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Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Archives for Bob Hostetler » Page 15

Bob Hostetler

Instrument (A Writer’s Prayer)

By Bob Hostetleron May 13, 2020
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God, from ancient days to modern times,
you have chosen human language to communicate with men and women;
in fact, you are a writer yourself,
having written your commandments in tablets of stone,
my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life,
and your Word in my heart.

You have also given me a love for the written word,
and have indebted me to the writings of many gifted men and women.

So, while I am a feeble tool, I know that I am in the hands of a mighty Master,
and so I ask:
help me to stir up the gift of God that is within me;
help me to persevere when writing is hard,
when I am tired,
when my efforts are rejected;
help me to remember, when others seem to have a much greater gift,
an enviable talent,
a natural ability,
that no one possesses the singular combination of my gift,
my personality,
and my experience;
help me to submit to you all my talents and all my efforts,
never expecting the former to exceed the latter;
and help me strive to learn more of my craft at every opportunity,
to develop my skills and fan the flames of my passions
so that I will be not only a writer,
but also an instrument of the Living God,
in Jesus’ name, amen.

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Category: Inspiration, The Writing Life, Theology

Quotes from Recent Books I’ve Read

By Bob Hostetleron May 6, 2020
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Prolific western writer Louis L’Amour wrote in his autobiographical Education of a Wandering Man, “A writer’s brain is like a magician’s hat.  If you’re going to get anything out of it, you have to put something in first.” That’s why reading well and widely is crucial to a writer’s development. You don’t have to read everything, of course; just everything I’ve written. I’m only half joking. But in …

Read moreQuotes from Recent Books I’ve Read
Category: Inspiration

Is It Ready to Submit?

By Bob Hostetleron April 29, 2020
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You’ve poured out your soul. You’ve written your heart out. You’ve struggled and sweated over how to say what you want to say. You’ve paced the floor, clicked your heels, and now you think maybe it’s ready to submit. But how do you know? Good question. “Good question” usually means you’re going to get a lousy answer. I won’t promise you anything different now, because it can be so hard to know if …

Read moreIs It Ready to Submit?
Category: Book Proposals, Editing, Grammar, Inspiration, Pitching

Don’t Make These Post-Rejection Mistakes

By Bob Hostetleron April 22, 2020
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My least favorite part of being a literary agent is saying no. Unfortunately, like my colleagues, I do it a lot. I review and, alas, reject dozens of submissions every month. (I prefer the word “decline,” but as a writer myself I know “rejection” feels more accurate to the recipient.) Rejection is hard. For writers. For agents. For editors. Most of the time, when I or my assistant say, “no thank …

Read moreDon’t Make These Post-Rejection Mistakes
Category: Rejection, The Writing Life

A Critique Partner Checklist

By Bob Hostetleron April 15, 2020
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In a recent post on this site, I said that if you want to write for publication, you should get in the habit of submitting your work for critique, specifically, to someone (or several someones) with an analytical eye. And I promised to explain more about that in my next blog post. So, here we are. Many blog posts ago, I told the story (here) of how I discovered my “perfect critique partner,” …

Read moreA Critique Partner Checklist
Category: The Writing LifeTag: Critique Partners

10 Writerly Things to Do in Quarantine

By Bob Hostetleron March 25, 2020
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The COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant quarantine and “stay-at-home” orders have wreaked havoc (both excellent words, by the way) in the lives and routines of many. Writers may be in a better position than some, as we tend to self-quarantine even when there aren’t health reasons to do so. Still, these extraordinary times present challenges—but they also offer opportunities. What’s a writer to do …

Read more10 Writerly Things to Do in Quarantine
Category: The Writing Life

My Most Common Advice These Days

By Bob Hostetleron March 18, 2020
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I’ve been a published writer for more than forty years, an author for twenty-seven, and a literary agent for two-and-a-half years (not to mention a freelance book editor and a staff magazine editor at various points over the years, but I just did mention it, didn’t I?). So, whether via email or in person, I’m occasionally put in a position to offer advice. I’m usually surprised and amazed that few …

Read moreMy Most Common Advice These Days
Category: Career, Get Published, The Writing Life

Top 10 Answers to “What Are You Writing?”

By Bob Hostetleron February 26, 2020
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If you’ve been writing for awhile, you probably know that a frequent (perhaps the most frequent) question asked of writers is, “What are you working on?” People seem to be interested in the writing life and the flashes of genius that sometimes visit a person in that line of work. But it’s a loaded question. It took me awhile, but I eventually learned how dangerous the question is. Early on in my …

Read moreTop 10 Answers to “What Are You Writing?”
Category: Humor, The Writing Life

6 Chances to Meet Me in 2020

By Bob Hostetleron February 19, 2020
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Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! The 2020 Christian writers conference season is at the starting line. And this year, it presents writers with six distinct and geographically diverse opportunities to meet me! And pitch to me in person. What could be better? I ask you (and I’m still waiting for an appropriately enthusiastic response. Still waiting). But seriously, folks, there’s so much to …

Read more6 Chances to Meet Me in 2020
Category: Conferences

How to Hear “No”

By Bob Hostetleron February 5, 2020
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In a recent media interview (yes, I am that cool), I was asked if as a literary agent I liked saying “no.” I answered emphatically—even a bit rudely, I’m afraid, as I started my answer before my questioner finished asking. “I hate it,” I said. It’s a part of the job. In fact, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named sometimes answers the question, “Steve Laube, what do you do?” by saying, “I say no …

Read moreHow to Hear “No”
Category: Book Proposals, Encouragement, Get Published, The Writing Life
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