Bob Hostetler

Another Writer’s Hymn

By Bob Hostetleron September 25, 2019

Another Writer’s Hymn
(based on and drawing from a hymn by William Freeman Lloyd)

__________

My times are in your hand;
my God, I wish them there;
my life, my soul, my words,
I leave entirely to your care.

My times are in your hand,
whatever I may do;
to write, to publish, soon or late,
as may seem best to you.

My times are in your hand;
I need not rush or fear;
I know your hand will never cause
your child a needless tear.

My times are in your hand;
I’ll wait and trust your plan,
and know my writing hopes and dreams
are safely in your hands.

Last week I opened a can of worms, to use a cliché—and one should never use clichés, because they’re old hat. I asked some of my favorite authors (and clients, as it happens) whether they motivate themselves as writers with “carrots” (i.e., some kind of reward) or “sticks” (an external discipline of some kind). The responses were so many and varied—and enlightening—that I decided to follow that …

Category: The Writing Life

Carrot or Stick?

By Bob Hostetleron September 11, 2019

Some writers motivate themselves with a “carrot” and others with a “stick.” That is, some use rewards for motivation (i.e., “a Snickers bar if I write 3,000 words today”) and others lean more on—for lack of a better term—punishments (“No soup for you!” Okay, that’s a Seinfeld reference, but I hope you get the gist). I asked some of my favorite authors and clients what works best for them. Here’s …

Category: The Writing Life

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

By Bob Hostetleron September 4, 2019

“Where do you get your ideas?” This question was reportedly posed to Stephen King at a writers conference in New England. His answer may seem harsh, but it’s illuminating: “If you have to ask, don’t become a writer.” Most working writers have little trouble coming up with ideas. In fact, most have more ideas for writing projects than they could possibly complete in a lifetime. Ideas can come from …

Category: Book Proposals, Career, Inspiration, The Writing Life

You Need a Backup Strategy

By Bob Hostetleron August 28, 2019

Years ago, I was writing on deadline (when am I not?). My work-in-progress was about sixty percent complete when my computer screen went blank. At first, I blamed it on my son. Even when he was in grade school, he was better with computers than I was. He knew it. I knew it. And one day when I fired up my computer for a full day of writing, the startup screen appeared and then disappeared. Shut …

Category: Technology, The Writing Life

When to Fire Me As Your Agent

By Bob Hostetleron August 21, 2019

Until recently, the only time I was fired from a job was when I worked for a department store, drilling the holes in bowling balls. Apparently, you can’t put the holes just anywhere. Since becoming a literary agent, however, I have been “fired” a few times—not by He Who Knows All and Pulls the Strings—but by clients. In each case, actually, we reached a mutual decision; but that’s probably because …

Category: Agents, Career

Handi Wipe® Brand Names from Your Writing

By Bob Hostetleron August 14, 2019

A few months ago, I wrote a blog post in this space titled “Details Are Great—Except When They’re Not.” In that post, I said, “Sometimes details can be lethal to an article, story, or book.” (I quote myself occasionally because if I don’t do it, who will?) Soon, someone emailed or messaged me asking, “Specifically, how do I avoid mentioning brand names without sacrificing accuracy or …

Category: Editing, Writing Craft

Your Submissions Questions Answered

By Bob Hostetleron July 31, 2019

Submitting your work to an agent can be scary. What if I get the secret handshake wrong? What if my attempt at humor falls flat? What if this agent really is the ogre he’s rumored to be? And those questions are only the beginning. There are so many. So, in an effort to ease your mind a little and help you along, I’ve decided to list a few submissions-related questions I’ve been asked as an agent, …

Category: Agents, Book Proposals, Pitching

Five Words to Strike from Your Fiction

By Bob Hostetleron July 24, 2019

Maybe you’ve heard of James A. Michener. He wrote some books. And he once said, “I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” Rewriting is the better part of writing, and deleting words (or “killing all your little darlings,” as Faulkner put it) is a key part of rewriting. It is a painful process at times, but some words are more easily deleted than others. Here are five …

Category: Craft, Writing Craft