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Home » Archives for Bob Hostetler » Page 5

Bob Hostetler

A Writer’s Prayer of Thanks for Bible Versions

By Bob Hostetleron November 16, 2023
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God, thank you for the hundreds
of Bible translations that are available to me,
and for their forerunners throughout history,
who have made
your precious Word
understandable and accessible, often at great personal cost.

Thank you for the 72 Jewish elders recruited by Ptolemy II
who translated the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek.

Thank you for William Tyndale,
who gave his life to “write down the revelation and make it plain” (Habakkuk 2:2).

Thank you for the 47 scholars who transformed the Textus Receptus
into the beauty and majesty of the King James Version.

Thank you for Moffatt and Phillips,
for Ken Taylor and Eugene Peterson,
for the 32 scholars who gave us the NASB,
and the more than 100 scholars who produced the NIV.

Thank you for the efforts of more than 90 scholars
that went into the New Living Translation,
and that of the scores of scholars and advisors
who produced the English Standard Version.

May my appreciation and obedience to your Word
honor their efforts,
and yours in inspiring them.

May my life translate Scripture
into a language those around me can read,
in Jesus’ name, amen.

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Category: Inspiration, Personal, Theology

The Things I Say Most Often About Writing

By Bob Hostetleron November 2, 2023
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I talk a lot about writing. As a writer, yes, but also as a literary agent and speaker at writers conferences. And, yes, sometimes, as the guy at church potlucks who is inept at small talk and sometimes starts sentences with, “Ever wonder what the first person to use the word moist was thinking?” Okay, so now you know a little too much about me. But in my strange mind and varied roles, I do often …

Read moreThe Things I Say Most Often About Writing
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Encouragement, Pitching, The Writing Life

Helpful Writing Rituals

By Bob Hostetleron October 19, 2023
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I’m a firm believer in helpful habits, systems, and rituals. Such things can grease the writing wheels, so to speak. That may not be the right metaphor; but you catch my drift, right? So not long ago I asked some writer friends (I have friends, I really do. “Mom, they’re picking on me again!”) to tell me about their writing rituals, in the hope that readers of this blog might find the information …

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Category: The Writing Life

Thematic Reading Brings Dramatic Results

By Bob Hostetleron October 5, 2023
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Years ago, I stumbled on an idea that has greatly enriched my reading: thematic reading. That is, each year I’ll choose a handful of books to read that are related in some way (topic, character, setting, etc.). One year, I read two classic novels back-to-back, which were fascinating to compare and contrast: Jane Eyre (Bronte) and Rebecca (du Maurier). Another time, I re-read a personal …

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Category: Reading

Write from Scars

By Bob Hostetleron September 21, 2023
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I learned recently that my agent—the man, the myth, the legend, Steve Laube—speaking at a writers conference, quoted something I’d said in a recent conference keynote. Yes, you read that right! The Great One actually quoted me! Me! And it wasn’t the usual “Can you believe anyone is that stupid?” sort of allusion. It was in a favorable context, as though I’d said something of value. Well, slap my …

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Category: Pitching, The Writing Life, Theology, Writing Craft

A Prayer Before Writing

By Bob Hostetleron September 7, 2023
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Lord God Adonai, I am about to write. I have nothing to say, nothing to offer. I am a poor writer, and an even poorer Christian. And yet I must try to find words that will bring into being something that has never been before. Help me, Lord. Inspire me. Empower me. Flow through me. Grant that I may write better than I can write, and thus know that all the honor and glory and thanks belong to you, …

Read moreA Prayer Before Writing
Category: Inspiration, The Writing Life, Theology

Food for Writing

By Bob Hostetleron August 29, 2023
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Some foods are better to eat than others when you’re writing. Right? It goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) that Cheetos are not the most keyboard-friendly food to snack on while you’re writing your next article, blog post, or book. And tacos get all over your keyboard, research, and outlines, right? So, I asked some Steve Laube Agency clients, “What IS the food you most …

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Category: The Writing Life

Poetry: I Can’t Sell It, but I Recommend It

By Bob Hostetleron August 15, 2023
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Anyone who has read my “Who and What I’m Looking For” post on this site may be aware that poetry is not a genre I represent. I know, I know. Your poetry is different, and it would force me to make an exception. I hear you. But the likelihood of selling a book of poems is somewhere between nil and nada, even for you. I love you, but it’s true. (See how that rhymed?) Having said that, though, I …

Read morePoetry: I Can’t Sell It, but I Recommend It
Category: The Writing Life

Be a Re-Reader

By Bob Hostetleron July 18, 2023
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Maybe you’ve heard of C. S. Lewis. Some people consider him to have been a fairly smart man. A literary superhero, even, who once wrote, “An unliterary man may be defined as one who reads books once only. . . . We do not enjoy a story fully at the first reading. Not till the curiosity, the sheer narrative lust, has been given its sop and laid asleep, are we at leisure to savour the real beauties. …

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Category: Encouragement, Inspiration, Personal, Reading, The Writing Life

One Agent’s Loves and Hates

By Bob Hostetleron June 29, 2023
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I recently posted on social media about my (possibly unhealthy) love for em dashes—that is, the dashes that are the width of the letter m, often used to set off examples, explanations, or descriptions, as I did in this sentence. (See how beautiful it is?) An editor friend named Linda commented, “This is so me. I love the em-dash. Nothing aggravates me more when editing than when a writer …

Read moreOne Agent’s Loves and Hates
Category: Craft, Grammar, The Writing Life, Writing Craft
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