Don’t get me wrong. Criticism hurts. It probably hurts me more than most people. I have always had a need to seek approval from other people, to feel that people like me. But I also know that I will never improve as a writer unless I know where I make mistakes. After 40 years in … More In Search of Criticism
I can’t find the reference right now, but someone, somewhere wrote–and I quoted it quite recently: “You don’t learn how to write a book. You just learn how to write the book you are writing.” I wish I could remember who said it, and if I am getting the words exactly right, but you get … More It Doesn’t Get Any Easier
I love it when I am obsessed with a story I’m writing. My wife? Not so much. I call it being in the zone. Obsession leads to loads and loads of productivity. My wife calls it being zombified. That’s the time when she can’t keep an adult conversation going with me because my mind is … More Sacred Hours
I’ve always wondered about those authors who state that the day after they finish writing a novel they sit down at the keyboard and start typing the next one. It goes hand-in-glove with the idea of just sitting down and looking at a blank piece of paper, and letting that lead you into your story. … More Baptism By Immersion
Back in the early 80s, I wrote my first book. And I almost didn’t write it, simply because I didn’t believe in myself. I did get as far as writing a query letter to three book publishers, telling them what I had in mind, and asking them if they were interested. All three of them … More Nobody Cares If You Don’t
Years ago…I mean eons ago, when I was in grade school…I used to change what I was going to do with my life from day to day. One day it would be a fireman, the next an archeologist, the next a soldier. It wasn’t until I got into high school that I started dabbling with … More Getting My Research Hat On
For those who don’t know much about me, I’m a novelist who makes a living as a university professor during daylight hours. I’ve been doing this (the professor part) for 19 years now, and before that I was an editor. I teach in the communication department of Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas, and consider … More Storytelling 101: Why It’s All About Worldview
