Cocktails With Copper: Jonathan Merritt

A well-respected voice on faith and culture, Jonathan Merritt is a prolific and award-winning author. His work has been featured in publications such as The Atlantic, The Week, The New York Times, USA Today, Buzzfeed, and The Washington Post, just to name a few. With more than 3,000 articles and 35 books under his belt, it’s no wonder that Jonathan is a sought-after leader in the literary and media industries.

In addition to his writing career, Jonathan is also a writing coach, literary consultant, and collaborator who has worked with more than a dozen national publishers. Let’s just say he knows a thing or two about great writing.

The Copper team had the chance to chat with Jonathan about his writing expertise and what keeps him motivated to create content. Read below to learn more about Jonathan’s passion for writing and his advice for new authors who are trying to get their foot in the door of the publishing sector.

1. What motivates you to share your story through writing?

I’m good at it, I like doing it, and I think it matters. I know that probably sounds overly simple, and it would certainly make me seem more sophisticated if I said something about art or impact. But the truth is, I’ve continued to write because it’s meaningful work that combines my talents and passions.

2. You write about a variety of topics from faith to culture. How have you learned to navigate the tension of that space well?

Most opinion writers and nonfiction authors essentially see themselves as “answer-givers.” Through their work, they are wrestling with a question they believe to be important, and they are providing an answer they believe is correct or will be helpful to their readers.

I’ve been doing this for nearly 15 years now, and I’m less confident in my ability to offer people a perfect and timeless answer. So many of the opinions for which I’ve argued throughout the years have changed.

As a result, I’ve learned to see myself essentially as a “question-asker.” I become more concerned with honing the question itself. My hope is that the question itself will haunt the reader and that I will give the reader some tools with which to wrestle with it themselves. That may seem like a small or insignificant shift, but shifting my self-perception from “answer-giver” to “question-asker” has revolutionized my work.

3. In your experience of coaching writers, what is the biggest roadblock writers face toward getting their story out there and building a platform?

The biggest obstacle almost any writer faces is the inner critic. We all face criticism, but the worst kind comes from ourselves. No one knows me better than I do, and that makes me the biggest threat to myself and my work. I know all of my deepest insecurities, so I know exactly where to plunge the knife.

The same is true for all of us, but there’s no reason to despair. The good news is that the inner critic lacks creativity and uses the same discouragements to wound us all. Here are some of the most common phrases the inner critic whispers into young writers’ ears:

“No one wants to hear what you have to say.”
“Who are you to write about this topic?”
“This has already been said before.”
“What you have to say isn’t interesting.”
“No one will care.”

Once young writers learn to notice these tired and worn-out lies from their inner critic, they can consciously re-narrate their central stories and move past this roadblock.

4. How can new writers work toward becoming published authors?

The two biggest things you can do are: 1. hone the craft of writing and 2. establish and grow your online platform. You need content and an audience. It’s that simple.

5. What is one small step writers can take to progress along their writing journeys today?

Find a writing companion. This journey isn’t easy, and it’s chock-full of rejection and disappointment. It’s easier to walk when you’re not alone.

To learn more about Jonathan Merritt, visit his website or follow him on Instagram.

Where do you go to spark your creativity and write? Share them with us @meetcopper so we can share them with our Copper Community!