The phrase “seeing the elephant” or “he saw the elephant” makes me think of old war movies, especially ones with the British Army bivouacked in a remote area, with references to first combat. But as I research it, it actually originates in Georgia (United States) in 1835. The phrase “seeing the elephant” was originally tied … More Seeing the Elephant
I don’t know if it’s because I have a vivid imagination, because I am a writer, or just a blessing by God, but I have always had dreams that present themselves in technicolor. Some are bad, which is understandable, but many are very good. And it has been just the past year or two that … More Sweeping Up Stardust
It had been called Magic Valley for as long as anyone could remember. And when you visited the region, it quickly became obvious why. Even in the bitterest Montana winter, when cattle froze in huge drifts of snow and breath crusted into icicles on your face, the valley remained mild and temperate. When the hot … More “The Grove”
I can still remember the day that I was introduced to Contemporary Christian Music. I was on a business trip and listening in my rental car to WMBI in Chicago. It was the late 80s, and I had never sung anything but traditional hymns and southern gospel songs in my church before that. On came … More Secret Ambition
Today I head back into the classroom after a week off for Spring Break. Although “off” is relative (I ended up working the whole week), it will be good to get back into the classroom. I start off at 8:30 with my Narrative Writing class. The Friday before break, the students were supposed to hand … More Easy A
“Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.” –-J. Frank Dobie, American folklorist I deal with students and student writers everyday. Most of them are interested in writing fiction; many of them want and do write fantasy. In the mind of the common reader, fantasy is one of those genres that … More Truth and Fiction
I am presently reading a book about the Civil War–Gettysburg to be exact. I picked it up on the discount rack at Wal-Mart. I am embarrassed to say that most of the books I buy come from some sort of discount rack, either in a store on online. Because I am one of those who … More Hits and Misses
Sometimes writing is the greatest pastime you can have. Sometimes it is just work. This week is shaping up to be the latter. It’s spring break, and the indication is to be a slacker because, after all, my day job of being in the classroom isn’t happening. But I have another job, that of editor … More Slogging
Like the vast majority of authors out there, I also have a day job that pays most of my bills. In my situation, I am also a professor. Add to that freelance work as an editor for the alumni magazine and serving as the university’s webmaster, and you can see that I wear a lot … More Why Multitasking Is Bad for Authors
I just got back from Career Day at Chisholm Trail Academy, and one of the decisions I made early on was to be frank and honest with them about writing as a career. I focused on three words for success as a writer: Tenacity, Versatility, Dependability. You have to want it enough to persevere through … More We are the 99 percent
The Great Adventure 