My life–as my students know–has been one big experiment. I come from a traditional background in publishing. I spent five years as a weekly newspaper managing editor, and ten as a book and magazine editor. I have eight books published under two different publishing house brands. And so I am not unfamiliar with how the … More The Case for Self Publishing
I have wanted to do a graphic novel for a long, long time. Trouble is, I don’t have the money to invest in an illustrator, inker and designer. And as for me, I would have better luck as a jet pilot than as an artist. I paint with words, but I needed someone who could … More The Graphic Novel Experiment
Playtime is over. I had a rough semester. The last week was a killer, punctuated by final exams, four recruitment presentations, putting a magazine to bed, graduation and a major septic problem at my house. It’s one thing to be productive when you have lots on your plate; try doing that when all of your … More Getting my act together
The monthly church board meeting started without any undue fanfare, the most unusual thing being the location where they met. Two dozen others sat on wooden chairs arranged facing a small platform, where a tall, thin man in bib overalls stood facing them behind a simple podium. Brother Andrew banged his wooden hammer and called … More “A Single Drop of Blood”
People used to ask me how I ended up in Wickliff. Years ago, it used to be a little Podunk town just downstream from Cairo, Illinois. Not much came through there. Most of the rail and freeway traffic was on the northside of the Ohio or the west side of the Mississippi. And the only … More “Infinity’s Reach”
I never really thought I was crazy. That’s despite the fact that a panel of three psychiatrists, a judge and jury of my peers, and an ongoing evaluation by a state-certified mental institution said that I was. Three years in the Hillsboro Institute for the Criminally Insane was like thirty years anywhere else. Screaming at … More “Crazy Man”
“Know thyself.” –Socrates A few weeks ago I wrote a blog stating that you can’t learn how to write by reading other people’s writing. Well, you know how it goes: just about the time you put your foot down and make some kind of summary statement, you prove yourself wrong. I still believe that learning … More Observations and Revelations
Ok kids, if you didn’t get involved with this last summer, now’s your chance to get in on the fun. Here’s the deal: 1. The trick is to write 1,500 words a day for 30 days for a combined total of 45,000 words. 2. You don’t have to work on one item during that time. … More Announcing the 2011 30-day Summer Writing Challenge
I am just about as busy as I have ever been. Teaching two classes, editing an online newspaper and an alumni magazine, serving as University webmaster, and now expected to conduct writing workshops at academies as recruitment trips. I long for the days when all I had to do was teach four classes. Was there … More Not for the faint of heart? More like, not for the sane.
I am finishing up the last few chapters of a three-book, four-year series entitled “The Champion.” My protagonist is a pastor who is called by God to accuse a corporation of wrong doing and thwart their efforts. In the process, he is tried and sentenced to prison as a terrorist, not once but twice. In … More Should he live? Should he die?
The Great Adventure 