Today I am at home with a bad case of the sinuses. I have been struggling with allergies for weeks and–stupid me–went for two days straight without taking my sinus medication. In addition to that I have had a chronic stiff neck due to too much computer work. I woke up with a plugged up … More You Don’t Know What You Got Til It’s Gone
I’ve been enjoying studying the intricacies of writing stage plays with my Drama Writing class. Today we were talking about structure; specifically, the three-act structure. As a novelist, I will have to admit that my view of the three-act structure has been pretty elementary over the years: Act One, get your hero up a tree; … More Revealing Your Moment of Truth
When this year’s NFL Draft came around, several hundred new football players were chosen by the 32 teams of the NFL. The odds were against these new players, and many knew that despite their long hours and hard work they would be unemployed by the time preseason was over. One of those not chosen on … More Dealing with Doubt
As I mentioned last week, this semester I am teaching a class entitled Drama Writing, which involves entry-level script writing for both stage and screen. Since it has been years since I’ve written a script, I have told students that “we will learn together.” And this isn’t the first time they have heard those words … More What a Novelist Can Learn from a Scriptwriter
One of the most challenging parts of being a professor is also one of the things I like most about teaching. I teach in communication, mostly journalism. There’s a lot of people who think that journalism is dying or dead, but that’s not true. It’s evolving. Trouble is, no one is sure exactly what it’s … More New Stuff
I will be the first to admit that I am a novice in the field of self-publishing. But I have learned a great deal since I jumped into the business at the beginning of 2012. Probably the most significant thing I have learned was how critical two things are as far as book sales are … More What a Difference a Cover Makes!
My wife Shelly feels like I have the most vivid dreams of anyone she has ever met. When I have one, and when I remember it in the morning, I try to tell her about it. Why? Because I have learned through my own graduate work in communication that unless you verbalize your dreams, they … More From the Archive: I Must Be Dreaming
Mea culpa. Yes, I have been negligent in writing my blog for the past week. I have excuses–anniversary, busy at work–but suffice it to say that I will try to do better. Today I plan on doing something I have been thinking about for a while, basically since reading the excellent book on writing entitled … More Hello. Is it me you’re looking for?
About a year ago, I was putting the last few chapters together for my six-year Christian suspense project, The Champion Series. It follows a pastor, Harris Borden, through extraordinary circumstances over a period of 22 years, as he is imprisoned, branded a terrorist, establishes an underground army and takes on big business and then even … More Do You Believe in Happy Endings?
When the cute guy in a suit and shades pulled Infinity out of class, I was immediately curious as to what gives. Course, our fearsome foursome—and maybe Devin—were the only ones who really knew who Infinity’s Daddy was. Devin used to make a big joke about it with us, said she didn’t really have to … More Chapter 6: Get a Horse!
The Great Adventure 