There are those who say there are no rules to writing. This argument is usually based on the individual who breaks the rules and succeeds. e.e. cummings pops immediately into my mind. The truth is that there are exceptions to every “rule”. Exceptions don’t negate the rules of good writing. Those who break the rules in the course of successful careers know the rules better than most. It is because they know the rules so well that they can make the exception work for them. Br

There are times when I wonder if editors are friends or foes. I mean all they seem to do is pick apart my writing, pointing to every little misplaced comma and misspelled word. They don’t like my sentence structure, my word choices, or my idioms. If I write that I saw a bear on the way to work this morning, some editor will ask me how I knew the bear was going to work. And how do they remember from five chapters ago whether characters made a left turn or a right turn to get t

I’ve often heard it said of me that I try to take on too many tasks at the same time and set myself unrealistic objectives. This is quite true although it is completely unintentional. Except of course, when it comes to my day job when I’m rewarded for completing my daily tasks ahead of schedule with more work. This work is usually some menial task that requires me to work flat out to complete it yesterday and was more often than not originally assigned to one of my colleagues

I was approached by a man last night following a meeting that had nothing to do with writing. He had heard that I could help him get the book he is writing published. Assuring him that I would do my best, I asked what he was writing. “It’s just fiction,” he replied in a rather apologetic voice. I’ve heard that reply before in that same tone of voice, as if writing fiction is something of which to be ashamed. I guess no matter how many times I hear it, my first thought will al

I’m preparing today to attend tomorrow’s Tennessee Wildman Convention. Before packing books into a car and showing up, there’s a lot of work to be done. The very first thing is the decision to go. For me, a big factor in that decision is whether potential sales justify the costs involved. Then there’s an application process to go through. Once accepted by the event, there’s advertising to be done. This event supplied me with some ads, even a personalized one, but it’s not eno

The first Monday evening every month, I go to a little get-together at the local library with fellow writers. There are no critiques, no pages from works in progress to share, and no shop talk. As memory serves, I haven’t met anyone there who has published anything or even submitted a work for publication. I am currently writing book number thirty while editing books for four authors who have published at least one other work. I don’t think that makes me a better writer tha

Quite often, I find it difficult to put quill to parchment and come up with a suitable blog post. There have been times when my offerings have appeared to be quite random and make little to no sense, even to me. That much could also be said of my stories, as my ideas can also be quite random, coming to me in random places and at random times. It’s my job as a writer to wrestle them into order and weave them into a story that will hopefully captivate my readers and not co

Experience has taught me the difference between the two. I still slip into the bad habit of using the terms interchangeably. Perhaps it is because I work as both, on a weekly basis. Sometimes I am both in the course of a single day, like I plan to do today. Each of them is creative by nature, turning thoughts into words that readers transform into mental images and feelings. The same skill set is required. The creative process and goal are similar. It is what happens after

Back in the days when I first started on this writing journey, I could never have imagined that I would come as far as I have. At the time, it seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream, an impossible target if you will. I received quite a lot of criticism, and more often than not it was from people who’d never actually read anything that I’d written. There were some who offered supportive statements like “You’re wasting your time” and “Who in their right mind would be intere

When we are young, most of us never realize how that question may come to haunt us. As adults, it stalks us through the day and jumps out to scare us at the very moment we try to sit and relax in the evening. A wrong answer can return to keep you awake at night. Writers must deal with the question’s fraternal twin, what are you writing now? We get it from readers, but not as often as it is asked by the little voices in our heads. Sometimes they are all clamoring for somethi

My inbox and social media posts draw a daily crowd ready to transform my book sales with a professionally designed trailer. I’m a Boomer and proud of it. So, if you want to be cutting edge, fashion forward, or whatever the word of the day may be, you might want to jump off my train of thought right here. Somewhere hidden in why I write, there is a personal desire to produce mental images in others by using words. I think I have a good imagination. Nevertheless, I cannot ima

When it comes to advice, it is better to give than to receive. Advice is cheap, requires little effort to give, and is easily washed off your hands. It doesn’t always require much thought. As long as you’re not easily offended, there is even an upside to your advice being rejected. As an Air Force crew chief, minister, and registered nurse, I’ve given a great deal of advice, most of which was quickly rejected. I didn’t mind because rejection is absolution from responsibility.

I once crafted a great opening scene for a book. There was a note of suspense, a mysterious figure, a great twist, and a touch of humor to make the reader like the protagonist. It was my fourth book, and I was in love with how it began. The first thing my editor did was cut the scene. She said it was a very good scene, but the story didn’t really start there. I went through the five stages of grief for the dead scene, picked up my sword, and joined the battle to save the book

A great many readers, myself included, often feel the need to lose themselves in a story that engages them so fully that they are able to escape, albeit only briefly, the drudgery of the real world. Creating a story capable of doing this is something I hope to achieve through my writing. Though at present, I feel that my writing doesn’t give my readers the escape that they and I hope for. My wife, a long-time fan of the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, has

If you are familiar with St. Paul, you know he was something of a writer. His letters make up a huge part of the New Testament. He told the Christians at Corinth. “ For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? ” Interesting, but what does it have to do with writing today? An author who has written multiple books, especially those authors with books in a series, develops a bond with their audience. You might say that they come to speak

If you’ve ever confused “a penny for your thoughts” with a job offer, you might be a writer. There are more dangerous ways to earn a buck, but barring those with a high potential for personal injury, few are tougher than writing. The odds of “hitting it big” as an author rival those of doing the same in professional sports. The upside for writers is that the way is open for anyone wishing to take their best shot at it. For the few who actually finish the job of writing a

The Greeks always seem to have had a word for everything. Eudiamonia is most often translated in English as happiness. For Aristotle and other ancient philosophers, it meant much more than a feeling or state of mind. It was the highest human good desired for its own sake. It is the essence of human flourishing Writers call it The Zone. It is that place where we are lost in the story without a thought for what comes after we step away from the keyboard. It is writing for wri

If insanity runs in your family…and you know just the words to explain it, you might be a writer. One of my least favorite “writer” things to do is writing back cover author biographies. I hate having the same old stuff on every book, so I try to change them up every time a new book comes out. That doesn’t always happen, but I try. I mean, there’s only so much material to work with, and most of it’s out of date. I haven’t run with the bulls, spent a spring in Paris, or fo

I’ve often heard it said that procrastination is the thief of time, a relentless criminal that takes our best intentions and leaves an excuse in their place. I know that I’m just as guilty as anyone else when it comes to procrastinating, even more so with regard to my writing. I realise that the excuses have often been varied, “I need more time”, “I have too much on”, I’ll get started on that tomorrow” etc... A work colleague stated recently that he would love nothing mor

The goal of all fiction is to write a compelling story that touches the soul of the reader. Writing Christian fiction is writing that same story while walking a tightrope over a sea of man-eating sharks and juggling flaming swords. Make a misstep or miss a catch, and your audience will probably trample your body on the way out. Which is to say, Christians are a tough crowd. That was not meant to imply anything disparaging about my brothers and sisters in Christ. On the cont