why writing that solves a problem or meets a need is easier for readers to find and benefit from * Where personal stories and encouragement-focused writing fit Key takeaway Getting our writing into a place and format where our ideal reader can find it and benefit from it is another way we serve that reader, which is the reason we write for others in the first place. Reflect on this week What is your next step toward writing for a specific reader and placing that writing where they can find it? Resources mentioned * “Simple SEO for Christian Writers” course by Jana Carlson (https://janacarlson.com/simple-seo-for-christian-writers/) * Podcast Episode 44, interview with Jana Carlson on SEO (https://amylynnsimon.substack.com/p/episode-44-how-to-be-a-writer-without?r=2rp40v&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web) Connect * Subscribe to Pen Points, our weekly email newsletter (http://www.amylynnsimon.com/pen-points) * Download the Christian Writers’ Mindset Makeover (http://www.amylynnsimon.com/makeover) * Learn more about coaching and resources: amylynnsimon.com (http://www.amylynnsimon.com) The Purposeful Pen is a weekly podcast for Christian writers designed to help you build a writing life with eternal impact. Each week you’ll hear practical tips and Biblical truth on topics such as improving your writing, honing your message, and managing your time. I always respond to listener emails and I’d love to hear from you! Amysimon@amylynnsimon.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amylynnsimon.substack.com (https://amylynnsimon.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Episode 155: Is It Up to Me or Up to God? Effort, Faith, and Marketing Your Writing

   Many faulty mindsets sit on top of an exaggeration or an oversimplification. This episode looks at one of them: the question of how much of our writing for God is our effort and how much is God’s work. We explore the image of co-creating with God, then apply it to the area where this mindset shows up most, which is marketing and promoting our writing. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why neither extreme holds up: “all God, no effort” or “all me, no God” * What co-creating with God looks like: abiding, time in Scripture and prayer, then writing while asking for wisdom * Why the “let God promote my work” mindset is so common, including discomfort, uncertainty about how to market, pride concerns, and imposter syndrome * Why using promotion as a test of whether God values your work is problematic * How to see marketing as a way to serve your readers rather than something separate from your calling * What it looks like to approach marketing the way you approach writing: abiding, praying, working, and trusting God with the results Key takeaways * You don’t need a magic formula or a percentage split of effort and faith. Co-creating with God is the guiding picture. * If you want to write for others, getting your writing in front of them is an integral part of the process. * God typically works through normal, natural processes. We do the work and He blesses those efforts, or doesn’t. * Marketing is a way to help readers find what you’re offering them, and it’s part of glorifying God and building up the Body of Christ. * Secular marketing methods have plenty to teach us, but they should be followed prayerfully. * Uncomfortable doesn’t mean wrong. It just means uncomfortable. Resources: Sign up for Pen Points (http://www.amylynnsimon.com/pen-points), a weekly email to encourage you in your writing. Download the Christian Writer’s Mindset Makeover. (http://www.amylynnsimon.com/makeover) The Purposeful Pen is a weekly podcast for Christian writers designed to help you build a writing life with eternal impact. Each week you’ll hear practical tips and Biblical truth on topics such as improving your writing, honing your message, and managing your time. I always respond to listener emails and I’d love to hear from you! Amysimon@amylynnsimon.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amylynnsimon.substack.com (https://amylynnsimon.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Episode 154: From Navy Pilot to Published Author with Ryan Pote

   Ryan Pote was an injured Navy pilot trying to heal from trauma and rebuild his life. His counselor suggested that he journal, but doing so in the first person felt too vulnerable. Instead, he fictionalized his experiences as a way to process his trauma. In this interview, you’ll hear how God used his journaling to bring healing as well as lead him to a personal relationship with Jesus. Those journals also unearthed a love of writing fiction and paved the way for his current career writing thriller novels embedded with biblical truth. More about Ryan Ryan is a twelve-year veteran Navy helicopter pilot and mission commander who was part of a joint interagency special operations task force (JIATF). He did three deployments during Operation MARTILLO countering narcotics smuggling throughout Central and South America.Ryan then served as a search and rescue pilot for the US Navy Experimental Test Wing and NASA. After getting out of the Navy, he was a federal investigator for six years on prototype aircraft development programs. He currently works for the Navy’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Test and Evaluation Squadron as the safety department head.Before the Navy, he lived and worked in Hawaii as a PADI SCUBA Instructor and lab tech researching algal-biofuels for Shell Oil. Ryan’s been the director of an oil company, a bartender, and even a live musician. He attended college at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and earned a master’s degree in US History and Teaching from Ashland University. Books: Blood and Treasure (https://a.co/d/0cTCMRQs) (Berkley 2025), The Ghost City (https://a.co/d/0fsFNGLb) (Berkley 2026), CLIVE CUSSLER The Serpent's Eye (https://a.co/d/00Xg26iu) (Putnam April 2027). Various other projects in print and Hollywood protected by NDA. Find him at https://www.ryanpote.com (https://www.ryanpote.com) and @ryanpotebooks (IG (http://www.instagram.com/ryanpotebooks), FB (http://www.facebook.com/ryanpotebooks), X (https://x.com/ryanpotebooks), Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/ryanpotebooks), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@ryanpotebooks)) The Purposeful Pen is a weekly podcast for Christian writers designed to help you build a writing life with eternal impact. Each week you’ll hear practical tips and Biblical truth on topics such as improving your writing, honing your message, and managing your time. I always respond to listener emails and I’d love to hear from you! Amysimon@amylynnsimon.com Disclaimer: I believe in and approach life (and writing) from a distinctly evangelical Christian perspective, but some of my guests may not. When I interview a guest on a specifically spiritual topic, I do my best to know in advance that I can support their theological stances on the topics that relate to our interview. When the topic is not particularly spiritual, our theological views may differ. My interviewing of guests and providing links to their work does not necessarily indicate a complete theological endorsement of all their written work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amylynnsimon.substack.com (https://amylynnsimon.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Contact The Purposeful Pen Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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