Someone Please Tell Me What To Write About

No, seriously

At first, this was fun.

I hadn’t consistently shared my writing in a while, so I was stoked when I created this Substack as a platform to do that. I was on a roll the first few months of my newsletter. I wrote pieces I was proud of and that people really resonated with.

But now, I’m fresh out of ideas.

Or rather, maybe I’m brimming with ideas, but I can’t figure out which to focus on or how to write them well. (Also, I’m in the thick of revising my first book and creating the marketing content for it, which is using up a lot of my creative energy.)

But I want to be here. I want to write words that resonate and that feel human.

But I just don’t know what to write about.

Can you help me?

Should I write about my new (relatively inconsistent but growing as I go) routine of “morning humanness”? How I try to do something every morning the minute my eyes open that reminds me I’m a human (not a productivity robot or an all-powerful god)?

Or, I could write about the fact that chasing your dreams often feels harder than you think it will. That you’ll feel like you’re failing 90% of the time. Or that you’ll want to give up about every five days. Or that you’re afraid the book you’ve spent a year on will sell only three copies.

Should I focus on writing about my faith? No, I couldn’t…What would I say? That my relationship with God is better than its ever been but I still haven’t figured out the practical side of church? Or that I’m trying my best to be the kind of human Jesus was but that my friend’s mom still thinks I’m pulling her away from faith (because it’s basically heresy to sit with someone in their doubts and questions)? No, I can’t. It’s too confusing. And raw. And personal. (But maybe that’s the point?)

I could stick to something light. Like my “top five summer activities” or “ways to make your home more cozy.”

Speaking of a cozy home, I could write about hospitality—how the topic’s been plaguing my brain (in a good, but convicting way) for the past several weeks. How it’s not about fancy dinner plates or foil-stamped invitations, but a heart posture toward people that doesn’t see them as “other” but that says, “we’re all humans, and you’re welcome here.” How that heart posture could quite literally transform our communities and our country (especially in the middle of an election year)?

Or I could write about something completely different.

I don’t know. Someone, please tell me what to write about.

No, seriously. Can you leave me a comment (or reply to this email if you’re receiving it in your inbox) and tell me what you’d love to see future pieces written about?

For the love of everything beautiful and creative, please help this uninspired, scatterbrained writer. I will be eternally grateful. (For real. This is not a joke.)

Book Progress

Just two people who love each other sitting on opposite sides of the room working on our passions/dreams simultaneously — does it get any better?!

Revising my first book is actually going better than I imagined! (Well, after I cried about chapter one and decided I should never even try to be a writer. Ahh, the creative process…it’s a trip, am I right?) I decided to come back to chapter one after I’ve finished revising and rework it to include some big ideas I feel it’s missing that would give the rest of the book more context/oompf!

I’m also working on editing the video content, which I was utterly hopeless about when I first looked at it, but now (as the creative process always goes), I’m pretty stoked about it. What I’m not stoked about is creating a social media marketing plan. I feel an existential tug-of-war because I really believe in this book and want to get the word out, and I also love the conversations I have with people on social media, but social media also kills my soul. Still praying and thinking through a way to do that well and super authentically. (plz give me tips if you have them)

Three Faves

1. Book — The Gospel Comes with a House Key. Just started reading this book, and it’s convicting me in all the right ways. Radical hospitality is always the way to go. This could change our lives (and our world). I’m excited to keep reading (and honestly, letting my heart be opened up and made brave in the process).

2. Show — Fallout. Super intense (but also funny?) post-apocalyptic series that my husband says is based off a video game. I wouldn’t know. We’re about to watch episode two tonight. (I just can’t walk upstairs in the dark after watching it without Josiah holding my hand.)

3. Food — These protein balls. I haven’t tried these yet, but I’m going to make the “almond joy” ones tomorrow. Nice to have for a little pre-made snack throughout the week!

Welp, sorry for the anticlimactic-ness of this letter. I told you, I’m all out of ideas. So seriously, help me out! Comment (or shoot me an email) and let me know what you want to hear from me about. I need some sparks of inspiration desperately. And it helps if I know they’re actually words people want to read. :) So seriously, leave me a comment! (again, this is not rhetorical)

Talk to you next week (hopefully, with some more ideas),

Sarah