For this book thus far, I’ve been writing whatever comes to mind, whatever message has to get out at the time. I know the book is about love and there are a lot of water references in it (a theme my editors pointed out to me) but it was all mixed together with no conclusion. […]
Where’s the Focus? – Publishing a Book Series Read More »
Do all authors think the book they’re working on is crap at some point in the writing stage? I’m beginning to suspect most authors struggle with this at some point and I have recently been finding my place among them. Are these ideas worth following, worth exploring? Are these words worth writing down? And what’s
The Questioning Author – Publishing a Book Series Read More »
As writers, we usually don’t get to see into each other’s creative process. We see the final product or perhaps a semi-polished version read aloud in a writer’s group, but rarely do we get a peek at the raw material. My rough drafts come out of my writing notebook. To make it, I decorated a
A Place to Play – Publishing a Book Series Read More »
As great an experience as publishing is, I learn a lot every time I go to print, lessons I put into practice with subsequent books. I thought these lessons would be for myself alone until a high school student approached me asking if I would mentor her for her senior project. She reminded me a
Lessons Learned from Printing My Books – Publishing a Book Series Read More »
You’ve been working on some writing and are considering the possibility of self-publishing down the road, but it looks like a large, unmanageable jungle. You’re not sure where to even start and thus ask a question I often hear, “How did you start publishing?” This is a story that goes back to when I started
Diving Into Publishing – Publishing a Book Series Read More »
Note: As part of my work with Stories to Tell, I’m starting a series of blog posts about the writing and publishing of my next book. I’ll still be posting about other topics as well, but this will be an ongoing story over the next year. This is a new kind of writing for me as
Behind the Scenes – Publishing a Book Series Read More »
I sat across from Sue at one of my favorite places to eat breakfast – the meal I most enjoy sharing with a friend. Though a work day, Sue had the day off (mostly) and I enjoy a flexible work schedule. As the woman I work for had commented to me just that morning,
The river was quiet and the night cool. From my vantage point standing in the back of the boat, I peered through the darkness trying to spot any trees or rocks poking above the surface — clues there was far more hazardous material lurking underneath needing to be avoided. During a night practice, it is not an easy task. Though the lights of the city illuminate the slough to some degree, it’s not enough to make the dangers obvious.
The Wolf Howl of God Read More »
Within the beautiful scene of deer grazing in a sun-drenched meadow where the wildflowers sing in chorus, it’s hard not to notice God. But I wonder — what about in the unlovely? What about in the unpleasant places, the old and the abandoned? Is God in the dirt, in the garbage, in the scenes where hope seemingly has no place to go? I’ve seen so many beautiful places but have never stopped to look in the grime of the gutter. Can God be just as present and noticeable where we never stop to look?
Where is God: Looking for God in the Hood Read More »
“You should publish this.” These are the words that became the touchstone for the idea of a new book. For several years people have asked me to write a biography but that has never seemed to be the right way to go. However, when a friend who reads some of my writing every month urged
“Inside the God Jar” Read More »
