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Interview With Jennifer Slattery

Through the years, Jennifer Slattery has used hundreds of thousands of words to lead others into a closer relationship with God. Those words focus on His grace, His provision, and His plan. Whether she is writing an article for Crosswalk, planning a speech for one of her many engagements with Wholly Loved Ministries, or immersing herself in writing romantic fiction, Jennifer strives to showcase her Lord and His work in her life and in the lives of others.

On the day she took some time to answer a few questions, Jennifer was up at six to spend an hour reading her Bible and connecting with Jesus. Then, it was off to the writing and ministry races with answering email and connecting on social media, meetings at church for a new series of women’s Bible studies, editing, article writing, and brainstorming.

All of these daily responsibilities don’t just happen by accident. They require a plan, perseverance, and trust in the God who is the Master Planner. Keep reading to learn how this storytelling speaker submits every task every day to God.


You write both fiction and non-fiction, as well as maintain a speaking career, how do those complement, or compete with, one another and how do you juggle all these responsibilities in a way that honors God?
That’s a great question. I tend to break my schedule into chunks and plan well in advance. For example, if I know I’ll be speaking on, say, joy, in March, I’ll likely have my speech written by October. This allows me to utilize down time and knock out those things I know are ahead well enough in advance that my schedule is open for me to tackle unexpected assignments. (I prefer for the unexpected because the unexpected is expected.) I also plan around my creativity bursts and energy level. I’m most creative earlier in the day, so I reserve my morning through early afternoon for writing time. I often begin to fatigue by evening, so that’s when I engage in editing or graphics projects.

If I have a particularly busy week, say with numerous meetings or travel plans, I make sure to keep the following week free to catch up on projects and deadlines.

I believe God is in all I do, honestly, whether I’m writing a book or cleaning my bathrooms. When I feel a spark of excitement, a burst of ideas, and the energy to get going, I trust God is guiding and jump in. Whenever He opens a door, I know He’ll equip me to walk through it. This, of course, may look different than I anticipated, but focusing on following Him how He leads (without expectation) frees me from the threat of perfectionism or fear of failure.

Can you describe a broad overview of your writing life?
I can try! When I’m working on a novel, I pretty much immerse myself in that project. I need to have my head completely in the story, and the longer I’m away from my computer, the harder that is to do. This means I guard chunks of time for writing or plotting (depending on what phase I’m in). Some days this might mean writing from morning to night; other days I may only get a couple hours in. But I plan ahead and schedule my writing time as I would a meeting or any other responsibility.

Writing nonfiction chapters, talks, study lessons, articles, or devotions are different as each piece is largely self-contained. This means I can pick the project up, work on one part, set it down, then return to it later without feeling like I have to “catch my brain up” or re-immerse myself.

Sometimes I can whip out a speech or keynote or chapter in a day, other times every word feels like a struggle. But when I’m in a groove, I shoot for 2,000 or more words a day. Usually it takes me about a month to do preliminary research for a novel, a month to sort of plot things out, then maybe three months to write it. Then, of course, comes the rewriting stage … I usually try to knock out a chunk of other material, like articles or devotions, in between novels.

Has there been anything along your writing journey that made you say, “Didn’t see that coming!” and how did you handle it?
Over and over again! God has amazed me with so many opportunities I never envisioned, one of them being writing period. I never considered a career in publishing, but He led me on this journey and awakened a passion while I was serving in children’s and family ministry.

He’s done so many unexpected things, I’ve long since stopped trying to anticipate a direction or how He might act in the future. Instead, I try to remain as pliable to His leading as possible, knowing He will perfect that which concerns me.

Your writing, your ministry, your very life is about influencing others for Christ. That means involvement in groups. As a writer, how important is involvement in groups, and how do you suggest that people make this a priority?
This has been so important and beneficial, on so many levels. First, I have amazing writing friends that keep me inspired and encouraged. They totally get the pressure of deadlines, plot holes, market changes, and rejection letters, and the feelings each initiate.

I also belong to great church groups where I’m connecting with others, hearing their struggles and perceptions, and sharing mine. Not only does this interconnected living help me grow; it also gives me insight to what people today are struggling with. The more I know the hearts of those around me, the more I’m able to serve my readers who likely share the same challenges and concerns.

Beyond all the writing, the women’s ministry, and the speaking, Jennifer Slattery is deeply certain of one thing: “the joy that comes when Christ sets us free.” She knows that truth and seeks to live it out. She writes to help others know that freedom for themselves, and she encourages other writers to douse their God-given writing gift to do the same.

“Don’t give up. Focus on serving Christ and him alone and leave the results to Him. There’s such freedom in living without expectation yet anticipation. Remember He’s God. He formed you and ignited your dream. Therefore, He knows the best way to bring it to fruition.”


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Kristy Horine is a Kentucky writer: freelance journalist by trade, creative by God’s grace. Kristy writes a little bit of everything including poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Her professional and creative work has been published in newspapers, magazines, and anthologies in Kentucky and beyond. She founded 3rd Letter Christian Writers in Lexington, Kentucky in 2015, serves as Publicity Chair for the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference since 2016, is the Communications Coordinator for the Women’s Ministry at her church, and is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. Read more of her work at www.kristyhorine.com.




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