If Christians are the People of the Book, then why do most of the bestsellers belong to the enemies of faith?
Gracewriters is about changing popular culture, one word at a time.
For too long, Christians have been presented in the arts as fools or serial killers. Popular culture is powerful. It has shifted society’s view about things that are desperately important. People need spiritual nourishment in their daily lives, and hope for the future, and they are being blocked from finding it.
Let’s open people’s minds to a new way of seeing God’s priorities and God’s people, and give them the opportunity to understand the beautiful truth of Jesus.
What is Gracewriting?
About Belinda
My name is Belinda Pollard, and I’m the founder of Gracewriters. I’m also a publishing consultant, writing coach and accredited book editor, and my working life has been about helping people write and publish excellent, influential books for most of the years since 1995. I blog writing, editing and self-publishing tips at smallbluedog.com and co-host the Gracewriters Podcast. I have been selected to address many workshops, retreats and conferences of writers and editors. I also create online courses for writers.
I was a journalist for radio and television before enrolling in a theology degree from Moore College in Sydney, Australia. I entered the book publishing world as an editor for specialist religious publishers.
I have written many Christian resources and devotionals over the years, but most of my books are now for the mainstream market. I write popular fiction, light memoir, and writing resources with what I call “grace notes” — little hints of the kingdom. (You can find links to my books that are currently in print at belindapollard.com.)
I’m constantly wrestling with the difficulties of how to write these grace notes — what to put in, what to leave out.
For a long time I questioned the worth of writing it at all, and sometimes felt a sense of criticism and hostility from fellow Christians. I wondered if I should be doing something more “worthy”, like writing more Bible studies and devotionals.
After all, even if I spent all those thousands of hours writing a novel worth publishing, how could I guarantee that a publisher wouldn’t simply erase my grace notes, and take the heart out of my story?
The new world of self-publishing has changed all that. We can now self-publish to professional standard in both ebook and paperback, distribute worldwide, and find our “tribe” of readers. And we can keep the heart in our books.
Why Gracewriters?
I’ve been working away for years, helping one client at a time, and writing my own books that touch one person at a time. I thought that was my mission. Since early 2017, I have had a sense that God was telling me: Think Bigger!
The vision was that workshops, online community, courses, blogging and resources could help, encourage, equip and support so many more writers than I could ever do the old way. And in God’s strength we could draw together as a team, connecting via the internet.
It then became clear early in 2020 that Christian writers had a special role to play during the Coronavirus pandemic and it was time to act.
We activated the Gracewriters blog, began meeting online via Zoom, and created a private forum where we can discuss the issues faced by Christian writers in today’s world. In mid 2020 we launched the Gracewriters Podcast.
Also on the team
Donita Bundy is a Gracewriter and writing teacher who was appointed the inaugural Somerset Writer in Residence in 2019. She was awarded a Bachelor of Ministry from the Bible College of Queensland in 2002 and has had 8 years experience as a lay minister and 3 as a primary school chaplain. In 2010 she graduated from UQ with a Grad Dip in Education and now spends her time writing fiction, blogging, teaching creative writing and co-presenting the Gracewriters Podcast. Her debut urban fantasy Dangerous Salvation was published in 2020, the first in a YA series of seven.
Alison Joy is a Gracewriter and former early childhood teacher, who first proposed the idea of a podcast for Gracewriters. She writes sweet romance and her debut novel Brushstrokes of Love set in the Cape Otway area of southern Victoria was released at the start of 2020.
Our statement of faith
Nothing weird. We’ve kept it really simple: the Nicene Creed.
What about you?
You are welcome here. Gracewriters is for:
- authors
- bloggers
- copywriters
- songwriters
- poets
- speakers
- writers generally.
Whether you are traditionally published, or an indie author, and whether you write for the Christian or secular markets, we want to help you to be informed, equipped and encouraged.
Subscribe to the blog to receive:
- new articles (free)
- invitations to our regular Zoom meetings and mini-webinars (free)
- an invitation to join our private online community (free).
If you find it helpful, please tell other Gracewriters.
Bless your day,
Belinda