By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Do you ever doubt that God uses your writing skills? Do you ever wonder if the hours of learning the craft, writing, rewriting, and then repeating the process are worth the struggle? An unexpected blessing confirmed my belief that God uses the obedient writer. We do our best to master the craft and reach out to other writers and readers with genuine love and compassion. But the unexpected blessings are the ones that warm our hearts.

At a recent fiction writer’s group, I presented a workshop. At the event, I greeted friends, introduced myself to strangers, and two men who were new to the group.

I focused on the topic—Betrayal, an Antagonist’s Sharpest Tool. This workshop is a favorite because betrayal is a form of rage, and the character can respond in various ways. The emotion combines guilt and shame. Guilt says, “I made a mistake.” Shame says, “I am the mistake.” The treachery hits the victim hard; one character chooses a means to learn and grow from the experience, and the other chooses vengeance.

Throughout the workshop, I offered examples of the betrayed victim’s reactions, noting a character can not only be a victim and protagonist, but also a victim and an antagonist. The writer weaves personality, backstory, and experience to show credibility with unpredictable behavior.

I finished the workshop, answered questions, and a guest requested to speak. I’ll call him Bill. My immediate thought was—I’ve offended this man. I prepared myself for whatever he might say.

Bill stood to address the group. His father had died before he married or became a parent The unexpected passing meant Bill didn’t receive guidance on how to be a good husband and father. Years later, Bill worked with other men in his church to help the homeless. An older man was extremely grateful for all Bill had done to help him become a productive member of society, and the two men became friends. Two years into the friendship, the once homeless man told Bill that he loved him and was proud of Bill’s religious and ethical standing. Bill didn’t understand why the compliment made him extremely angry. His response confused him, but he couldn’t figure out why.

Until the workshop on betrayal.

In the middle of my presentation, Bill realized his father’s death had caused him feelings of betrayal. His father had left and abandoned him when Bill needed advice and wise counsel on how to be a good husband and father. His rage now made sense. He thanked me for the workshop.

Bill had the courage to show transparency about an emotional issue that had plagued him for years. Something nudged me to walk across the room and hug Bill. Believe me, that isn’t a normal response for me. But I obeyed the prompting of the Spirit and hugged him. More than one person blinked back the tears.

My point is we never know how and when God will use our writing. Be faithful. Be obedient. And praise the God who gave us the gift of writing.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, the Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, YouTube, LinkedIn. or her website: diannmills.com