How To Create When Life Feels Heavy: A Guide for Hurting Writers
Lisa Appelo
May 19, 2026
The pain we walk through can powerfully shape our writing, but it can also hinder our productivity. I recently experienced
This Is Your Writing Breakthrough
Don’t settle for someday.
COMPEL Pro gives you expert guidance and tools to make real progress today.
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Writing is hard work, but it doesn’t have to be lonely work. The words tucked inside of you matter too much for you to waste time wondering what you’re supposed to be doing next. That’s why we’re here!
WHAT IS COMPEL PRO?
Created by writers for writers, COMPEL Pro is a biblically based training community through Proverbs 31 Ministries designed to help you move from writer’s block to penning your very best words as a content creator.
COMPEL Pro will help you:
- Stop questioning what you should do next in your writing journey by following our customized Learning Pathways designed to guide you through each lesson.
- Move from the blank page to “Look what I’ve written!” stage through our writing challenges that offer multiple opportunities to get published on Proverbs 31 Ministries and other top Christian publishing platforms.
- Stay motivated to pursue your writing goals by connecting with a community that will help hold you accountable when you feel like quitting … again.
- Debunk the myth that being a writer has to be a lonely calling by walking through our interactive group cohort learning experiences that include access to COMPEL Pro leaders.
- Build courage and confidence to overcome imposter syndrome as you grow in your skills and declare yourself a writer once and for all!
NEVER ASK AGAIN:
“How do I become a writer?” or “What should I do next?”
With COMPEL Pro, we’ll guide you through every step!
Your COMPEL Pro membership includes:
Hands-on, practical teachings from industry professionals.
Read more +
Our Learning Pathways, taught by Lysa TerKeurst Adams, bestselling authors, Proverbs 31 Ministries staff experts, and industry professionals, allow you to select the topics you want to learn about most and make measurable progress lesson by lesson. Whether you’re a beginner or have a few years of experience, these lessons will add invaluable insight to your current writing project. (P.S. As you complete each pathway, you get a completion certificate to celebrate!)
A community to belong to with fellow writers who want to cheer you on.
Read more +
We’ve centered COMPEL Pro around community because we know just how vulnerable and sometimes lonely this calling as a writer can be. Free from competitive attitudes but full of encouragement and support, you’ll enjoy camaraderie with other writers in topic-focused and feedback-focused discussion groups, as well as interactive cohort learning experiences with COMPEL Pro leaders.
Participation in writing challenges that could get your work in front of millions of readers.
Read more +
We know how hard it is to get your words published. Through our annual writing challenges, we’ll bring opportunities to you to write for various platforms, including Encouragement for Today Devotions, the First 5 app, Proverbs 31 Ministries’ publications, social media accounts and other top Christian outlets.
Opportunities to submit your writing to and meet with leaders in the publishing industry.
Read more +
Doesn’t it sometimes feel like the publishing world is one big mystery? As a COMPEL Pro member, you get exclusive access to our annual “Publishing Week,” where your writing can be seen by some of the top Christian publishing houses. You’ll also be eligible to meet one-on-one with literary agents and acquisitions editors. And you don’t have to worry about those pre-Publishing Week jitters … Our Learning Pathways will ensure you'll be ready for this incredible opportunity!
Hands-on, practical teachings from industry professionals.
Our Learning Pathways, taught by Lysa TerKeurst, bestselling authors, Proverbs 31 Ministries staff experts, and industry professionals, allow you to select the topics you want to learn about most and make measurable progress lesson by lesson. Whether you’re a beginner or have a few years of experience, these lessons will add invaluable insight to your current writing project. (P.S. As you complete each pathway, you get a completion certificate to celebrate!)
A community to belong to with fellow writers who want to cheer you on.
We’ve centered COMPEL Pro around community because we know just how vulnerable and sometimes lonely this calling as a writer can be. Free from competitive attitudes but full of encouragement and support, you’ll enjoy camaraderie with other writers in topic-focused and feedback-focused discussion groups, as well as interactive cohort learning experiences with COMPEL Pro leaders.
Participation in writing challenges that could get your work in front of millions of readers.
We know how hard it is to get your words published. Through our annual writing challenges, we’ll bring opportunities to you to write for various platforms, including Encouragement for Today Devotions, the First 5 app, Proverbs 31 Ministries’ publications, social media accounts and other top Christian outlets.
Opportunities to submit your writing to and meet with leaders in the publishing industry.
Doesn’t it sometimes feel like the publishing world is one big mystery? As a COMPEL Pro member, you get exclusive access to our annual “Publishing Week,” where your writing can be seen by some of the top Christian publishing houses. You’ll also be eligible to meet one-on-one with literary agents and acquisitions editors. And you don’t have to worry about those pre-Publishing Week jitters … Our Learning Pathways will ensure you’ll be ready for this incredible opportunity!
A writing coach alone can cost you thousands of dollars.
But through COMPEL Pro, you get “writing coach value” for less than $30 a month with a yearly membership!
What are you waiting for?!
Join today!
Membership options
Monthly
$
40/
month
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Our most flexible option
Join Monthly
For those who want the flexibility to try out all the features of COMPEL Pro.
Quarterly
$120
$
100/
3 months
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Our most popular option
Join Quarterly
For those who want to commit to making real progress in their writing over a few months.
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Yearly
$480
$
350/
year
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Our most valuable option
Join Yearly
For those who want long-term coaching and writing help.
Give the Gift of COMPEL Pro
Looking for a gift for the writer in your life to let them know you believe in them and their writing dreams?
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Drop your email below so you can be the first to know when we’re accepting new members.
What COMPEL Pro members are saying:
“Thank you for being such an encouragement to me in this season as I’m growing as a writer. Being a part of your community has been one of the sweetest surprises in this season!”
— April S.
“Thanks for offering these challenges. It has helped me to practice my writing as well as find my confidence. I appreciate everything that COMPEL Pro Writers Training does to encourage me along the way. It has been a valuable source as I listen to God and His calling for me to tell my story.”
— Johnna Y.
“Being a part of the COMPEL Pro community has helped me to grow as a writer, and I am grateful to be a part of it.”
— Kelli M.
“I am receiving more confidence and encouragement to write and post. I’m learning from so many others that I am not alone in this endeavor and that God can and will use me according to His plans and purposes. I shouldn’t allow my preconceived notions of writing success or failure dissuade me from my ministry mission.”
DEE W.
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Friend, have you fallen into the trap of measuring your work and comparing it to everyone else in your writing
How To Create When Life Feels Heavy: A Guide for Hurting Writers
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May 19, 2026
The pain we walk through can powerfully shape our writing, but it can also hinder our productivity. I recently experienced
FAQs
What types of writing training do you offer at COMPEL Pro?
COMPEL Pro offers lessons taught by industry professionals, authors and Proverbs 31 experts on a variety of topics most important to writers, including but not limited to: foundations of writing, successful writing techniques, expanding your reach, platform building, writing biblical-based content and more. Lessons are structured so members can make progress in learning about a topic from basics to more advanced knowledge.
Can I watch the COMPEL Pro training lessons at any time?
COMPEL Pro’s Learning Pathways offer progressive learning via self-led lessons and can be viewed at any time. In addition, twice per year, members will be invited to walk through a Pathway Cohort in a group environment with hands-on guidance, live webinars, and engagement with COMPEL Pro staff.
Is COMPEL Pro for beginning writers?
Yes! In fact, writers at every level will benefit from COMPEL Pro. Our Learning Pathways offer a progressive learning experience for beginners as well as advanced writers. Regardless of where a writer is in their journey, they will benefit from the guided lessons, hands-on training, practical writing applications and publishing opportunities.
Can COMPEL Pro help me get published?
One of the most unique and valuable aspects of COMPEL Pro membership is our multiple writing challenges per year. These challenges provide opportunities to get published on Proverbs 31 Ministries platforms and reach millions of readers. Members can also participate in our annual Publishing Week, which provides the chance to meet one-on-one with a top publishing house or an agent and pitch your book idea.
