A couple years ago, I sat in an Airbnb in Denver with three dear friends and fellow writers. We’d flown in from around the country to laugh, cry, and eat good food with each other. But most of all, we came together to write and make each other better writers.

Over the course of the weekend, each of us had a session where we could workshop our own project with the rest of the group. At that point in my own book writing process, I had about three chapters written, but I needed help putting flesh on the skeleton outlines I had for the others. Together, the four of us jotted down story ideas and relevant Scripture passages. They helped me eliminate redundancies and think through my theology.

I have a book releasing in three days. It’s hard to believe I’m even saying that, that I’ve even finally made it to this point. Most people only see news about a book once it’s ready to be shared and read. They don’t see the time spent living out the stories, wrestling with ideas, shedding more than a few tears over the content. It’s been a journey, to say the least.