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Home » Archives for Bob Hostetler

Bob Hostetler

Marks of a Writer

By Bob Hostetleron October 21, 2026
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Maybe you’ve seen those lists or surveys on social media asking you to check every city you’ve visited or how many old-timey things you’ve done (“used a rotary phone,” “heard of a rotary phone,” “have scars from using a rotary phone,” etc.).

Well, here’s one for writers. How many of the following twenty marks of a writer can you claim?

  1. a strong opinion on the Oxford comma
  2. multiple (currently unused) blank journals
  3. a favorite pen
  4. a favorite punctuation mark
  5. a dog-eared copy of The Elements of Style
  6. a dog-eared copy of On Writing Well
  7. a dog-eared copy of Bird by Bird
  8. a dog-eared copy of The Chicago Manual of Style
  9. 3+ unfinished manuscripts
  10. a scented candle
  11. a notebook (or digital file) of story ideas
  12. a notebook (or digital file) of character names
  13. a favorite writing snack
  14. 4+ writing-related mugs
  15. a Microsoft Word horror story
  16. a rejection horror story
  17. a writers conference horror story
  18. a critique group horror story
  19. a collection of writers conference name tags or lanyards
  20. crushing imposter syndrome

What’s your score? What should have been included in the list above? Please do tell in the comments.

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Category: The Writing Life

Write for Fun (Again)

By Bob Hostetleron September 23, 2026
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Do you remember your first writing attempts? What made you write? What was the attraction? Chances are, it was fun. It was “pretend.” It was play. When I was a precocious lad of twelve or so (it’s mostly worn off by now), a couple of my friends from church moved far away. They were both girls, but I wasn’t yet the Dreamy McDreamerson that I am now. I was both introverted and lonely, so I started …

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Category: Inspiration, The Writing Life

Stinks to Be Multitalented

By Bob Hostetleron August 19, 2026
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I meet a lot of gifted writers in my travels as I speak and teach at quality writers conferences from east to west (not to mention north and south, though I just did mention it, so I’ve already lowered my grade on this homework assignment. You didn’t know Steve Laube—He Who Must Be Obeyed—assigns homework? Psssht. Don’t be naïve.) Anyhoo (more points off for the slang, doggone it), I often find …

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Category: Book Proposals, Conferences, Pitch, Pitching

Remind Me (A Writer’s Prayer)

By Bob Hostetleron July 15, 2026
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Lord, remind me when inspiration fails me and writing is a slog, that even at such times the writing life is a life of privilege and blessing. Remind me when I feel overwhelmed with work of the “dry spells” I’ve endured when paying jobs were few. Remind me when I am tempted to do less than my best to make every word, sentence, paragraph, and page a holy offering to you. Remind me …

Read moreRemind Me (A Writer’s Prayer)
Category: The Writing Life, Theology

A Writer’s Many Hats

By Bob Hostetleron June 17, 2026
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Writers write. That may seem just a tad obvious, but it’s true. We write. But—brace yourself—that’s not the whole story, at least not for writers who publish. Those folks wear many hats, so to speak. Some fit better than others, but we ignore them to our peril. Here’s a baker’s dozen of a writer’s many hats, mixed metaphor or not: The writing task requires editing skills, as even the most gifted …

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Category: Career, The Writing Life

When Should I Write a Book Proposal?

By Bob Hostetleron May 20, 2026
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I speak, teach, and meet with writers at a number of quality writers conferences every year. (Conference directors and conferees haven’t yet realized how little value I offer. Please don’t tell them.) Among the most common nuggets of wisdom (only nuggets, seldom more) I offer is this: “It’s never too early to write your book proposal.” Developing writers often express surprise, but here’s why: If …

Read moreWhen Should I Write a Book Proposal?
Category: Book Proposals

Why I Decline

By Bob Hostetleron April 22, 2026
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Yes, the life of a literary agent is idyllic. Working with brilliant writers. Rubbing shoulders with powerful editors and publishers. And cashing the big fat commission checks. Yes, that’s how it is. Except that sometimes a literary agent has to read submissions, looking for that rare jewel that will produce another bestseller, another classic, another big fat commission check. Alas, those moments …

Read moreWhy I Decline
Category: Book Proposals, Pitching

Lose Your Shoes

By Bob Hostetleron March 18, 2026
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Who doesn’t want to be a gifted writer? You know, the next Shakespeare. Or Hemingway. Or Hostetler. Stop laughing. Still, anyone who senses a call from God to write for Him hopes to get really good at it. And the path to the mountaintop, so to speak, will look different for every writer. But we might all do well to take a cue from one of the most reputedly prolific writers in history: Moses. …

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Category: Theology

Why Should Romantasy Have All the Fun?

By Bob Hostetleron February 18, 2026
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One of the (many) tasks of Christian writers is to understand genre and the importance of genre in writing and marketing a book. Some genres are more popular than others, of course. Romance and women’s contemporary rule Christian fiction, while Christian living and devotional books are among the more popular genres in Christian nonfiction. But every once in a while, something new pops up. In the …

Read moreWhy Should Romantasy Have All the Fun?
Category: Humor

Who and What I’m Looking For (Bob Hostetler)

By Bob Hostetleron January 21, 2026
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(Updated 1/21/2026) As another year dawns, much has changed—and much remains the same—in the world of Christian publishing. With all that in mind, let me offer an updated answer, as up-to-the-minute as I can make it, to the frequent question I field from aspiring, developing, accomplished, and skilled writers: “What are you looking for?” Influence Aspiring writers often imagine, “Once I have a …

Read moreWho and What I’m Looking For (Bob Hostetler)
Category: Agency, Agents, Book ProposalsTag: Agency, Agents, Get Published
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