Years ago–back in the Stone Age–I decided to write my first novel. And so I had a basic idea and I took that idea, sat down and started writing. Two years later, I had a book, sort of. Actually, it was a mess. I wasted a lot of time because I would start chapters not … More Outline that Puppy!
“The first draft of anything is shit.” –Ernest Hemingway I’m nearing the completion of the first draft of my first chapter on my latest book. And the more I write on it, the more unhappy I am with it. One of my father’s sayings was: “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s … More Ugly Baby
Hey there. I haven’t been posting like I used to, mainly because I am retired now. But let it be known that I’m not dead yet. I’m still writing books, teaching an occasional class, and babysitting our three-year-old grandson a great deal. I was just mowing the backyard, which is where I do most of … More Right brain vs. left brain writing
There are some writers who believe you have to write every day. If you don’t, you’re not a writer. I know: I heard that a lot in my early years writing. And it depressed me because I’m not that type of writer. I can’t sit down and just start writing if I don’t have a … More Between Projects: When I’m Not Writing
After a year of not writing, I am back in front of the keyboard, working on book #26. I use the term working loosely for two reasons. First, because like most writers, I am finding every excuse in the book to procrastinate and do everything else but write. I tolerate that to a certain degree … More Shaking off the Cobwebs
Face it. Sometimes writing is hard work. Actually, a lot of times it’s hard. When you have to drag yourself out of bed early in the morning to have some time to work on that novel, that’s not always so fun. When the words don’t come, that’s not fun. And when you’re sitting in front … More When the Story Comes to You
Every good idea I ever had, I stole from someone else. –Me I mentioned Paul McCartney recently, and the documentary on Hulu about him and his life with the Beatles. In it, he talks a lot about the ideas that came to them that ended up in their songs. Sometimes it had to do with … More The Source of All Ideas
I’ve been watching the six-episode documentary on Hulu entitled “McCartney: 3, 2, 1” that is an extensive interview with Paul McCartney about his life with the Beatles and the music they created. It’s a fascinating look at the craft of creating music from a master, and I highly recommend it. But as I’ve been watching … More Layers: Making Your Story More Complex
I’ve been writing a long time. Two dozen published books, a handful of awards, and several hundred articles and short stories published leads my students and fans to ask a lot of questions. And one of the questions that comes up pretty often is: “Where do you get the ideas for your books?” Well, the … More How It All Starts
Today’s the first day of classes. Whew. It’s been a busy month since Christmas. Dec. 23 my wife got total knee replacement surgery, and since then I have bounced around from taking care of her to taking care of the house to taking care of classes for my final semester of teaching at Southwestern Adventist … More The Value of Learning by Not Thinking
