My Writing Journey ~ Emily Assell

by Emily Assell

Writing was a dream I had as a little girl, something I did in high school before I cared about grown-up things like paying bills or affording a house. I wrote poetry for special events and distracting crushes. My creative writing teacher was amused by the short stories I scratched into being during the study hall period before they were due. But when talk of student loans and serious plans came around, I was steered toward more practical careers. I became a nurse and a wife and a mom. I forgot about writing, forgot the feel of my pen sliding over paper like an ice skate on a freshly smoothed rink. But God didn’t forget.

Due to bad decisions and a bad economy, my husband and I declared bankruptcy and foreclosed on our house. For two years, we lived in my in-laws’ basement while my husband went back to school. But God rescued us down in that basement and taught me the power of His Word. I wrote out verses on notecards and stuck them all around. When I walked by our mirror in the basement, I read out loud and agreed in my heart with verses like, “Those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land” (Psalm 37:9, niv).

Eventually a chain of events got the rest of my student loans paid off, and we bought a double-wide trailer (we’ll save the discussion of humility for another time). We were on food stamps and WIC coupons while we both worked part time and tried to make it another six months until Matt finished school. I declared, “My [Father] will provide all my needs [and pay all my bills] according to His riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19, author’s paraphrase). And He did; He was meeting our physical needs and impacting our visible situations, but then came something even harder.

I began to realize that I had a real problem with anger. I hated myself for it, but I couldn’t control it, and it slowly began taking over my life. That’s when our Father showed me that the same Word that had power to change my situation had the power to change me.

Second Corinthians 10:5 (niv) says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” As I put this verse into practice, I saw God change and transform me as I took every thought captive, took up the Word of God, and chose to make my thoughts obedient to Him. His Word changed my situation and my heart.

Now, I promise I haven’t lost the plot here. Stick with me; we’re getting to the writing part.

One day I was lying in my bed, thinking about the baby shower I was throwing for my youngest brother-in-law. I remember thinking, Lord, I know the power of Your Word; I have seen the faithfulness of Your promises. I don’t want to give this baby just another blanket or stroller. I want to give him something more. I want to give him everything You died to give him. I want to give him everything your Word says he can have. And I sensed the Father telling me, “Em, I want that for all my kids.” And I knew He wanted me to write a book.

God said, “Write.” But Google said, “Impossible.” Unfortunately, I listened to Google for another six months until, during a period of fasting, God told on me to my husband. I remember the place in our trailer my husband was standing, when he turned to me and said, “God says He wants you to write a book?”

I finally gave in. One step at a time, I wrote the book, asked a woman (who later became my sister-in-law) to do the illustrations, figured out how to get an ISBN, registered all the self-publishing paperwork, used the down payment we had saved up for a house to buy books, and then built a website to sell them. My kids and I became best friends with the lady at the post office. We sold the books at farmer’s markets, consignment sales, and craft shows.

Then one day, I showed up to a local church’s Christmas shopping event with other vendors selling Mary Kay, LulaRoe, Norwex cleaning supplies, and a booth selling Tyndale books. I sold over 75 books that day, and when it was over, God told me to take one of our books to the Tyndale booth. I tried to explain to God, “This is not how publishing works. This is just the girl at the book table. I don’t have an agent. I don’t have a book proposal.” But He didn’t seem to hear my any of my protests.

I heard God whisper, “If nothing else, Em, have I not taught you obedience and faith in my words?” So, I took my thoughts captive and made them obedient. I asked if she would take my book and was shocked when she said she would.

Three days later, the head of children’s publishing at Tyndale House Publishers emailed me. We ended up signing a contract for a three-book deal, and today I have two more coming out in spring of 2025. God did not forget my dream or the talent He had given me, and I continue to write and declare His Word over the thousands of lives our books have touched.

About the Author

Emily Assell is a bestselling children’s book author and speaker. She believes dry shampoo, snacks, and the Word of God can solve almost any parenting problem. She and her husband, Matt, started Generation Claimed in 2017 to self-publish her first book, You Are. A year later, Tyndale House Publishers released the book, which has gone on to sell over twenty-five thousand copies.

When not writing, Emily homeschools her three children, volunteers at LoveMoves.Us (a nonprofit for foster and adoptive children and families), or gets lost reading someone else’s book. Emily has spoken at many parenting conferences, schools, mothers’ groups, and special events, and she has been a featured guest on multiple podcasts, teaching and encouraging all ages about the power of God’s Word. But don’t worry, her three kids are her own personal slang dictionary and keep her down-to-earth despite her best efforts to be cool. Emily’s most recent books, When It Hurts (a board book for kids ages 0–4) and Wherever You Are (devotions for moms), will release from Tyndale House Publishers in spring 2025.

To purchase When It Hurts, go to –

My Writing Journey ~ Emily Assell

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