By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31 ESV
The four weeks of Advent that lead up to Christmas are symbolic of a writer’s journey—hope, peace, joy, and love. These themes are reflections of a writer’s life to prepare for publication while we wait with purpose on God’s timing.
Week One: Hope
We define hope as a confident expectation for something we can’t see, and we have faith and trust that God will make it happen. We long for our words to bless readers, and we are confident God has the perfect plan to touch their hearts. Waiting is not passive; it’s an act of love and obedience. While we cling to hope, we strive to keep learning about the craft, the publishing industry, marketing and promotion, increase our followers on social media platforms, and help other writers as they struggle to achieve their goals. We have a job to do!
Week Two: Peace
Biblical peace, shalom, refers to wholeness, completeness through a relationship with God. True peace is not the absence of problems but knowing God journeys with us to the mountaintops and through the valleys. Writing isn’t easy or everyone would be churning out publish-ready manuscripts. The world tells us to work harder for success; it’s all up to us. If our manuscripts are repeatedly rejected and we fail, we think of ourselves as failures and Literary Losers. Please don’t listen to those who choose to reject God in the equation. Peace means resting in God’s plan rather than chasing after how the world defines success.
[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none” inject=”#Writing #Writinglife #BRMCWC”]A Writer’s Advent: Waiting with Purpose by @DiAnnMills on @BRMCWC[/tweet_box]
Week Three: Joy
Joy is contentment in the process of waiting with purpose. The act of creation—from the concept of the idea, development, writing, editing, submitting, and the steps of publication through marketing and promotion—is a moment of anticipation. Gladness and satisfaction fill us. No one endeavors work without joy. We struggle more when we lack joy, and we grow stronger when we face frustration.
Week Four: Love
Love is the foundation of our faith; it’s an act of worship and service for God and others. We love what we do, and God unites our hearts. A priority of loving God above all things, including publication, shows us to believe His promises, choose Him daily, and remember the fruit of our obedience will come. Loving God and striving to follow Him doesn’t predestine us to a spot on the bestseller list or six-figure advances. What love-driven obedience accomplishes is the fulfillment of hope, peace, and joy.
Readers, the four weeks of Advent offer possibilities for spiritual growth and expectation of what God has purposed for us and our writing. I encourage you to keep a journal during this time. What does God want to birth in our writing while we meditate on hope, peace, joy, and love?
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who invites her readers to step into stories where suspense meets adventure and romance warms the heart. Known for crafting unforgettable characters tangled in unpredictable plots, DiAnn believes every breath we take unfolds a story waiting to be told—so why not make it thrilling?
Her novels have consistently landed on bestseller lists including CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly, and have won prestigious awards such as the Christy, Selah, Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol awards.
DiAnn is a founding board member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Conference Advisor for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers. She actively participates in Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, International Thriller Writers, Outliers Writing University, and The Christian Pen. DiAnn passionately invests in helping fellow authors succeed through mentoring, book coaching, and editing. She travels nationwide speaking and teaching engaging writing workshops.
A proud coffee snob who roasts her own beans, DiAnn also enjoys diving into good books, experimenting in the kitchen, and unabashedly spoiling her grandchildren—whom she insists are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband make their home under the sunny skies of Houston, Texas.
Connect with DiAnn online for behind-the-scenes glimpses, writing tips, and lively discussions: Facebook, X, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, YouTube, LinkedIn, or her website: diannmills.com.
The Conversation
This is beautiful. I pray we remember His love and peace while we write. Have a blessed day! 🙂