“Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?” –John 18:38 KJV I write in a variety of genres, varying from Christian suspense to science fiction. And it’s important to keep the reader entertained. But as I continue to write short stories, screenplays and books, I become more and more convinced that entertainment is not enough, especially … More Tell the Truth…Always
I’m sitting in my hotel room in Cedar City, Utah, getting ready to head back to the Las Vegas Airport and home. It’s been a good weekend. I was asked to come and preach and sing at a very small Seventh-day Adventist Church in this moderate-sized town on the border between high desert and piney … More In the steps of Abraham
Who is the best writer in the world? If you are one of my former students, you would probably recognize this as a trick question, which I am notorious for. Because at one time or another, every writer–when things are going well, and the kudos are coming hard and fast–on occasion, feels that they are … More The Best Writer In the World
Yeah, I know. By this time, you’re sick and tired of all the political talk. Well, frankly so am I. I live in a red state (Texas) with a distinctly blue family (at least the ones under my roof). And sadly, even though the election is over (yay!), I suspect that Facebook and Twitter will … More A Red/Blue State of Mind
Last week I wrote you about the trauma involved in losing Cooper, my dog of 13 years. He was a good dog and was my companion in many activities throughout the years. He will be missed. A few days later, my daughter Melissa came to stay with us. She lives in Denton, Texas, about 1 … More The Replacement (at least he thinks he is!)
I’m a top writer on Quora. You know: that website where you can get your questions answered or can go on and answer other people’s questions. I spend a lot of time there answering questions about writing, which makes sense, since I teach it at the university level. One of the questions that pops up … More The Problem with Great Ideas
There are two typical ways of starting to writing a book. The classic way that people envision–and the way I actually started–writing books is you sit down at a desk with a laptop (or a typewriter, since I started in the Stone Age), and just start typing. The words flow from your psyche and you … More Logistics: Getting from Point A to Anywhere Else
Celeste Walker and I have been so busy working on future projects that we have neglected current books that are out there. With that in mind, we have decided to do a giveaway a month on Goodreads of our most recent book, Salome’s Charger. If you haven’t read it, I describe it as a cross … More And Now: Time for a Shameless Plug
I haven’t been online much this week, and it’s not because I’ve been tied up in the office or in the classroom. I’ve been painting. We have this routine around here that stretches back about 19 years–when we bought our house here–that we rotate through the rooms of the house and remodel them every few … More Painting (writing?) as an Art Form
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. Anchor Books. 237 pages. As a writer, and as a writing teacher, I am always looking for books that teach writing. And there are lots of them out there. Like life, it seems like everyone has advice to give (including myself; my book … More Review: “Bird by Bird” By Anne Lamott
The Great Adventure 