The Writers Bloc Podcast

Marketing your writing can sometimes feel like tossing good work into the social media void and hoping someone sees it before it disappears.But Pinterest works differently.In this episode of The Writers’ Bloc Podcast, Cara talks with Pinterest marketing strategist and educator Heather Farris about how writers can use Pinterest as a search engine to help readers discover their work—and keep discovering it long after it’s published.Heather shares practical strategies for using Pinterest to promote blog posts, Substack newsletters, podcast episodes, books, and email freebies without turning Pinterest into another social media platform you have to constantly maintain.You’ll learn:* Why Pinterest functions more like a search engine than social media* How to find the keywords your readers are already searching for* How one piece of writing can become multiple Pinterest pins* What makes an effective Pinterest image, title, and description* How to organize Pinterest boards around the topics you write about* How Pinterest can help grow your email list* How bloggers, Substack writers, podcasters, and authors can use the platform* A simple way to start using Pinterest without adding hours to your weekly workload* Why evergreen discovery may make Pinterest especially valuable for writers tired of the constant social media cycleHeather also walks through what she recommends for writers who are brand new to Pinterest—including how to set up your profile, choose your first boards, create reusable templates, and evaluate what’s working.If you’ve wondered whether Pinterest still matters—or whether it could actually help more readers find your work—this conversation will give you a practical place to begin.You can learn more and even hire Heather at www.heatherfarris.comIf you want to learn more about the Writers’ Bloc, join our community, or learn more about growing your writing platform, visit www.mywritersbloc.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe

What do we do with grief when the words won’t come—or when they won’t stop coming?In this episode of The Writers’ Bloc Podcast, I’m joined by writer, journaling guide, and founder of The Pen and Mend Collective, Kristin Vanderlip, for a thoughtful conversation about grief, lament, journaling, and the healing power of putting words on the page.After experiencing the devastating loss of her first child, followed closely by the death of her father and other seasons of deep grief, Kristin discovered journaling as one part of a larger journey toward healing and hope.We talk about why biblical lament gives Christians permission to bring our whole hearts before God, how journaling can help us notice and name what we’re feeling, and why healthy processing requires more than simply rehearsing our pain.We also explore the connection between our inner lives and our creative lives—including the possibility that writer’s block isn’t always a craft problem. Sometimes fear, grief, exhaustion, insecurity, or an unprocessed emotion may be asking for our attention first.In this conversation, we discuss:• Why lament is not the opposite of faith• How journaling can help us process grief and difficult emotions• The difference between healthy reflection and rumination• Why our emotions aren’t the enemy—but shouldn’t be our ultimate guide• How to move from emotional honesty toward hope in God• Writing for catharsis vs. writing for an audience• Why writers may need to “write it for themselves” before crafting it for others• What writer’s block may reveal about our internal lives• Giving ourselves permission to write differently in seasons of grief• Kristin’s Rest: A Journal for Lament and Rise: A Journal for PerseveranceIf you’ve ever wondered how writing can help you process what you’re carrying—or how to bring grief honestly before God without getting stuck there—this conversation is for you.CONNECT WITH KRISTIN VANDERLIPKristin Vanderlip: https://kristinvanderlip.com/The Pen and Mend CollectiveExplore Kristin’s journals, resources, and free journaling tools on her website.JOIN THE WRITERS’ BLOCCome write, learn, and grow alongside a community of Christian writers: mywritersbloc.comIf this conversation encouraged you, subscribe to The Writers’ Bloc Podcast, leave a comment, and share this episode with another writer who might need it.#ChristianWriters #Journaling #ChristianWriting #WritingCommunity #BiblicalLament #GriefAndHealing #WritersBlock #FaithAndWriting #ChristianCreatives #TheWritersBloc This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe

How does an author write 4–5 books a year, work across multiple genres, collaborate with bestselling authors, and still have creative energy left?In this episode of The Writers’ Bloc Podcast, I’m talking with USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Tricia Goyer about the habits, systems, and mindset behind her remarkably prolific writing life.Tricia shares how she has learned to follow where God is leading rather than feeling pressured to stay in one writing “lane.” We talk about how she manages multiple ideas and projects, collaborates with other authors, protects her mental bandwidth, and uses structure to make the writing process faster and more effective.We also get into:✍️ How Tricia produces 4–5 books a year✍️ Why she writes across so many different genres✍️ Her collaborations with authors like Max Lucado, Ken Blanchard, and Robin Jones Gunn✍️ Her wonderfully simple “plop method” for drafting nonfiction✍️ Why understanding structure can make you a faster writer✍️ How she decides which opportunities to say yes—and no—to✍️ Why worry can become a major drain on your creative energy✍️ Writing in focused 20–25 minute blocks✍️ Listening to readers to discover what they actually need✍️ Trusting God with both open and closed doors in your writing lifeIf you’ve ever wondered how prolific writers actually get the work done—or you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the ideas, responsibilities, and distractions competing for your attention—this conversation will encourage you to simplify, trust God, and faithfully work on the next thing in front of you.CONNECT WITH TRICIA GOYERWebsite: https://triciagoyer.com/Instagram: instagram.com/triciagoyerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/authortriciagoyer/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/triciagoyerTHE FINISH LINE INTENSIVETricia and Amber Lia are hosting an in-person writing intensive October 22–25, 2026, in Benton, Arkansas, designed to help writers start, sustain, or finish their books.Learn more: https://form.jotform.com/261874550064055—ABOUT THE WRITERS’ BLOCThe Writers’ Bloc is a community for Christian writers who want to grow in their craft, pursue publication faithfully, and use their words in service to God and others.Learn more and join us at:https://mywritersbloc.com/Subscribe for more conversations with authors, editors, publishers, and writing professionals who can help you become a better and more faithful writer.#TriciaGoyer #ChristianWriters #WritingTips #ChristianAuthors #WritingCommunity #Authors #WritingLife #TheWritersBloc This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of The Writers’ Bloc Podcast, Cara Ray talks with author and The Love Offering Podcast host Rachael Adams about one of the most important tools writers can use to grow their audience: lead magnets.But a great lead magnet isn't simply a way to collect email addresses. It's an opportunity to serve your readers, solve a real problem, begin a relationship, and invite people into your community.Rachael shares what's worked for her—from collaborative devotionals and quizzes to seasonal resources, QR codes, email sequences, and evergreen freebies—and how writers can start building an email list without overcomplicating the process.In this conversation, we talk about:* What a lead magnet is and why writers need one* How to discover what your audience actually wants* Lead magnet ideas you can create without starting from scratch* Why your email list matters more than social media followers* How collaborations can help introduce you to new audiences* Quizzes, devotionals, checklists, calendars, challenges, and other freebie ideas* What to send after someone downloads your freebie* Why unsubscribes aren't necessarily bad* Building an audience slowly, faithfully, and sustainably* If growing your platform feels overwhelming, Rachael offers a helpful reminder: start small, serve people well, stay consistent, and play the long game.ABOUT RACHAEL ADAMSRachael Adams is an author, speaker, and host of The Love Offering Podcast. She is the author of A Little Goes a Long Way and Everyday Prayers for Love, and her work has appeared in outlets including Crosswalk, Proverbs 31 Ministries, YouVersion, and more. You can find her at rachaelkadams.com or on Instagram and Facebook at @rachaeladamsauthor🎙️ ABOUT THE WRITERS’ BLOCThe Writers’ Bloc is a community for Christian writers who want to grow in their craft, connect with other writers, and faithfully steward the words God has given them.Subscribe for more conversations with authors, editors, publishers, and writing professionals—and practical encouragement for your writing life. You can learn more about us and join as a FREE or PREMIUM member at mywritersbloc.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe

What if the reason writing feels so hard has less to do with discipline and more to do with the way God designed your brain?In this episode of The Writers’ Bloc Podcast, Cara sits down with Ashriel Huber — founder of Called and Curious, host of the Called and Curious podcast, and creator of Love Moves, a six-minute inside-out makeover that helps women reconnect with peace, beauty, and truth through gentle movement, guided reflection, and faith-rooted encouragement.Ashriel calls herself “the neuroscience girl for normal people on Tuesdays,” and in this conversation she shows why faith and neuroscience belong in the same room. Scripture tells us to renew our minds, and neuroscience offers a glimpse into how God designed that renewal to actually happen. Together we explore why so many writers get stuck, how to move from the fear brain into the love brain, and why real transformation begins with identity long before it shows up on the page.We also talk about building something beautiful in the middle of the wilderness — starting, like the tabernacle, from the inside out — and why no writer needs another motivational quote to keep going.In this episode: — How a kindergarten classroom sent Ashriel on a decade-long journey into behavioral neuroscience — Why faith and neuroscience are companions rather than competitors — The difference between your fear brain and your love brain — How identity, not effort, becomes the source of lasting change — Practical ways to reset your body and brain before you writeConnect with Ashriel:Website: calledandcurious.comExplore her free Love Moves, the Called and Curious podcast, and her membership — a portable “Love Moves gym” for your nervous system.Join us inside The Writers’ Bloc: Ashriel returns for a live teaching where we’ll build a Creative Writer’s Mission Statement together and walk through a creative reset you can use before every writing session.Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and share this one with a writer who needs the encouragement to keep creating what God has called her to make. Join the Writers Bloc at www.mywritersbloc.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of The Writers’ Bloc Podcast, I sit down with author and Bible teacher Glenna Marshall to talk about her newest book, Praying in Pain, and the sixteen-year journey with chronic illness that shaped it. Glenna shares what it was like to go from running and full health to years of undiagnosed, agonizing nighttime pain — and how those long nights taught her to keep praying when healing didn’t come.We talk about why writers so often write the books they once needed, how Glenna wrote Praying in Pain for her twenty-nine-year-old self, and what it means to steward well your suffering so that it serves others.Glenna Marshall is the author of six books, including Everyday Faithfulness, Memorizing Scripture, Known and Loved, and Praying in Pain. She is married to her pastor, William, and is a member of Grace Bible Fellowship in Sikeston, Missouri, where they have served for over twenty years. She teaches a weekly women’s Bible study and leads a discipleship group for teen girls.You can connect with Glenna and join her newsletter at: https://www.glennamarshall.com/newsletter/Grab Glenna’s Book, Praying in Pain here.If you enjoyed this conversation, would you do us a favor and subscribe, share, and/or leave a review? Every bit helps us spread the message of writing with art and heart to more people!Be sure to subscribe to the Writers’ Bloc Podcast here and never miss an episode!This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and episodes, be sure to subscribe to the Writers’ Bloc Podcast below! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe

Your manuscript could be flawless, and readers still might not give it a chance—because the cover never invited them in. This week on The Writer’s Bloc Podcast, I’m joined by graphic designer Kaycee Parker of KP Communications, who’s spent over a decade helping authors and churches communicate with clarity through design.Kaycee brings a rare dual perspective to this conversation: she’s a working designer and a self-published author who’s hired out her own book covers, even though design is her day job. We talk about why so many writers pour thousands of hours into their manuscripts and then try to save a few hundred dollars on presentation—and why that trade-off rarely pays off. Kaycee makes the case that good design isn’t vanity; it’s stewardship. It removes barriers so a God-given message can actually reach the reader it’s meant for.We dig into how author branding actually gets built, the most common (and avoidable) mistakes self-published authors make with their own covers, and where a tight budget should go first if you can’t do it all. Kaycee also gives us a preview of what she’ll be unpacking in much greater depth with our paid community on Thursday: five practical, no-design-degree-required ways to strengthen your book’s design.If you’ve ever felt like the writing is the “real” work and design is just an afterthought, this episode will change how you think about that.What’s in this episode:* Why presentation can make or break a book—and why skimping on it to save money usually backfires* A theology of design as stewardship: removing barriers so your message can be received* The #1 mistake self-published authors make with their own cover design* Why Kaycee, a professional designer, still hires out her own book covers* Realistic pricing, timing, and what to invest in first on a limited budget* A preview of Kaycee’s upcoming Writers’ Bloc teaching: five practical ways to improve your book designConnect with Kaycee at:kpcommunications.net🎙️ Subscribe to The Writers’ Bloc Podcast.🖊️ To access Kaycee’s teaching, and many others, join our Premium community at mywritersbloc.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe

What does it look like to offer your words as an act of worship — not just to an audience, but to the church?In this episode of The Writers’ Bloc podcast, Cara sits down with her own worship leader and songwriter, Josh Sellers — Director of Worship at Christ Church in Mesa, Arizona — for a conversation that moves from Canadian Idol to a leper colony in India, from co-writing in Nashville to the four women who accidentally wrote “I Speak Jesus.”Josh shares how God redirected his hunger for fame into a calling to lead people into the weight and richness of God’s presence through biblically rooted songs the church can actually sing. Along the way, he talks honestly about what it takes to write well — for the church, with a team, and from a place of theological conviction rather than platform ambition.Whether you write words on a page or words set to music, this episode is a reminder that what you put your life to matters — and God will use it.In this episode:* Josh’s journey from Canadian Idol to full-time vocational ministry* How getting saved in India changed everything* The theology behind writing songs for the church (not just for yourself)* Practical wisdom on co-writing, publishing, and building a songwriting culture* Why you don’t have to be famous — or even a good singer — to write something God usesConnect with Josh: Vintage Worship on Spotify | Wings Music This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe

I’ve been sitting with this conversation since we recorded it — and I keep coming back to the moment Thomas compared a well-written AI prompt to the book of First Timothy. Paul opens with identity (I, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ), then establishes the recipient and their role, then gives detailed instructions. Thomas’s point was quiet but clarifying: the better you can articulate who you are, what you want, and what faithful execution looks like, the better any tool — human or AI — can serve your goals.That’s the spirit of this whole conversation.Thomas Umstattd Jr. is the CEO of Author Media, host of the Novel Marketing Podcast and The Christian Publishing Show, and someone who has spent nearly two decades helping writers build platforms and sell books with integrity. He’s also become one of the most grounded, practically wise voices I know on AI — not because he’s enthusiastic about every new thing, but because he understands the landscape clearly and isn’t afraid to name what’s actually happening.We talked about why AI is already embedded in every tool you use, why the question isn’t whether to engage with it but how, and — most helpfully for the writers in this community — what tools are actually worth your time and trust.A few things that stayed with me: the “paragraphs, not sentences” principle (most of us are prompting AI the way we Google, and it’s producing weak results because of it); the very real theological bias built into ChatGPT and Claude and why Grok’s commitment to truth-seeking makes it behave differently; and the story of Cosmo — an AI trained so thoroughly on the Western canon that it quietly became Christian without anyone intending it to.There’s also a sober, helpful section on ethics: what publishers allow, what none of them do, and why wisdom in this space requires thinking beyond permissions to what actually serves your readers and preserves your voice.Thomas shares where to find his Patron Toolbox (AI tools built specifically for authors), his free Micaiah Mode prompt, and the practical steps for moving from ChatGPT to a model that works better for your writing.Find Thomas at:* authormedia.com — his main hub, including all three podcasts and the Patron Toolbox* novelmarketing.com — the Novel Marketing Podcast* thomasumstattd.com — his personal site* social.authormedia.com — where you can find the free Micaiah Mode project instructions This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe

What If the Key to Growing Your Platform Is Linking Arms Instead of Striving Harder?Becky Beresford never planned to be a writer. A special needs mama navigating postpartum depression, she found herself with a passion for discipling women and no way to get out of the house to do it. So she picked up her pen — and everything changed.In this conversation, Cara sits down with Becky Beresford — writer, speaker, coach, and author of She Believed He Could, So She Did (Moody, 2024) — to talk about one of the most underutilized tools in a Christian writer’s toolkit: collaboration.Becky shares how intentional partnerships with other writers helped her grow her platform, build her email list, land a literary agent, and launch her book — not through hustle, but through the simple, biblical conviction that we are better together than we are alone.In this conversation, you’ll discover:* How writing became a ministry when Becky couldn’t leave her home* Why your email newsletter outperforms social media every time* Practical, low-pressure ways to start collaborating — including email swaps, giveaways, bundles, and launch teams* How to find trustworthy creative partners who share your values* Why collaboration is obedience, not just strategy“We don’t have to do it alone. We’re not supposed to.”Whether you’re just starting out or years into your writing journey, this conversation will encourage you to take one small, faithful step toward another writer this week.🎧 Listen now — and don’t miss Becky’s extended solo teaching inside the Writers’ Bloc Teaching Archives, where she goes even deeper into the practical architecture of Christian collaboration.Follow Becky at www.beckyberesford.comFor more information on the Writers’ Bloc, visit: www.mywritersbloc.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe

What if building your writer platform didn’t have to feel fake, forced, or exhausting?In this conversation with Kimberley Grabas, we talk about:• Why most writers approach platform-building backward• The difference between platform, branding, marketing, and tactics• How to identify your ideal reader• Why “niching down” can feel impossible for creative people• How to market your work without becoming pushy or performative• and why the best brands are built from authenticity, not imitationOne of my favorite moments was when Kimberley said creative people naturally resist being squeezed into “a tiny little box.” Instead of flattening your personality, a healthy platform helps you clarify what threads already run through your work.This episode will especially encourage writers who feel overwhelmed by social media, unsure of their message, or afraid they have “too many interests.”Watch now and let us know in the comments:What part of building a writer platform feels hardest for you right now?To connect with Kimberely about how to position your writer platform, visit her at: https://yourwriterplatform.com/  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit writersblocpod.substack.com/subscribe