TAYLOR FUNK BRINGS FAITH, HUMANITY, AND HISTORY TOGETHER IN "THE ARMS OF THE CREATOR" - VORAKA

Some writers discover storytelling slowly over time. For Taylor Funk, it began with a simple thought in high school: Why not try writing a novel? What started as curiosity quickly became something much bigger. Years later, even while earning her engineering degree and preparing to step into full-time professional life, writing remains at the center of who she is.

AUTHOR TAYLOR FUNK

Funk describes herself as someone whose mind is constantly filled with ideas, fragments of dialogue, and stories waiting to take shape. Her notes app and Google Drive are packed with unfinished concepts, emotional scenes, and characters she plans to return to someday. To her, storytelling is less about inventing fictional worlds and more about giving life to experiences that already feel real in her imagination.

That emotional connection to storytelling is part of what gives her work its sincerity. Whether she’s writing fiction or poetry, there’s a strong sense that every character is rooted in something deeply human, fear, longing, uncertainty, hope, or the search for meaning.

Outside of writing, Funk enjoys long drives with music, photography, and capturing quiet moments that reflect what she describes as “the wonder of God’s creation.” As a neurodivergent writer, she openly embraces the shifting nature of creativity and hyperfixation, something that often shapes the energy and direction of her stories. Some ideas arrive unexpectedly and refuse to let go until they’re fully explored on the page.

So far, she has written sixteen novels, three novellas, a poetry collection, and several short stories. While many remain unpublished, writing has never been something she intends to leave behind. Even as she begins her career as a Project Engineer, she plans to continue building stories for as long as there are stories to tell.

Her debut novel, The Arms of the Creator, released on March 5 and immediately established the kind of emotionally reflective storytelling she hopes to become known for.

Inside The Arms of the Creator

Set in first-century Judea during the ministry of Jesus, The Arms of the Creator is not written as a traditional biblical retelling. Instead, the novel approaches the era from a deeply personal perspective, placing readers among ordinary people trying to make sense of extraordinary events unfolding around them. The story follows seven different narrators whose lives slowly become connected through encounters with a man who challenges everything they believe about faith, truth, love, and power.

Among them is a Roman Praetor struggling with helplessness inside his own home despite holding authority over an entire city. A Pharisee devoted to preserving tradition begins questioning the certainty he once relied upon. A wealthy merchant searches for meaning beyond material comfort, while a laborer facing a grain shortage wrestles with survival and responsibility. Alongside them are three siblings forced to confront the realization that their childhood friend may be far more extraordinary than they ever imagined.

What makes the novel compelling is the way it balances spiritual reflection with emotional realism. Rather than focusing only on grand biblical moments, Funk spends time exploring quieter human struggles, pride, grief, fear, doubt, control, longing, and the discomfort of having your worldview challenged.

The atmosphere of the novel is also shaped by careful historical detail. Funk’s research into ancient Rome and Judea adds texture to the story without overwhelming it, allowing the setting to feel immersive while remaining accessible to modern readers.

At its core, The Arms of the Creator asks a difficult but fascinating question: What would faith look like if you witnessed these events yourself? The novel invites readers not simply to observe the story from a distance, but to emotionally place themselves within it.

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Taylor Funk is already working on a sequel to The Arms of the Creator, set thirty years later across Rome and Judea. While the scope of her storytelling continues to grow, what remains consistent is her interest in writing emotionally honest stories that stay with readers long after the final page.

There is a natural sincerity to the way Funk talks about storytelling. She writes because she feels compelled to, because the stories continue arriving, and because she believes they deserve to be shared. That sense of purpose gives her work an authenticity that readers increasingly look for today.

As she continues balancing engineering, creativity, and an ever-growing collection of ideas waiting to become novels, Taylor Funk is steadily establishing herself as a thoughtful new voice in Christian historical fiction.

Readers can follow her journey and future projects through her Instagram account @ttfunk, where she regularly shares updates about her writing life and upcoming work.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR TAYLOR FUNK

Q. What first drew you to writing novels in high school, and what made you stick with it?

Taylor: I have always been full of creative energy looking to escape. In high school I randomly decided to try writing novels because I was going to have my own computer for the first time. Once I started, I never wanted to stop. There are endless stories to be told, and I will continue to chip away at them.

Q. How do you navigate the contrast between engineering and creative writing in your daily life?

Taylor: I don’t see engineering as a contrast to creative writing. Both crafts involve thinking outside the box to create something, whether it’s a storyline or a solution to a problem. My engineering classes have also taught me many tools for managing projects, which in a way, a novel is, so I’ve been using those to help me.

Q. What keeps you inspired to continue writing so many stories alongside your career?

Taylor: My brain never stops coming up with ideas. When they come to me, it feels like something that already exists, and it’s my duty to make them known. I know my life will only continue to get busy as I get older and move more into adult life, but I never want to leave a story behind. 

Q. How would you describe your writing routine when you’re fully immersed in a project?

Taylor: Post-its. Lots of post-its. Anyone who’s ever lived with me is familiar with the little colorful squares that pepper the walls whenever I’m working on a new project. The timing of when I write and for how long varies depending on what I have time for, but the post-its are a constant.

Q. How has your experience as a neurodivergent writer shaped your storytelling voice?

Taylor: As someone who’s neurodivergent, I get bored easily. Because of that, my stories tend to have a lot of engaging elements to them to keep the reader entertained. Sometimes that means more dialogue, or high action, or multiple narrators depending on the project. I also tend to throw in a neurodivergent character or two into my stories for fun.

Q. What influence do your hyperfixations have on the ideas and themes you explore?

Taylor: Sometimes they’re unrelated, but other times they’re what inspire my stories. My brain gets stuck on an idea or a person, and it occupies my thoughts for days or even weeks. From there, I start forming the story around the hyperfixation. Recently, I hyperfixated on a song that had dystopian vibes and I created a whole book idea around it.

Q. What does writing mean to you on a deeper, more personal level?

Taylor: Writing is a chance to put yourself into someone else’s shoes. You need to know the ins and outs of how your characters think to write from their perspective. I’ve found that in the process of teaching myself to do that, I’ve become more empathetic to the real people around me as well.

Q. How do you stay driven while working toward publishing your body of work?

Taylor: Continuing to write alongside pursuing publishing has never been a problem for me. The stories never stop coming. The issue arises when I have to use my writing time to submit to publishers. It can be tough to stay positive during that process, but I remind myself that that’s the way to get to my goals. 

Q. What inspired you to return to The Arms of the Creator and expand its world?

Taylor: I never meant to continue upon this story, but then one day I read 1st Peter and a new hyperfixation was born: What if Peter had a daughter who didn’t see faith the same way he did? The idea hit me hard and I came up with the rest of the elements of the story from there.

Q. How did exploring settings like Rome and Judea shape the atmosphere of your sequel?

Taylor: Adding in the new setting of Rome for the sequel was pretty interesting and required a lot more research. I began a new era where my Roman Empire was the actual Roman Empire. I’ve done my best to incorporate the intricacies of both places in a historically accurate way that’s approachable to the modern reader.

Q. How does writing poetry from personal experience differ from crafting fiction?

Taylor: For me, writing and sharing poetry is a more vulnerable experience. While there are pieces of me in every fictional character I create, nobody would know which parts unless they actually knew me. With poetry, my struggles and quiet thoughts are put on display and tied directly to me. That definitely makes it a more nerve-wracking process. 

Q. What kind of journey or feeling do you hope readers take away from your stories?

Taylor: My goal with writing has always been to make the reader feel something. No matter what the story is about, I want the reader to be moved when they put it down. I’ve wasted both mine and the reader’s time if they forget about the story or the things it made them think about once they turn the last page.