Write What You Don’t Know

When we attend writers’ conferences, we’ll hear some common expressions. 

Show, don’t tell. 

Kill your darlings. 

Study the form. 

One that I’ve been noodling over recently is this: write what you know. But after writing for more than forty years for the Christian publishing industry, I think that sounds boring. Shouldn’t our writing challenge us intellectually, so that we are deeply studying God’s Word and relying upon him as we put words on the screen? Perhaps we should instead write what we don’t know . . . yet.

If this idea intrigues you, perhaps this process will challenge you. 

Be curious. I’ve been reading through the Bible each year now for a long time. I enter my reading cave as a miner would—daily looking for the gold in God’s Word. Words pique my interest, and I’ll look up their origins. I’ll study cross-references and often turn to commentaries for greater understanding. Every day I ask God to show me new insights . . . and what he would like me to share with others. 

For example, a few years ago I wondered if it’s possible that there could be different praying personalities. Instead of just writing that book off the top of my head, I searched the Bible from cover to cover to see how biblical people prayed. It was fascinating to me to see how differently those people approached God. So those studies became the foundation of my book Praying Personalities: Finding Your Natural Prayer Style (Kregel, 2024).

Spiritual curiosity is important for fiction authors too. I’ve heard Francine Rivers say more than once that ideas for her bestselling novels originate from something she has read in the Bible. So I know it can inspire fiction writers as well as nonfiction writers like me. 

Say something new. I coach writers and teach at a lot of conferences across the country. I’ve heard many of their back stories they sense God wants them to share with others in a book. They’ve known something like fear well, and they’ve overcome that past and found wholeness. 

That’s great, but I’d like to challenge us all to write something that has not yet been done. For example, there are over eighty books on Amazon with Faith Over Fear as a title. Eighty. Yes, each of those authors is bringing his or her experience to the teaching, but the subject probably has been handled well. 

How about these titles instead: When Faith Feels Fragile or Braver Than You Feel? Perhaps we don’t overcome fear by trying harder. Perhaps we overcome fear by knowing God more intimately. We see what God does, instead of what we have done. That approach has a slight twist—which could make it stand out from what already exists. 

I encourage writers to set aside their experience and see what the Word says about the subject—find those chunks of Scripture that will provide meat for their books. Let it speak the truth, instead of doing the reverse: cherry-picking Bible verses to prove out our personal experience. 

Ask God for wisdom. Writing what we don’t know yet is scary. We will find ourselves in a discomfort zone. We step out of our league writing-wise, which is exactly where we should be. I like to encourage people to pray beyond their reach—to ask God to do what seems impossible, not for personal gain but for God’s glory. I now ask for the same with my writing projects because then I am completely dependent upon God’s Word for my book’s blueprint and the Spirit for insight into the teachings. 

God gladly gives wisdom to those who seek him (James 1:5). And when we willingly give ourselves to him for this ministry, he will help us bring words to the page that will inspire others to come to him and deepen their walk. So, Speak Up friend, write what you don’t know . . . yet. It will probably be the best thing you ever write.

Question:  What idea intrigues you—something you don’t quite understand yet but would love to explore in a book? I look forward to reading your comments.

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