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!
I’m sitting here in my easy chair, nursing my wounds after a tree got back at me yesterday for cutting off one of its branches. I thought I had positioned myself safely, but when the branch broke free, it smacked me square in the face and broke my nose. I ended up going into the … More A Little Cake, A Little Humble Pie
I’m in the editing phase of my 25th book. It’s also the third book in a series. While I am editing the book and formatting the pages for both the paperback version and the ebook version, I am gearing up to have the cover done. But one thing is absolutely necessary before I can hire … More Yes, name? No, name. Bad name? Good name.
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 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
“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again, there is nothing new under the sun.” –Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV. Pretty much every writer has been asked the question, “Where do you come up with your ideas?” And the answers range from the honest, “I have no idea,” to an explanation … More How to Come Up with an Original Idea
Easter Eggs. Maybe you’ve heard of them. Not the kind that kids look for on that spring holiday out on the lawn. I’m talking about the kind that you find in movies and books where authors and filmmakers include little clues for you to find. They’re fun, they’re free and they show that you’re paying … More Hunting for Easter Eggs
I am a true believer in epiphanies, those precious, rare events when suddenly a great idea seems to come to you out of the blue. I have actually only had a true epiphany come to me a few times in my writing career. When they happen, it is like a godsend, and in some situations … More How to Have an Epiphany
I don’t write romance novels, nor do I read them, although some of my books do include romance elements in them. For the most part, I write suspense novels, Christian suspense to be exact, but I try to include a little bit of everything in there. I always try to balance out suspense with humor, … More Why Good Relationships Are A Bad Thing
A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life by Brian Grazer and Charles Fishman. Simon & Schuster. 320 pages. I previously finished reading a 900-page novel that became ponderous in the last few hundred pages, so it was a delight to pick up this smaller book. And even though Amazon says it clocks in … More Review: “A Curious Mind” by Brian Grazer
