COVER STORY
those people are many. “I’ve never been a mother,” she likes to joke, “but I have LOTS of children.” Her ideas flow from the twin rivers of Scripture and observation. Growing up with a mother who read Bible stories aloud, she absorbed the narrative architecture of faith early. Later, she watched the struggles of those around her and instinctively connected their troubles to Biblical principles. Hope, she believes, is something you pass along. Technology still amazes her. After years of wrestling with an electric typewriter, the ease of digital writing— the corrections, the storage, the ability to revisit a document years later—feels like a revelation. Each January she writes a summary of her year, clicking back through memories layered over time. She stores anniversary plans, travel notes, even the programs she’s written for friends. “The computer has made all the difference,” she says. “It’s the biggest and most appreciated surprise.” Her family shares the pride. Her husband brags about her books; siblings recognize their shared childhood in her stories. Mann laughs when she recalls her brother buying one of her books. “If I knew he was going to do that, I would have given it to him.” And when she’s not writing? She’s teaching. Or camping. Or traveling with friends to national landmarks. Or cooking. Or watching too much television, she admits. Most of all, she’s spending long, quiet moments with her two cats. For aspiring Christian writers, her advice is simple—literally. Don’t hide meaning behind academic vocabulary. “You want to teach something, not impress anyone.” She rejects writing that forces readers to keep a dictionary close by. Clarity, she insists, is part of compassion. As for what makes a good story, Mann’s range is unexpected: courtroom dramas, family sagas like
54
EC Magazines | Christmas Edition 2025
Made with FlippingBook Proposal Creator