I’m sitting in our booth, trying to sell books, at the annual national convention for the Society of Adventist Communicators in Columbia, Maryland. At home in Texas, it’s still raining after pummeling us for a week, and I see news reports of massive flooding. Here, I wake up to ice on the windshield. I just … More News from Columbia, Maryland
I was successful (well, mostly) in raising a beautiful daughter and a fine son. They are both in their thirties and my son has a family of his own. I have a colleague who raised three daughters. When he saw the challenges I had in raising a teenage son, he said, “I’m glad I have … More Problem Child
Famous? No. Rich. Definitely not. Established? Check. If you’ve been writing a while, been around the block, had a few titles published under your byline, you get to the point where putting sentences together become, well, while I won’t say easy, I would say tolerable. Writing the blamed story isn’t your biggest challenge. You can … More The two biggest challenges for an established writer
In 2012, I decided for the first time to join the crazy international project known as National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo for those who are familiar with it. Each November, hundreds of thousands of would-be authors are challenged to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Because it was my first time, and because … More Keep It Simple? Or Complex?
It’s amazing how much of my life is motivated by guilt. When I’m not writing, I feel guilty for not doing so. Then when I start writing, I usually get obsessive about it, and I neglect something else, like getting ready for classes, which start here in four weeks, which makes me feel guilty again. … More Still Alive. Still Kicking. Still Writing.
Yeah, I know. Physician, heal thyself. I’ve written about writer’s block many times before. What it is, how to deal with it, how to get over it. I’ve talked about it in class. I’ve helped students with writer’s block. But for some reason, it’s different when you’re the one that has the problem. I’m at … More Welcome to Writer’s Block City.
I was in love. I might have thought I had been in love before, but I really hadn’t know what love was until I met Shelly. She was my world, my future, and everything I thought about. I asked Robert, my college roommate and best friend, what he thought about her. “She’s great…I guess,” he … More A Lover’s Challenge
“Some days you eat the bear. Some days the bear eats you.” –Unknown As long as I have been a writer, I’ve been interested in learning and studying famous writers and how they work and live. One of the things that comes out of that research is the fact that depression is a common factor … More Unhappy Camper: The Link Between Writing and Depression
Little do most readers know, that there are two ways they can pay the author for the story that they read. First, there is the obvious: pony up some shekels and pay the old fashioned way. But in this new age of social networks, authors depend more and more on word of mouth to sell … More Payback from Readers. Or Not.
This is graduation weekend, and this morning I sat on the stage, looking out on students I have been teaching (and trying to teach) for the past four years, as well as their parents. In addition, I am bumping into recent graduates who are here because younger siblings are finally getting their diplomas. Some are … More It’s Not About How Good You Are
The Great Adventure 