In this episode, Belinda Pollard and Alison Joy interview our co-host, urban fantasy author, writing teacher, and preacher, Donita Bundy. Donita writes the Armour of Light series of spiritual warfare stories set in near-future versions of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of Revelation. She has useful tips for those writing on ‘Last Days’ themes, and encouragement for all of us who Gracewrite in an increasingly hostile and difficult world.  

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Episode summary:

• What End Times, End of Days and Last Days mean, and why these themes are so attractive to storytellers, both Christian and secular.
• How physical illness ‘accidentally’ led into Donita writing on these topics, and how her own health challenges have influenced the way she writes her characters.
• How Donita draws plot inspiration from Scripture and also from historical events and situations from the ancient world.
• The role of Bible study and prayer in apocalyptic writing, and in fact, all Gracewriting.
• The fear of getting it wrong, and how to persevere in spite of that.
• Encouraging readers as they feel seen and heard by what’s happening in the story. Writing with openness and honesty about genuine human struggles. Helping readers to feel less alone in their own battles.
• Encouraging readers to pay attention, and not become complacent in a world that is changing rapidly. Inspiring them to ‘choose God’ even when it’s hard.
• Entertaining readers with a good story.
• Thinking about what message your reader is going to go away with, no matter what genre or topic you are writing. How to open a fissure for the Holy Spirit to flow into someone’s heart through story.
• Giving readers (and us) the courage to stand in the challenges to come.
• Whether to make writing a priority in stressful times. Why our voice is needed.
• How the content of our writing might change in the Last Days. How our writing might be set apart from the world’s writing.