Happy Friday the 13th! Enjoy today’s fun video of a delightful impressionist on America’s Got Talent.
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Three Nonfiction Books Any Christian Writer Can Write
Agents routinely receive proposals from aspiring authors that are the only creative writing they have ever attempted. At the same time, someone who is eventually published successfully likely has a half dozen other things in a file they’ve never shown to anyone. If you are an experienced or aspiring writer and are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you have the opportunity (or responsibility?) to …
Tension: The Key Ingredient for a Novel That Readers Can’t Put Down With Cara Putman
Have you ever started a book that grabbed you from the first page, but somewhere in the middle, you started to lose interest? Maybe you drifted off or didn’t finish it at all. That can happen to your readers, and you may not even be aware of it. If you’ve ever wondered whether your novel is gripping enough, you’re not alone. One of the biggest challenges writers face is keeping …
Proof That English Is an Amazing Language
For some wild reason, this sentence makes perfect sense. “All the faith he had had had had no effect on the outcome of his life.” and “It is true for all that that that that that that that refers to is not the same that that that that refers to.” (“That” one is from The English Club.) and “No word begins with because, because, because is a …
Fun Fridays – June 6, 2025
I happen to enjoy barbershop quartets and also enjoyed the old Southern Gospel quartets when growing up. I sing bass. So this particular video simultaneously made me laugh and gasp at the vocal range displayed. There are some “inside jokes” that are funny if you follow humorous barbershop competitions. So, if you enjoy such entertainment, watch until the end. Amazing.
Nail the Hook, Nail the Book
I get together often with other writers—at conferences, online, via email, etc. So I’m often asked, “What are you looking for as an agent?” My typical answer: “Irresistible hooks and irresistible writing.” When I say that, I’m talking about both fiction and nonfiction. And you’ll notice I didn’t mention that wretched word “platform.” To be fair, I don’t mind “irresistible platforms,” either; but …
The Most Important Word Every Writer Should Know
Failure. It is a word every writer learns to appreciate with time. In the beginning, it is frustrating and angry-making. Along the way it becomes “meh” to the point of quitting completely. Eventually, there comes the realization that it is normal and part of the business. Michael Jordan, basketball icon, said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost …
May 30, 2025 – Fun Fridays
In the last month or so, our Friday adventures has taken us from the sublime of a choir singing “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” to the Museum of Failure and now to a feat of … I have no words. How about: Flawless Hambone. When I slap myself silly, it is usually for a bonehead decision. And it certainly doesn’t look like this! Enjoy something you weren’t expecting today.
Say auf Wiedersehen to Your Darlings
I was in the middle of an important call on my office phone when my cell phone sang its little melody. SCHEDULING DEPT I hadn’t scheduled any appointments, so I let it go. The phone summoned me again less than a minute later. SCHEDULING DEPT Goodness! This must be urgent. I hung up on the other person with a promise to call back. SCHEDULING DEPT turned out to be a salesperson calling from a home …
Memorial Day
Today in the U.S. we honor the veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice and died in the military for our country. It is an important day of remembrance. Some interesting quotes to ponder in light of this day: “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.” — Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address …