Christian Writers Must Become Wordsmiths

Sally Kerrigan, a freelance editor and copywriter, and an associate editor at A List Apart, has written this article emphasizing the fact that "writing is thinking."

Ms. Kerrigan states the following: "if you’re a reader, you’re already a thinker—which means you’re halfway there. Really. Because writing—that first leap into taking your idea and making it a Thing People Read—isn’t really about wording. It’s about thinking. And if you can tell the difference between an article that knows what it’s about and one that exists purely to sell ad space, then you’re pretty good at that already."

There's no question in this writer's mind that what Ms. Kerrigan states above is totally true. Christian writers have to "think" about the words they will use, and what kind of impact those words, not only will have on their readers, but on themselves as well (Romans 2:17-23).

If we want to handle God's word correctly in writing to our reading audience (2 Timothy 2:15 ASV), we must become a wordsmith — not only an individual who is fluent in writing, but an individual who "thinks" about the words he or she writes, and their spiritual impact upon those who read their words (Ecclesiastes 12:10 YLT).

In so doing, we fulfill Paul's instructions found in 2 Timothy 2:1-2.

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets