A year ago or so I read a book series entitled Coyote, which was a retelling of the Mayflower story in science fiction terms. Some political dissidents steal a space ship intended to start a colony on a distant planet and start their own colony. The story develops from there in many different, interesting ways. … More Novels that Are Short Stories
I’m an old dog, and it’s hard for me to learn new tricks. I tell my class I was privileged to start my career on a newspaper that still used linotypes. They stare at me as if I was using stone flints and talked about the invention of fire. I won’t go into all the … More This thingy called social networks
No, I am not writing about myself. This is, as are most of my blogs, about writing books. Spring break is over <heavy sigh> and my Narrative Writing class has turned the corner from writing short stories to writing the first 50 pages of a novel. Some are falling into a panic, while others are … More The Complete Package
About two decades ago, I was a book editor at Pacific Press Publishing Association in Boise, Idaho. One of the books that came through for my consideration was a manuscript from my friend Clifford Goldstein entitled “Best Seller.” In it, he tells of his desire to become a world-famous novelist and how he struggled for … More Sacrifice, Surrender and Commitment: A Christian Writer’s Dilemma
One of the first exercises I had the students in my Narrative Writing class do this semester is write about their greatest fear. It was hard; I know, because I did it myself. And I will have to admit that I cheated somewhat. I told the class three things I was afraid of, but the … More Life Outside the Comfort Zone
What are you really afraid of? … More Embrace the Fear
The Great Adventure 