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. When bringing...

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 often told me...

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 the same...