In this episode of Created to Write, Michelle Dennis Evans speaks with author Tony Rissen about building a writing life that reflects both passion and stewardship.

Through her journey from teacher to author and biographer, Tony has followed a path shaped not by trends but by a genuine love for storytelling and people. Her work captures the histories of businesses and families, highlighting the power of listening well and writing with intention.

This podcast explores the discipline required to protect creative time, the challenge of comparison, and the freedom found in not forcing yourself into a single niche.

This conversation will encourage you to take your writing seriously, not someday, but now. What you do with your calling matters.Storyteller and cultural historian Dr Toni Risson has penned everything from a picture book about mermaids to a PhD about lollies. An expert on Australia’s Greek café phenomenon, Toni published two books on the subject, and following a State Library fellowship, curated one of the Library’s most popular exhibitions: Meet me at the Paragon ran for six months in 2019-2020. Toni now finds herself writing family business histories. After completing a book for a trucking company, she wrote another Greek migrant story—this time about Australia’s cinema history—and she’s now working on the story of a local shoe shop. She is also an active member of Women Writers Queensland and has published their anthology for the past four years. In the cracks between all this activity, Toni enjoys writing short stories.https://greekcafesinbrisbane.wordpress.com/author/tonirisson/https://tonirisson.wordpress.com/

In this episode of Created to Write, Michelle Dennis Evans speaks with author Steph Penny about what it looks like to answer the creative call, even in the middle of life’s challenges.

From writing non-fiction to stepping into the world of fantasy, Steph shares the heart behind her Survival Series, which explores chronic illness, childlessness and resilience through a Christian lens.

We talk about writing as ministry, balancing creativity with work and health, and the role of community in overcoming self-doubt. Steph also opens up about how the Omega Writers network has supported her journey and helped her keep moving forward.

If you’ve been questioning whether your ideas matter, this episode will remind you that your story has purpose and it’s time to start writing.

Steph Penny is an author, blogger, songwriter and chocoholic. Steph’s latest book, Surviving Chronic Illness, is the third in her Survival series of non-fiction quirky self-help books, and she is currently writing her first fantasy short stories and novels. Steph lives with her husband and pet cat and works as a psychologist in between writing projects.Website: https://stephpenny.com.au/YouTube channel: / @stephpenny Books: https://koorong.com/search?authors=St...

In this episode, author Michelle Dennis Evans tackles one of the biggest writing roadblocks: getting stuck in the first chapters because you are editing while you write. If you have ever struggled with writer’s block, overthinking your words, or constantly rereading instead of making progress, this episode will shift your approach.

Michelle introduces the powerful “brain dump” writing method, a proven strategy for overcoming perfectionism and building writing momentum. Instead of stopping to edit, fix grammar, or second-guess every sentence, you simply get the words out. This creative writing technique helps aspiring authors, bloggers, and content creators finally move forward and finish what they start.

She also reframes writing as an act of worship, reminding listeners that creative ideas are seeds planted by God, meant to be expressed, not buried. When you honour the process and show up consistently, you create space for both creativity and spiritual growth.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone wanting to write a book, grow in faith, and develop stronger writing habits. Michelle highlights the importance of discipline, consistency, and trusting God in the creative process, showing that great writing is built through action, not just moments of inspiration.