Husband, father, communication professor, frustrated writer and novelist. I love Jesus, my wife and kids (and grandson), kayaking, football and science fiction.
Yeah, I know. Physician, heal thyself. I’ve written about writer’s block many times before. What it is, how to deal with it, how to get over it. I’ve talked about it in class. I’ve helped students with writer’s block. But for some reason, it’s different when you’re the one that has the problem. I’m at … More Welcome to Writer’s Block City.
I was in love. I might have thought I had been in love before, but I really hadn’t know what love was until I met Shelly. She was my world, my future, and everything I thought about. I asked Robert, my college roommate and best friend, what he thought about her. “She’s great…I guess,” he … More A Lover’s Challenge
“Some days you eat the bear. Some days the bear eats you.” –Unknown As long as I have been a writer, I’ve been interested in learning and studying famous writers and how they work and live. One of the things that comes out of that research is the fact that depression is a common factor … More Unhappy Camper: The Link Between Writing and Depression
Sudden Mission by Guy L. Pace. Vox Dei Publishing. 198 pages. Once again I find myself reviewing a book from the Christian speculative fiction thread of Goodreads. Authors and reviewers there agreed to read, critique and review each others books. It’s been a good opportunity for me to meet and see some new and exciting … More Review: “Sudden Mission” by Guy L. Pace
I started off writing poetry a long time ago, and once in a blue moon something strikes me that calls for a poem. Poetry is good for stirring up our descriptive abilities, so there’s that. Anyway, this comes from a dream I had about a month ago. Enjoy. CARIBOU White snow, white fog, white … More Poem: “Caribou”
Time Travelers Never Die by Jack McDevitt. Penguin Group. 384 pages. I’m a fan of time-travel stories. Let me clarify that: I’m a fan of well-written time-travel stories. Time travel is one of those memes that sounds great and exciting but can lead you down either the rabbit hole of cliches such as “let’s kill … More Review: “Time Travelers Never Die” by Jack McDevitt
Grand Marshall E. Pluribus Unum was bored. Bored and worried. He looked out through the picture window of his home overlooking the small country of Lilia and sighed. It had been five years since peace and independence had been declared. And not much had happened since then. Nothing but prosperity it seemed. Farmers had returned … More Short Story: “The Great Cantaloupe War”
In my bookcase of my office (which is currently in transit across campus) is a book that includes an essay by author Stephen Lawhead talking about J.R.R. Tolkien, the writer he says had the largest influence on him. In it he talks about when he learned the reality that who you are as a person–your … More Called To Be a Hero
Little do most readers know, that there are two ways they can pay the author for the story that they read. First, there is the obvious: pony up some shekels and pay the old fashioned way. But in this new age of social networks, authors depend more and more on word of mouth to sell … More Payback from Readers. Or Not.
This is graduation weekend, and this morning I sat on the stage, looking out on students I have been teaching (and trying to teach) for the past four years, as well as their parents. In addition, I am bumping into recent graduates who are here because younger siblings are finally getting their diplomas. Some are … More It’s Not About How Good You Are
The Great Adventure 