Do you ever wonder, “Who am I to write? What do I have to offer?” If so, you’re not alone. Nearly every writer—new or seasoned—faces imposter syndrome at some point. But as Christian writers, our struggle with doubt is often tied to something deeper: our understanding of our identity in Christ.

In this episode of The Purposeful Pen, we dig into the lie of imposter syndrome and uncover the whole truth that we find in Scripture. Yes, apart from Christ, we have nothing to offer. But in Christ, we are chosen, gifted, and empowered to bear fruit through our words.

You’ll discover:

* The “grain of truth” that makes imposter syndrome so believable.

* How half-truths can twist our thinking into complete untruths.

* The biblical foundation for finding confidence as a writer.

* Practical steps to bring hidden lies to light

If you’ve ever felt unworthy of the call to write, this episode will remind you that your words—rooted in Christ—are a gift of grace to others.

To uncover other faulty mindsets you may be struggling with and replace them with truth from God’s Word, download The Christian Writer’s Mindset 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

What are the keys to creating a sustainable writing life? It will be a little different for each writer, but Jenny Marcelene shares some of the elements of her own diverse writing experience. In this episode, we talk about things such as finding variety in our writing, taking a Sabbath, and the importance of prayer and our time with God.

Jenny Marcelene lived cross-culturally for six years. She loves exploring new cultures and encouraging families to treasure Jesus above all else. Her debut children's chapter book series will be released September 30, 2025. Once upon a time she worked as a Kids' Ministry Coordinator for her local church—which catapulted her into writing for young readers. When she’s not chipping away at a fiction book, she writes and edits non-fiction articles.

You can pre-order her book, The Dreamer, here.

You can also find her online at: www.jennymarcelene.com and on Instagram.

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.

“All or nothing” thinking sets a very high bar and then tells us that anything short of reaching that bar is meaningless. Go big or go home. This faulty mindset leaves us feeling discouraged and overwhelmed, and leads us to give up when we don’t need to.

In this episode, I dive deeper into what is behind this thinking, how it affects our writing, and how we can escape it.

If you struggle with other faulty mindsets, such as perfectionism, imposter syndrome, or the idea that promoting our work is prideful, download my free resource, “The Christian Writer’s Mindset Makeover”. You’ll learn what the kernel of truth is in each mindset, how we either exaggerate it or take it to an illogical conclusion, and Bible verses and journaling prompts to correct those mindsets. Download it at 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