A reader asked me for my list of the 10 best books on writing. I was reminded of Dorothy Parker’s quote: “If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of …
Recent Blog Posts
The Writer’s Funk
Sometimes all of us, writers included, get in a state of being that’s been called many things. Some call it a funk. Others call it the valley of dry bones. Or the valley of the shadow of death. Recently, one blogger called the dark night of the soul. In baseball, …
Can Books Change Lives?
Can books changes lives? We all know the Bible can and does. But what about fiction? Thinking back on my own reading experiences, I would have to say yes. Reading awakened me to the beauty and strength of words and stories. Stories transport me to worlds I never knew and …
A Review of The Honest Spy
This is a WWII historical novel based on a real person. Fritz Kolbe is a secretary to the number two man in the Nazi Foreign Office. He has access to top secret documents. He is disillusioned with Hitler and determines he must be stopped. He reaches out to British intelligence …
Three Writing Traps
As writers, there are certain traps, misconceptions and attitudes we can fall into. If we stay in these traps too long, our writing careers will be derailed, sometimes before the first stretch of track is laid. Trap #1: Everything I write is publishable No, it’s not. In its extreme, this …
How Do I Find the Time…?
Many times, people come up to me and say they want to write a book but can’t find the time. Aspiring writers, people who are making an effort to write, often say the same thing. Both groups cite full time jobs, church obligations, family responsibilities and activities that prevent or …
Review of Children of the Fleet
This novel by Orson Scott Card is Book 1 of new series set in the universe of Ender’s Game. Dabeet Ochoa is a precocious twelve-year-old with a mysterious past and a brilliant mind whose goal is to get into space. Specifically through the Fleet School, which has replaced Enders’ Battle …
The Blank Page
“Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.” William Faulkner How many of us hesitate to start writing? Even authors who have been at it for a while have this hesitation. This is sometimes referred to a writer’s block. …
Time to Refocus
As you know from previous posts, I have a heart condition. A serious one. And sometimes it’s tempting to give in to it, to pamper myself, to let it limit my experiences and enjoyment of life. But I don’t. I want to live to the fullest, to enjoy all God …
Why Do We Write?
A blog by Andrea Merrill got me thinking about this. She raises the question of what is the true motivation for why I write. Am I an approval addict? Do I write looking for approval? I think this is more real than I’d like to admit. I think there …