By Eric Myers | Soul of a Writer | April 1, 2026

A new story idea is like a spark—it excites, it glows, and it whispers possibilities. But if you’ve ever started a novel that fizzled out halfway through, you know not every spark becomes a fire.

Before investing months or even years into a project, it’s wise to pause and ask: Is this story truly the one God is calling me to write?

I’ve worked with hundreds of authors through my editing service and my years in ministry. I’ve seen gifted writers spend years on a manuscript that never quite connected—usually not because of talent, but because the idea itself wasn’t ready.

Here’s the good news: you can test your idea before you begin. You can make sure it’s both creatively rich and spiritually resonant. The following eight tests will help you discern not just whether your idea is “good,” but whether it’s right—and right now.

1. The Dinner Party Test

Years ago, when I first started mentoring writers, I told one of them to “pitch” her story without revealing it was hers. She was nervous at first, but when she casually dropped her story premise into conversation at a church potluck, I watched her friends light up with curiosity.

That was all the confirmation she needed: the story stood on its own.

The idea here is simple. Describe your plot like a book you’ve read, not one you’re writing. See how people react—not politely, but honestly. If eyes light up or questions follow, you might have a winner.

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt.” — Colossians 4:6

If your story idea sparks curiosity when spoken with grace and excitement, you may be holding something worth pursuing.

2. The Right Person Test

Ask yourself: Am I the right storyteller for this idea?

When I pastored two small congregations, I learned that calling doesn’t always match comfort. Some sermons flowed easily; others wrestled something deeper awake in me. The same is true in fiction.

If your idea demands research you dread, or an emotional depth you aren’t ready to face, don’t force it. You might still be in training for that story.

Jesus said,

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” — Luke 16:10

Maybe God’s asking you to write something smaller first—to build your voice, your discipline, and your courage—before you tackle the big one.

3. The Wow Factor Test

When you describe your story, what makes it sparkle? Is it the premise, the twist, the world, the voice?

In editing sessions, I often ask authors, “If a reader only saw your back‑cover blurb, what about it would wow them?” For one writer, it was the way grief took physical form in her fantasy world. For another, it was a villain who mirrored the main character’s faith struggle.

You don’t need fireworks everywhere—just one clear spark that feels original and alive.

“Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you.” — 2 Timothy 1:6

Your wow factor is often the ember God planted that sets the rest alight.

4. The Weight Test

I’ll be candid. After my first few years reviewing manuscripts, I could tell in five pages whether a story carried true emotional weight.

Does the story matter to you? Would you still care about it if no one read it?

A few years ago, I worked with a writer who lost her daughter. Her novel—fictional but rooted in grief—was the way she prayed. It was sacred work, raw and redemptive. That story carried eternal weight because it poured from real wounds.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3

If your idea carries something true and heavy, it will sustain you when writing gets hard.

5. The Town‑versus‑Brick Test

As a pastor, I used to remind ministry leaders (and occasionally myself) that we can’t build the whole kingdom in one week.

New writers often make the same mistake: they try to write the entire town at once—a massive epic with six POVs and a galaxy of subplots.

Start with a brick. Start with a single building. Start with a single life.

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” — Luke 16:10 (worth repeating here)

If your first novel focuses tightly on one heart, one question, one redemption arc, you’ll build something stronger and truer.

6. The Common Denominator Test

Writers sometimes tell me, “No one’s ever written anything like my book!”

That’s not always good news. Even Jesus spoke in ways His audience could relate to—parables about farmers, seeds, coins, and sheep.

Your story should have at least one recognizable thread readers can grasp instantly. Find your “comp titles” not to copy them but to connect.

“I have become all things to all people, that by all possible means I might save some.” — 1 Corinthians 9:22

Know your audience. Write to serve them, not just to impress yourself.

7. The Forget‑About‑It Test

This test changed my own writing life.

When a new idea hits me, it’s thrilling. But I’ve learned to test it by setting it aside for a few weeks. If it fades, it wasn’t for me. If it follows me—into prayer, into dreams, into quiet walks—it’s usually God saying, “Yes, this one.”

If your idea clings gently to your spirit, that’s not obsession—it’s calling.

“The word of the Lord burned in my heart like a fire shut up in my bones.” — Jeremiah 20:9

You’ll know because you can’t not write it.

8. The Scene Test

Finally, can you picture five moments you can’t wait to write?

Specific scenes—the argument, the revelation, the quiet reconciliation—should already live vividly in your imagination. God often shows us glimpses, not outlines. Those glimpses are His way of saying, “Start here.”

When I began my first sermon years ago, all I had was one image: a cracked clay jar spilling water on dry ground. That image became the anchor for the whole message. Stories work the same way. One scene can carry the soul of the book.

“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” — Habakkuk 2:2

If you can see the scenes clearly, start writing. God will meet you on the page.

Final Thoughts

Writers, your creativity isn’t random—it’s relational. The same God who shaped galaxies invests inspiration in you for a reason.

Before you spend the next two years on a manuscript, test it. Pray over it. Ask whether your story idea passes not just the creative tests but the spiritual one:

Will this story serve truth, hope, or healing?

If the answer is yes, get to work—because someone out there needs exactly this story.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” — Colossians 3:23

Write faithfully, write freely, and remember: the Author of Life still co‑writes every story that begins with faith.

Eric Myers

Editor, former pastor, and founder of Soul of a Writer, helping fiction writers transform ideas into stories that inspire faith and imagination.