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I’ve always been a writer. But I’ve never been only a writer.
Creativity and practicality have shared a desk in my life for as long as I can remember.
When I made my initial visit to Ohio Northern University, where I went to college, I met the head of the English department. We sat at the long desk in his office, the same one I’d sit at four years later as I discussed graduation requirements with the faculty member who replaced him when he retired. I told him I aspired to major in creative writing and be a novelist.
He raised his eyebrows but still displayed a kindly expression behind his glasses. That was a fine goal, he told me. However, one of ONU’s values was career preparation, and the department was obliged to help students augment artistic ambitions with something, well . . . marketable.
That was how I ended up with a professional writing major too.
I wasn’t interested in doing this at first. Being a blogger or working in desktop publishing (this was 2003, and social media and internet marketing barely existed) was a distraction from the real work I wanted to do.
Fortunately, this changed. I liked the professional writing classes so much that I took all of them, not just my degree requirements.
Of course, I was still writing fiction. But I was also writing rhetorical analyses of media, learning about editing and publishing, and serving as the editor of the university web magazine.
After graduation, I went straight into my Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing. For three years, I would devote hours to improving my craft, attend workshops led by award-winning authors, and build relationships as I critiqued and received feedback on my colleagues’ work.
Oh, wait. There was one other thing too.
I had to teach classes.
There was a catch, you see. To afford my MFA, I had to take on an assistantship.
It was like living a double life. Three mornings a week, I showed up on campus in a pantsuit with a briefcase and lesson plans, ready to show freshman composition students no mercy. (I also wore ties on occasion.)
Then, I’d be back on campus two or three evenings for my own classes. If I was lucky, I got to go home and change my clothes. One time, one of my students saw me in the wild wearing jeans and a hoodie as I waited in the hall for my workshop to start. He approached me in astonishment.
“Ms. Frazier?!” he said with quiet awe.
“Yep. It’s me,” I said. “I’m a student, too, you know.”
There are many other examples of times when being a writer has required me to wear additional hats. I spent three years in marketing, multiple years as a content creator for various educational publications, and additional stints in academia.
Now, though, I deal with a different kind of dual role.
If you’ve been hanging around here awhile or following me elsewhere, you know that my dream of college came true. I’m the author of two books—a novel, The Goodbye-Love Generation (which started its life as my MFA thesis), and an essay collection, Why I Dyed My Hair Purple and Other Unorthodox Stories, which debuted in January.
But guess what? When you publish a book, it doesn’t mean you’ve arrived. It isn’t your ticket to creating all day long without interruptions.
You still have to be a writer and other things.
At this point, you’re probably like, “Well, duh, of course.” But you’d be surprised at how many people don’t understand that.
I know this because my other role is that of an entrepreneur who works with authors.
I talk primarily about my writing on this account, so you might not know I run a business called Inkling Creative Strategies (yes, it’s named for those Inklings). My mission is to help writers reach their full creative potential so they can impact and inspire readers.
I do this through a variety of services for writers, from coaching to developmental critiques of manuscripts to line editing and proofreading. As a bonus, I typeset books for independent authors and have helped upwards of nine or ten people get their books out in the world.
Inkling was founded after a period of profound seeking of God during that illustrious year of 2020. I realized that all those skills I’d amassed since college—content creation, marketing, teaching, etc—could be combined with my creative writing talents to serve a specific population of creative people.
Since then, there has been incredible fruit. It’s a privilege to have aspiring authors at all stages of their development trust me with their work and collaborate with them to make beautiful stories.
My company has also grown exponentially. In 2024, I turned a profit for the first time. It wasn’t much, but it was a milestone nonetheless.
And, in the middle of all this, I’m still doing my own writing.
It often feels pretty similar to graduate school, especially when I have a full client load like I do this month. I have client meetings on Zoom and meet mentees for coffee. I read and comment on people’s writing.
I juggle a lot of stuff, including whatever I am creating myself, and in the middle of all that, I’m marketing my writing and my business, often at the same time.
People ask me how I’m able to do this. I don’t have a good answer to that question. I just do it.
They also ask me how I’m able to self-promote in a way that is honest and not icky or soul-sucking. I had a really good mentor at an agency where I used to work who taught me how to make content that sounded natural and honest. But in the end, I just do that too.
Being strategic with your professional life isn’t bad. It’s necessary.
When I was in college, I was obsessed with the musical Rent. It’s about artists in the East Village in the mid-‘90s who are dealing with poverty and the AIDS crisis. At one point in the show, Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, decides to take a job with a pulp TV news channel.
He’s desperate for money and is also struggling with an assortment of other problems, including the death of a close friend from AIDS and the worsening illness of another. (If you know the show, you’ve probably got “Your Eyes” running through your head and are crying, and I’m genuinely sorry about that.)
Fortunately, though, Mark comes to his senses. He sings “What You Own,” my favorite song from the show, and in the middle of it, he calls up his boss and quits.
I used to think Mark was being heroic. In a sense, he is—after all, I’d hope any of you would quit a job that was a poor use of your vocation.
But one problem I have with Rent now is that it subtly sends a message that having multiple spheres of your artistic life means you aren’t as committed to your art form or are somehow “selling out.”
Unless you’re Stephen King, you will always have to negotiate your creative art with other things for the sake of practicality. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Sometimes I think about what my life would be like if I just wrote all the time. Honestly, I don’t think I’d like it very much. I’d get pretty tired of staring at a computer screen and of the sound of my voice in my head.
The work I do isn’t always easy, but it’s a gift. I think the sooner we see the other roles we play when we aren’t artistic in that manner, the better we will be in all aspects of our lives.
Want to learn more about Inkling Creative Strategies (since I’ve mentioned it here)? I happen to offer a FREE workbook for writers called The Ultimate Writing Project Workbook.
It contains a ton of prompts, tools, writing tips, and exercises for you to plan out and develop your existing work in progress or start something new.
You’ll also receive more information about how Inkling works and how to get a bonus consultation about our services.
Grab one here.
Also, feel free to comment below with your thoughts on living strategically in multiple spheres.
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Is it just me...or were YA books from the '80s and '90s super dark? 😱
Like, there was a high body count. Lots of ghosts and supernatural stuff. Many situations of peril.
This week, I'm sharing with you a few of my favorite weird '90s book titles. You just might find yourself on the darkest end of memory lane, or with some new recommendations.
Read or listen now.
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Today is the 100th birthday of my favorite author, Flannery O'Connor. 🦚🎂
In honor of this momentous occasion, this month's installment of Why I Dyed My Hair Purple: B-Sides features an essay about Flannery that didn't make it into the final book.
Flannery and I had similar life-altering experiences at the same points in our lives, and in this essay, I imagine going through these turning points along side her.
I fully admit that it takes a LOT of liberties, and I expected that I'd be asked to cut it. The essay about Flannery that is in the final book is a lot more unified, while this one is kind of a mess.
Yet, I feel like today is the perfect occasion for me to share it.
Read or listen here.
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A couple of years ago, my husband and I started attending a new church, and one of the biggest changes we encountered was how worship was conducted.
No projection screens. No elaborate musical arrangements. Just voices raised together, singing from hymnals, word for word.
At first, it seemed like a small difference. But over time, I realized something: when you sing an entire hymn, you’re not just singing—you’re telling a story.
As a writer, this realization was powerful. Hymns aren’t just expressions of worship; they’re narratives rich with truth and meaning.
And in a world saturated with screens, holding a hymnal in my hands has become a sacred, set-apart experience.
I’ve written about this in my latest Substack post, exploring the beauty of hymns as storytelling and how they’ve deepened my appreciation for both faith and art.
Plus, I share one of my favorite hymns that captures this beautifully.
Read or listen now!
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I spent last weekend at the Square Halo conference in Lancaster and tried a bunch of really cool, new stuff.
Learn about my experiences with songwriting, pottery, letting go of traumatic elementary school experiences, and the benefits of stepping outside your artistic box.
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Confession time: I didn't always like Lord of the Rings.
This is a dangerous admission given that I run around in a lot of circles where the books are revered.
Yet, today, I count them among my favorite stories.
What changed? I'm honestly not sure...but on this week's Substack, I'll share my story and explore some ways that our relationship with books can change over time.
Maybe we can have a discussion and you can help me figure it out.
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Welcome to the inaugural installment of Why I Dyed My Hair Purple: B-Sides, where I share outtakes from my essay collection, Why I Dyed My Hair Purple and Other Unorthodox Stories!
This piece explores my somewhat off-brand fascination for monster truck races, how it all got started, and why experiencing the passions of other people just might have rewards waiting for you.
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People are often surprised to learn that Metallica is one of my favorite bands.
It's true that I'm not a huge metal fan, but their melodic approach to the genre and thought-provoking lyrics fascinate me.
In my newest Substack, I talk about their often-misunderstood 1996 album Load.
Specifically, I explore my favorite track, "Hero of the Day," in the context of my experiences struggling with mental health issues in the church and how the song sheds light on the dereliction of duty in our marriages, families, and spiritual communities, as well as our culture's fascinating with hero worship and idolatry.
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This week, I reflect on my time at the Rabbit Room’s North Wind Manor during the winter edition of The Habit Membership writer's retreat.
As I celebrate the release of Why I Dyed My Hair Purple and Other Unorthodox Stories, I’m struck by the passage of time—not just in my own creative journey but in the growth of my community.
Five years have passed since I joined The Habit, and in that time, I’ve found a creative family, gained deeper insight into my vocation, and witnessed remarkable growth in the talents of my fellow writers.
Join me as I share the joy of these reflections and celebrate the gift of community and creativity.
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This week on my Substack, I’m reflecting on something unexpected.
Several people from my church family have now read Why I Dyed My Hair Purple—and their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
I wasn’t expecting harsh criticism, but given my past experiences with religious people judging my art, I couldn’t help feeling a little anxious.
Their comments, however, revealed something I never intended: this book is about more than I thought.
Join me as I explore what it means to relate to the person I was before Christ, the role of evangelism, and how our writing has the power to change people.
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Sharing your work with readers is a big reason why writers do what we do...
...but it can also be one of the most agonizing and anxiety-provoking parts of the process.
This week, I talk about how I've processed this reality during my first week of Why I Dyed My Hair Purple's release and offer a creative liturgy as a response.
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Celebrate the release of Why I Dyed My Hair Purple with a lesson on writing, some artifacts from the Purple Hair Era, and some thoughts on this book entering the world.
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The number of people I know who have been through spiritual trauma of some kind is staggering.
From false teachers to bad doctrine to corrupt leadership, there is no shortage of reasons for this.
I've been through this, too, but it's become a powerful part of my testimony and a crucial thread in my book, Why I Dyed My Hair Purple and Other Unorthodox Stories, which debuts next week.
This week, I want to share some wisdom I've gained through God's Word, tell you a little about the journey I've been on in the last several years, and share some principles that helped me sensitively and biblically addressed this topic in my writing.
Read or listen here.
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While my new book is a collection of essays, I didn't always want to write nonfiction. Discover how I changed my mind, as well as how writing essays mirrors the biblical process of repentance.
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My thoughts on Behold the Lamb of God, creative community, and how all of this relates to my forthcoming book launch. Plus: learn about how to join the launch team!
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Introducing Why I Dyed My Hair Purple & Other Unorthodox Stories, my essay collection about art, faith, and being a misfit while belonging to Christ, coming January 21, 2025, from Calla Press Publishing.
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That Thing You Do is a favorite of '90s kids like me and has become a cult classic in the last 25 years.
But the movie also has a surprising lesson to teach about stewardship and the wisdom we must exercise in using the gifts God has granted us.
Read or listen to my analysis here.
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How the Harry Potter movies convicted me of the hurtful way I treated people years ago and revealed an important truth about how we show love and empathy toward each other in the church.
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I love Makoto Fujimura, but as I've studied unity in the church more, the concept of border walkers he discusses in Culture Care feels discordant for me. In this post, I talk about the weird place of not feeling like you fully belong and how Christ's desire for unity among His Bride opposites this feeling.
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That time at church when a scene from The Spy Who Shagged Me became really relatable.
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