 In this heartfelt Q&A, acclaimed author and certified Christian Life Coach Elizabeth Byler Younts opens up about the real challenges every writer faces—from stubborn writer’s block and flat characters to crushing self-doubt and the temptation to quit. With wisdom drawn from her own journey of stepping away from publishing to care for her family, then boldly returning with renewed clarity and purpose, Elizabeth shares the mindset shifts, simple strategies, and deeper spiritual tools that have not only saved her manuscripts but strengthened her faith and longevity as a writer. Whether you’re wrestling with a stuck plot or wondering how to weave meaningful themes without sounding preachy, her honest reflections and hard-earned advice offer encouragement and hope for every season of the writing life.  How do you tackle writer's block when you're stuck mid-plot or with a flat character? The funny thing about writer’s block is that the older I get and the more I write, I tend to notice less time in these sorts of blocks. Of course, as we grow as writers it might be in some ways growing in skill — however, what I’ve really learned is that writer’s block seems more deeply aligned with our nervous systems and less so with our inability to write. When we feel stumped our thoughts about being stumped somehow take over versus our thoughts about how often we are NOT stumped. Practically speaking I would follow some simple steps — 1 - Give myself a break for a day or more and do other things that are life-giving — favorite movies, a good nurturing walk or bubble bath, or crocheting/knitting, meet with friends or anyone for a long conversation about all the things, always read well and especially re-reads that nurture you uniquely like a good meal does. 2 - Do something alternatively productive like cleaning out a cabinet, wash your kitchen floor, finish the dishes you’ve been avoiding, fold laundry, or work in the garden. If you can do this with something that fills your mind with something like your favorite podcast or an audiobook, that’s great OR be brave and don’t have anything on and pretend like you’re in the 1900s (LOL) and let your mind be by itself. 3 - Write the scene you KNOW next instead of what COMES next. This sometimes will prove to yourself that you are not really stumped at all. And sometimes it proves that the scene you actually wrote was what came next anyway. As a life coach as well as an author there are other tools that I have coached others and myself on that are a bit more in depth but the small suggestions above are great ways to start rewiring your brain away from being stuck. Do you have a go-to technique that's saved a manuscript? NOT RUSHING IT! LOL That seems way too generic, but it’s true. The pacing of a typical traditional publishing house sometimes is just not the best for the writer. Writing for me requires a lot of intuition, experiences, and thought. There have been 2 books out of my 5 with a trad house where I sincerely needed more time to unwind the plot issues, to sit with the characters, and build the connections. This was not an easy “ask” either time, but that’s another story. When that is not possible, re-read the entire book as fast as you can. Get on the reader level with it and let your smart, wise, brainstorming mind start unlocking and unfolding. Get another trusted writer/editor to also do this. Don’t quit. Don’t scrap it. Don’t see this as a failure. This is the writing life and part of the journey. The one book that was in particularly difficult for me and even required a pub date move (yes, that was scary!) was also the one that was a Christy Finalist. It was worth the extra time, effort, and tears!
Every writer faces self-doubt. What’s a moment in your career when you questioned your work the most, and how did you overcome? Self-doubt is so common and the first thing to remember is that you’re not alone in feeling that way. I took a few years away from writing because we had a child with a chronic illness that just required more of me. For those hand-full of years my self-doubt about my writing was a constant thought—it was like a movie soundtrack, always going. I felt like a failure and a total has-been, if I’m honest. But at the same time I did not regret that I was able to care for my ill daughter and help her back into recovery. But through that I hit my own emotional rock-bottom and it was Christian life coaching that brought me back to myself and to my writing. I recognized that my thought life was really what was keeping me “stuck” not my circumstances. Within a few months I had a completed manuscript written and then another not too long after. These are now working their way through edits and moving toward publication — STAY TUNED! Christian Life Coaching that aligns neuroscience and the Holy Scriptures has been a game-changer for me so much so that I became a certified Christian Life Coach myself and started working with women, predominantly writers. So, now when self-doubt comes up, because it will, I have the tools and the resources to walk through that and get to the other side victoriously. While I recognize that not everyone would share the same faith values that I do, getting valuable coaching is for everyone. When crafting a novel, how do you decide which themes or messages to weave in without making the story feel preachy or heavy-handed? I tend to start with a character that somehow just pops into my head, then I see this character in some various type of circumstance. A long time before I wrote The Solace of Water I saw an Amish boy frantically running through the woods to his neighbors, an African American family. I had the image of Emma and DeeDee, two characters in the book, fairly quickly after that and then just gave my brain the space to think. I didn’t start with the themes, but let the circumstances and plot give me the theme, in this case, friendship and forgiveness. So, for me, as I begin to understand the plot and start writing, the theme comes through—and then during revisions, I make sure that the theme is woven in a way that shows up naturally. I use motifs and symbols to help carry some of the weight of theme so that it doesn't have to be spelled out for the reader. I really don’t want to go into any book thinking that I need to tell the reader how or what to think about, but give them robust characters thrown into an interesting plot, and let them come to their own conclusions.
Looking back on your career, what are you most proud of? I feel like I’m just getting started and that what I’m most proud of is not giving up and returning to publishing with boldness and clarity. I have jumped back into my author life after years away with more energy than I had when my first book came out. Because of my faith I see God as the giver of the multitude of book ideas, my writing and coaching skills, coaching tools, and relationships. I couldn’t be more thankful for all of it and especially with how it has all aligned at this exact point in my life. What’s one choice you made early in your career—about your writing, publishing, or mindset—that you credit for your longevity as an author? Not long after my first contract I began to recognize more and more what it looks like to trust the process. There will be a point in pretty much every book that feels like you’re better off never writing again…but from all the writers I know or read about, this is an extremely common and normal feeling. Even the most successful writers out there when interviewed mention this phenomenon. I hit a wall in my 2nd traditionally published book. I was so stuck in the plot of my book I was sure I was done for—my career was over and I would be laughed out of the industry—until my editor gave me a pep talk and said that was normal. She even chuckled a little at how melodramatic I was. I believed her, thank God, and then jumped back into the book and finished it. Most of my books have also had that moment, some worse than others. So, new writers, don’t quit when it’s extra hard and when you’ve written yourself into a corner. Sit your characters down, give them and yourself a good nourishing meal, take a nap, and then get back to work. Without that mindset, I think I would’ve quit in that 2nd trepidatious book. If you could leave one word of advice for future writers, what would it be? The best piece of advice I can give you probably lands on 3 areas. Your author life is not more important than your spiritual life or your family life. For me, as a Christian, I believe God is the one who opens and closes doors which reminds me that I am not behind or missing out, or a failure, but I am continuing to learn and accept the path. Remember, you are not writing for everyone! You are writing for 1—yourself. If you try to write for everyone, you will write for no one. If you write for 1, you write for everyone. Remind yourself often of why you write and “renew” your mind to algin with what is wisest to think on instead of “stinkin-thinkin” as a friend of mine always says. Again, your author life is NOT more important than your spiritual life or family life. The second is to find your tribe. This can be one person or a group. Having a critique partner or a group for support can make all the difference. In some seasons of my life I’ve experienced wonderful connections and in some seasons there were none. Let me tell you, it’s better with a tribe. For many years there was no real connection in this way and I missed it dearly. My most recent move to South Carolina has been a balm to my soul as the writing community is alive and thriving here. I’m grateful! If you don’t have a tribe . . . create one! Start the group you wish was already available. The third thing is that creativity begets creativity. Complaining and fretting begets complaining and fretting. What you sow you reap. What you do begets more of doing that thing. When you consume, consume, consume you will only beget more consuming. When you balance consuming with creating you will beget creating. The more creating the more you will learn and become a more productive writer. There’s nothing worse than feeling creatively bloated and constipated—and that is a great place to end this interview. LOL Don’t be creatively constipated—do the work. The work begets work . . . and that is a beautiful thing!  Award-winning author Elizabeth Byler Younts gained a worldwide audience through her first book Seasons: A Real Story of an Amish Girl about her Amish grandmother. Seasons was independently published and has sold 50,000 copies! Grounded in her Amish heritage, The Promise of Sunrise (Howard Books/Simon & Schuster) series gives readers an authentic glimpse into the historical realities Amish communities faced during World War 2. Elizabeth was awarded the Carol Award for her novel The Solace of Water. Set in the turbulent 1950s, it became known for its unique and rich voice and depth of friendship, emotion, and redemption. Her critically-acclaimed novel The Bright Unknown was a Christy Finalist and described as lyrical and luminous. Booklist proclaimed it as enthralling and captivating. Both of these titles were published by Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins. Elizabeth has consulted on Amish lifestyle and the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect for two award-winning television shows. She lives in the upstate of South Carolina with her husband, two daughters, and a small menagerie of well-loved pets. Besides writing, Elizabeth loves reading, knitting, and thrifting.  This post was complied by Brandy Vallance, a literary agent with Barbara Bova Literary Agency, an award-winning author, and a Story Consultant for Writing Day Workshops. Brandy is the winner of two national writing awards, one of which included a $20,000 prize. Her novel, THE COVERED DEEP, has been featured in USA Today & Writer’s Digest. WITHIN THE VEIL has been called “passionate and riveting” and Publisher’s Weekly encourages those who like sweeping Scottish sagas to dive in because “the journey is wonderful.” Brandy loves helping writers break the chains of fear and self-doubt. You can find out more at brandyvallance.com.  Pitch Agents at a Writers Conference in 2026:
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