Christian writers have been urged to publish life-transforming stories across diverse platforms.

This call was the focal point of a three-day Short Story Writing Workshop organised by the Media Associates International (MAI) in Lagos last week coordinated by veteran journalist, author, and Founder of Journalists for Christ, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin.

The workshop supported by African Christian Textbooks (ACTS) and Journalists for Christ aimed to help Christian writers build capacity to produce inspiring, edifying, and impactful in short story writing.

Mr. Otufodunrin urged Christian writers to embrace the sacred task of writing to glorify God and edify humanity, reminding participants that “God gave the Word, and great was the company of those that published it.”

He advised writers to prioritize prayer before beginning any project, in order to discern God’s heart concerning their subject matter. Drawing from the Parable of the Sower, he likened writers to sowers and readers to various types of soil, encouraging perseverance and focus even when faced with limited feedback.

“Writers must edit their manuscripts carefully and remain steadfast,” he noted, “because our ultimate goal is to please God and amplify His ideals.”

CEO of Jotham Publishing and Founder of Wisewalk Foundation, Mrs. Emike Oyemade, author and writer for young adults and teenagers, urged participants to pursue clarity and intentionality in their writing. She shared her personal experience with her book “Cry for Help”, which initially faced criticism but later gained acceptance because she understood her target audience from the outset.

Mrs. Oyemade challenged participants to sincerely answer the question, “Why am I writing what I am writing?” and offered practical insights on crafting engaging fiction—emphasizing that a compelling story should begin with action, maintain suspense, include twists and conflict, and feature an accurate, realistic setting. She also encouraged Christian writers to write for a broader audience, not just believers.

The interactive session featured writing exercises that engaged both in-person and virtual participants, allowing them to refine their story ideas and apply lessons from the discussions.

Day Two featured Evangelist Pusonnam Yiri, a minister, seasoned writer, and author with over 150 published short stories. Speaking virtually, Evangelist Yiri elaborated on the building blocks of fiction writing, noting that “a story is usually a solution to a problem.” He urged Christian writers to “think locally and share globally,” highlighting the importance of contextual storytelling.

According to him, professional growth is key to better writing: “The writer is the number one building block— your input determines your output,” he said. During the question-and-answer session, Mr. Yiri advised writers to avoid overloading short stories with too many characters and to engage readers as partners in the storytelling process. “Don’t write a story for your audience; write a story with your audience,” he emphasized.

Encouraging African writers to use familiar settings, he remarked, “Make sure your setting is real— give the world what they don’t have.”

On the subject of creativity, Mr. Yiri drew a powerful analogy from the creation story, describing two levels of creativity: “God’s creation of Adam from dust is 0 to 1— something out of nothing, which only God can do. But writers can engage in 1 to 2 creativity, as God did when He made Eve from Adam.”

He encouraged writers to combine existing ideas in innovative ways that reflect reality and connect deeply with readers.

The session ended humorously with his rhetorical question: “When a fish marries a bird, where are they going to live?”— leaving both virtual and on-site audiences smiling.

The three-day workshop, initiated by MAI-Africa, follows a successful debut in Ghana, facilitated by Mr. Lawrence Darmani, publisher and author of “Pick Up Your Pen.”

Copies of his book were shared with participants in Nigeria as a gesture of collaboration, as Mr. Otufodunrin expressed appreciation to Mr. Darmani and announced that the next edition of the workshop would hold in Burkina Faso, to be led by Mrs. Joanna Ilboudo.

The workshop concluded with a charge to participants to produce short fictional stories reflecting the principles and insights gained during the sessions.

Participants during the workshop included Pastors, missionaries, journalists and young writers who were trained to become change agents.

MAI is an interdenominational organization committed to meeting the world’s hunger for the written word through transformative, life-changing, and biblically inspired publications that promote lasting impact and inspire hope across societies.