“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” C. S. Lewis As Al Borland used to say on the first Tim Allen show, Home Improvement, “I don’t think so, Tim.” Usually, when Tim was about to blow something up that shouldn’t blow up. …
Recent Blog Posts
Dream
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 …
How to Write a Novel
When I’m introduced as a writer to a group of non-writers I get a wide range of reactions. Some look at me as if I’m from another planet. Others back away as if they might catch a strange disease. In my early days, one person asserted I couldn’t be …
Leaving a Legacy
Have you ever wondered about what kind of legacy you’re leaving? I mean more than an estate or an inheritance we bequeath to our children or our church. I’m thinking more along the lines of how will people remember us. Maybe a better phrasing is how do we want to …
How Do I Get My Family on Board with My Writing?
This one of the top five questions I get from beginning writers, ranking right up there with finding the time to write. Unless you’re a hermit, you decision to be a writer is going to impact people around you. Especially your immediate family. Serious writing is a commitment of time …
Failing My Way to Success
Another rejection. The email glares at me. The words of the magazine editor are a thousand pinpricks. “Doesn’t meet the theme of our issue.” This came right after an agent responded to a query with “not interested.” Which came after several no responses at all from other agents and a …
Proverbs for Writers
As the Lord leads, periodically I’ll be sharing what he’s spoken to me about writing and life. They won’t all be from the Book of Proverbs. I’ve found his inspiration and encouragement and direction throughout the Bible. The first one I want to share is: Write at his direction and …
Why Do I Keep Writing?
I began this blog a little over five years ago. My first post titled Why Do I Write. Click Here Now, so many years later—although they seem to have flown by—I ask myself why do I keep writing? In the face of rejections and in the crazy world of publishing …
Failing My Way to Success
Another rejection. The email glares at me. The words of the magazine editor are a thousand pinpricks. “Doesn’t meet the theme of our issue.” This came right after an agent responded to a query with “not interested.” Which came after several no responses at all from other agents and a publisher …
Don’t Get Trapped
Pillar 6 of the Writing Life 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 …