I’m running out of excuses to prevent me from putting words on paper. The arguing still continues, but the procrastinator in me is losing out. Thanks to Edward Cheever for being willing to participate in a mini NaNoWriMo–just the two of us. We agreed to write 1,500 words a day for the next 30 days … More Procrastination and…
I picked up a Young Adult book while I was in Siloam Springs, Ark. because it looked interesting, and because Young Adult books–especially fantasy ones–are hot right now. The series is called The Ranger Apprentice, and though it has flaws is pretty good. It made me think about audience and how I should be writing … More Epiphany
I spent the morning at Burton Adventist Academy in Arlington, Texas, where I talked with senior and junior high school students about newswriting and writing opinion articles. I had a great time, and I hope they did too. While I was getting ready for class to start, I was approached by the sixth grade teacher, … More Worth it
One of the projects I have assigned my Media Writing students in the past few years is to write a personality profile of someone they know, entitling it “My Most Unforgettable Character.” I challenge them–but don’t assign them, mind you–to find someone that on the surface may seem a bit boring and dig down deep … More So, what’s your story?
On my Facebook page, I have the following quotation from T. M. McNally: “When you die, I believe, God isn’t going to ask you what you published. God’s going to ask you what you wrote.” Despite having a difference of opinion with McNally on what happens when we die, I believe there is something valid—and … More Is it enough to say the right thing?
In my Visual Communication class, we have been studying the concept of gestalt. It’s hard for some students to pick up, but the essence of it is the concept of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Another way to look at it is to realize that sometimes things don’t make sense, … More The Blessing is in Being
The title is in deference to the 50th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz,” which for those of you who live anywhere near Southwestern will be shown this Saturday night at Wharton Auditorium. But enough commercials. What I really want to talk about is the message behind the message. You know what I am talking … More “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.”
Samuel Johnson once wrote, “No man but a blockhead ever wrote for anything but money.” Well, excuse me, Mr. Johnson, but in today’s market you have to have more than money to drive you along if you are willing to invest the time necessary to be a professional writer. Someone else wrote, “The process of … More Why I write
One of the thoughts that I try to remember to share each fall when I teach Digital Photography is the concept of art. “What is art?” I ask them, and the answers range from blank stares to “Nobody knows,” to “Everything is art.” I end up by telling them that, for the purposes of the … More “Daddy, where do ideas come from?”
I don’t know about other writers, but when I am writing something, often I am talking to myself. This especially goes when I am writing a sermon or working on a novel. Novels, after all, are about the human condition, and believe me, I am very human. A book I was working on last summer … More It’s not what you do….
The Great Adventure 