I can still remember the day that I was introduced to Contemporary Christian Music. I was on a business trip and listening in my rental car to WMBI in Chicago. It was the late 80s, and I had never sung anything but traditional hymns and southern gospel songs in my church before that. On came … More Secret Ambition
I enjoy teaching writing, although as I freely admit to students, one does not actually “teach” another to write. You can guide them, make suggestions, demonstrate technique, but the bottom line is that one learns to be a writer, by, as someone put it, “applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the … More Dress Rehearsal
There was a day when I could study for classes, read a book, listen to music, carry on a conversation and watch TV…all at the same time. But as I steadily become longer in the tooth, I find it harder to concentrate on things creative when other stuff is going on in my life. I … More Back In the Saddle…I Think
I got the November issue of Wired magazine in my office last week, and was pleased to see that it included an interview with Orson Scott Card, author of Ender’s Game and many other great science fiction stories and books. I consider Ender’s Game one of the top ten science fiction stories of all time. … More It’s Not Magic, Just Hard Work
I am determined to be a part of NaNoWriMo this year. For those of you who don’t know, that’s National Novel Writing Month, where each November crazy people like me attempt to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. I’ve done it three times, and have three books to share because of it. But there … More Tom Horn Rides Again
I grew up in the era of Dick Tracy. I spent every Sunday morning reading the comics out of the paper, and Dick Tracy and his two-way wrist radio–and later wrist TV–were always fascinating to me. (Almost as much as the anti-magnetic spaceship that some of the characters used to go to the moon, but … More For I live in a digital world, and I am a digital…boy.
I’ll admit it. I have a finite amount of space in my brain. I have learned that over the years when I have tried to cram too much into it at one time. Either stuff starts spilling out the other side–I forget things–or I have my version of a nervous breakdown. Most of the time, … More Emptying the Closet
This is the sixth year that I have been sponsor of the Rough Writers, the student-led, student-run, student-participative creative writing group here on the campus of Southwestern Adventist University. During that time I have gotten to know some pretty great students, many of whom I am confident will go on to be great writers. I … More Brave, New World
I am a strong advocate for wholistic (not holistic) living. I believe that my brain works better if I put the rest of it to work as well. Not only does it make me feel good, using my muscles circulates the blood and get more blood to my brain. In addition, I find myself being … More Using Different Muscles
It’s the end of my first day of summer. I should be totally chill, relaxing, just taking life as easy as I can. Instead, I am up late with insomnia. My wife is snoring in the next room. Even the dogs are snoring in the living room with me. I am sitting in the dark … More Insomnia
