I will have to admit, there have been many times when I have cut corners with my own writing. I would have a flow of consciousness that I was following in my story, only to hit a speed bump when I got to a certain word that I wanted–but couldn’t think of. And that is … More Master of the Word
One of the things that many of my students don’t know about me is that I have a strong background in music. “You? Sing?” I heard one of them say a few years ago, as if youth has a monopoly on making a joyful noise. Yes, Virginia, I did sing once upon a time, and … More The Performance
As someone who grew up going to church, I have heard all kinds of stuff blamed on Satan. When I was young, I remember Flip Wilson’s famous line, “The Devil made me do it,” and even though we might not say it, sometimes we have that attitude. We think that if Satan tempts us, we … More Give the Devil His Due
This is the sixth year that I have been sponsor of the Rough Writers, the student-led, student-run, student-participative creative writing group here on the campus of Southwestern Adventist University. During that time I have gotten to know some pretty great students, many of whom I am confident will go on to be great writers. I … More Brave, New World
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. –Ecclesiastes 1:9. Yesterday marked the first day of classes here at Southwestern Adventist University for a new school year, and once again I feel a bit of apprehension as I go into the classroom. … More A Word to the Wise…and Otherwise
I was a frightened 13 year old registering for high school for the first time. My mother was with me. When it came time to have my picture taken for the Funnybook, the student directory, they asked me to describe myself in one word. I refused to give a word, but when I left, my … More The Art of Living (and Writing) Dangerously
In the past couple of years and several hundred entries into this blog, I have talked about how to come up with ideas, how to organize those ideas, how to write stories and novels, and how to get them published. But for me, writing is much more than a one-time thing. I am in it … More Getting Started in a Writing Career
I just had a pleasant experience. I got a notice that Kevin Newsome, author of the great Christian suspense book WInter that I have reviewed previously, came by and read my review. It’s nice to know that other authors are out there, doing what I am doing, namely wondering what people are thinking about my … More On the Drawing Board
As somebody who has written a lot, and continues to write a lot, the most comfortable place for me to be is in front of a keyboard. The least comfortable? On the receiving end of reviews. Well, I guess I should qualify that. Writers will always get good and bad reviews; that’s the nature of … More An Author’s Best Friend
In case you noticed, my blogs this week (and last) have been scattered and coming out later in the morning or afternoon than usual. That’s because I am taking advantage of the last few free days this summer before pre-registration meetings take over my life to get some yard work done. Summer is hot here … More Making a Difference
