Is there a place for me in the Christian writing world? That’s the question I carried with me as I walked into last year’s Southern Christian Writers Conference (SCWC).

I’m no stranger to SCWC. I’ve led workshops on blogging at 3 previous conferences. (And I’ll be speaking at this year’s conference, too.) But this was the first time I’d shown up just as an attendee, which meant I could attend and focus solely on my own writing.

For months, the idea of writing a devotional had been praise dancing through my head. But you can’t write a devotional, I would say to myself. First of all, you’re not a Christian writer, my inner voice said. 

And she’s right. I am not a “Christian writer” by the strict definition of the term, as I don’t write solely for a Christian audience. I’m a journalist and an essayist. I am a Christian and I am a writer but I’m technically not a Christian writer. (Fortunately, SCWC welcomes all writers of faith, regardless of what you write about.)

But that wasn’t the only objection my inner mean girl wanted to raise. 

Who are you to write a devotional? You have never gone to seminary or Bible college. You went years without even going to church. And your liberal, universalist theological views will definitely keep any well-known Christian publisher from working with you. 

What I’m trying to say is my inner mean girl is a hater. 

But maybe she’s right. I don’t have any degrees in theology. I’ve almost completely given up on church – twice. I pray to Mother/Father God and don’t believe She is sending anybody to hell for being gay or trans or for not being a Christian. (I also don’t believe in hell, but that’s a topic for another blog post.)

Nonetheless, I decided to attend a workshop on writing devotionals at last year’s conference. During the session, ideas effortlessly spilled onto the worksheet that we’d been given. I filled in the blanks, scribbled in the margins, and even jotted down extra ideas in my journal. 

After the conference, I went straight home and opened up my laptop. I sat down and outlined the ENTIRE BOOK, noting each topic for each day of the devotional and the scriptures each lesson would be built upon. I felt a rush of excitement that I hadn’t felt over a writing project in a long time. The moment truly felt divine. 

I had been having such a hard time writing my second book, and maybe that was because this was meant to be my second book all along. 

So now what? Since I’m officially working on a devotional, does this officially make me a Christian writer?

And what of my original question – Is there a place for me in the Christian writing world?

In traditional Christian publishing, there is probably not a seat for me at the table. But I’m just gonna be like Jesus and flip that table over! 

And of course, I asked myself, “What would Beyoncé do?”

Last year, during the performances of her Cowboy Carter tour, a prominent statement flashed on the screens: “Never ask permission for something that already belongs to you.”

And with that, she let everyone who claims she shouldn’t be making country music know that this is her birthright. 

This is the same energy I decided to take into this project.

But as the months went by and I hadn’t finished the book, I started second-guessing myself – again.

Is anyone going to want to read this, I wondered. If conservative Christians won’t like it because it’s liberal, and if liberal readers won’t like it because it’s Christian, will my book just collect digital dust in online stores? Where does this leave me?

It left me turning to Charlotte Donlon for help.

Charlotte is a writer and spiritual director whose work centers on helping people explore themes of belonging, artful encounters, and spiritual growth — even when life is full, busy, or chaotic. Her work has woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and a certificate in spiritual direction, Charlotte guides writers and other creative souls in developing sanctuaries of acceptance and connection.

In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte’s first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. 

Her next book, Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life , is slated for release by Here Below Books in September 2026.

On Thursday, May 14 at 6:30 p.m. CT, Charlotte will be leading a workshop for the See Jane Write Collective titled, Spiritual Writing for a Broader Audience.

Charlotte believes you don’t have to write for a Christian audience to write about God and you don’t have to be certain to write about faith. She says that some of the most compelling spiritual writing happening right now reaches people who would never call themselves religious.

This workshop is for writers who want to explore the interior life on the page without losing readers at the door. Together, we’ll study how writers across genres—memoir, essay, fiction, poetry— navigate doubt, mystery, longing, and transcendence in ways that feel honest rather than churchy, open rather than prescriptive.

Workshop participants will leave with a richer reading list, new craft tools for writing about what can’t quite be named, and a clearer sense of how their own spiritual perspective can become an asset rather than a barrier—for themselves and their readers. And I’ll be right there learning alongside you, getting the direction I need for my next book.

This workshop is open only to See Jane Write Collective members. Not a member yet? JOIN TODAY!