Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Equation teaches that success is not luck but the result of extraordinary belief and extraordinary effort. Belief sets the vision, effort carries it forward, and together they create outcomes that once seemed impossible.
I see this play out every day in the writing life. To publish a book, you have to believe you can finish a manuscript, find a publisher or agent, and reach readers. You also have to put in the effort—drafting, revising, querying, promoting—often with little guarantee of results.
It’s no wonder that most people who say they want to write a book never do, and that even published books often sell fewer than 500 copies.
To help us as writers tap into the mindset of the Miracle Equation, I’ve created this Miracle Equation writing prompt. It’s designed to help you explore belief and effort in your genre and recognize how these forces shape your own writing life.
Journal Prompt
Write about a time when you believed in something—or someone—against the odds. How did that belief fuel your effort? Or reflect on where in your life (right now) you’re called to bring more belief, more effort, or both.
Fiction Prompt
In fiction, the Miracle Equation can become the heartbeat of a story. Imagine a character who faces an obstacle so great that most people would walk away. It could be a mountain they literally must climb, a cure they’re desperate to discover, a relationship they refuse to give up on, or a dream that seems wildly out of reach.
- What extraordinary belief anchors them when the world tells them it’s impossible?
- What extraordinary effort do they pour into the journey, even when it costs them sleep, security, or the approval of others?
- Where do they falter, and how do they find the strength to begin again?
- Does their “miracle” appear exactly as they envisioned—or does it arrive in an entirely different form, reshaping what they thought they wanted?
As you write, let your character’s doubt and determination play against each other. Their belief doesn’t have to be unwavering; it only needs to be strong enough to keep them moving. Their effort doesn’t need to guarantee success at first, but it should reveal the depth of what they’re willing to risk or sacrifice.
