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The Steve Laube Agency

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Home » Archives for Bob Hostetler » Page 6

Bob Hostetler

6 Joys of Starting a New Writing Project

By Bob Hostetleron January 12, 2023
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It’s a new year! A fresh start. A turn of the page.

What better time is there to start a new writing project, whether that’s a new novel manuscript, book proposal, article query, blog post, or poem? So, what are you waiting for? After all, consider the joys of starting something new:

The world is your oyster. Possibilities abound.

Whatever and wherever you begin, the first steps of a fresh, new writing project are some of the most fun you’ll have as a writer. So, get crackin’!

Excitement produces energy.

The excitement of a new story line or nonfiction pursuit produces energy; it fuels creativity. Jump on that speedboat, baby!

Dreaming is often more fun and less work than actual writing.

At the beginning of a new writing project, it’s a dream, a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Sure, it may be elusive. But following that dream is often a lot more fun than actual writing, let alone rewriting and editing. It’s magically delicious!

There’s little to critique. Yet.

Sure, there will come a time when you print or email some pages to your critique circle, and they perform some nip and tuck—or hack and destroy. But that time is not now. You’re free and footloose.

You’re not behind schedule. Yet.

In the first hours or days of a new project, you haven’t had the time to fall behind schedule. There may not even be a schedule yet. So, enjoy!

“The Muddled Middle” is still in the distant future.

Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, that middle part of the manuscript is where things tend to bog down and go south, right? But that’s still a ways off. And, hey, maybe it won’t even happen this time. Keep on believing.

See what I mean? Starting something new is like falling in love. You’re walking on air! You’re over the moon! You’re on cloud nine! And you don’t even care about all the clichés. So, what fresh, new, promising project are you starting?

 

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Category: Career, The Writing Life

Incarnational Writing

By Bob Hostetleron December 21, 2022
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It’s that holy time of year when followers of Jesus around the world contemplate and celebrate the truth of the Incarnation, the miraculous, mind-boggling moment when the Son of God, the Eternal Word, “became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14, NIV). So, first, I wish the readers of this blog a merry and holy Christmas. Second, I’d like to opine for a few moments on the …

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Category: The Writing Life, Theology

Rejection Is NOT Failure

By Bob Hostetleron November 30, 2022
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Hi, my name is Bob; and I get rejected. As a blogger, article writer, game writer, and writer of books, I suffer “rejection” on a nearly daily basis—and not only because of my slovenly appearance. As I often tell people, publishing is a highly subjective business; and what one editor pooh-poohs another may ooh-ooh. “Sure, Bob,” you may say, “but rejection still hurts.” I hear you. It feels awful, …

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Category: The Writing Life

4 Ways to Be a Grateful Writer

By Bob Hostetleron November 16, 2022
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How great is it being a writer? Sure, there are downsides. Rejection. Revision. Poverty. And so on. But all in all, writers are a privileged bunch. We get to write! We get to “live and move and have our being” among words, sentences, magazines, blogs, and books. We know how to use semicolons and apostrophes (well; some of us’ do anyway). We sometimes even experience the joy of knowing someone has …

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Category: Personal, TheologyTag: thanksgiving

How One Bibliophile Downsized

By Bob Hostetleron November 3, 2022
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I love books. Big surprise, right? I’m supposed to say that, as a literary agent, author, and frequent speaker at writers conferences. But it’s true. Case in point: Over the years, I amassed a personal and professional library of nearly 3,000 books. Hardcover and softcover, mass market and classic leather binding, nonfiction and fiction, reference and gift books, many by friends, some by …

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Category: The Writing Life

7 Favorite Writer Destinations

By Bob Hostetleron October 26, 2022
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I recently discovered online (is there any other way to discover things these days?) that there is a Writer’s Museum in Edinburgh. Say what? I have to go. After all, I’m a writer. Plus, it’s free, which is totally in my price range. Until I make that trip, however, I’ll have to reminisce about my favorite writerly destinations I’ve visited over the years—and I’ve had a lot of them. Years, that is. …

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Category: Historical, Inspiration, Personal

Four Short Prayers for Writers

By Bob Hostetleron October 13, 2022
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From time to time, because I believe that prayer is the Christian writer’s first and most important task, I post on this blog a prayer that I’ve written and prayed for my writing. Some, however, are so short that they don’t lend themselves to the kind of superior quality I regularly achieve in my blog posts. (Okay, so I’ll pray for humility—happy now?) So I thought today I would post four—that’s …

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Category: The Writing Life, Theology

Ten Good Things Your Writing Is Doing, Published or Not

By Bob Hostetleron October 5, 2022
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We write to be read. To be published. To make a difference. To touch a life. Right? Of course, right. But those of us who write blog posts, articles, books, and even games (yes, that’s a thing, and maybe I’ll write about it in the near future) put immense pressure on ourselves to be accepted, get a contract, win an award, and so on. But whether or not your work is published, your writing is still …

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Category: Career, The Writing Life

What Makes Readers Cross Genres?

By Bob Hostetleron September 22, 2022
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Genre is important. For many reasons, it’s crucial for a writer to know the genre he or she is writing in and to know it well. In some cases, the devoted readers of a certain genre have defined expectations. For example, they may expect certain tropes and taboos to be observed (even if they’ve never thought about their expectations). After all, there are reasons readers prefer certain genres. And …

Read moreWhat Makes Readers Cross Genres?
Category: Craft, Genre

8 Things Every Publishing Writer Needs

By Bob Hostetleron September 14, 2022
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If you were to apprentice as a plumber, there would be certain tools you’ll need, right? A wrench, perhaps. Pipe, maybe. In my case, wader boots. Similarly, a writer who aspires to a long and fruitful publishing career will need a few things, whether that person hopes and plans to become a novelist, columnist, or something else. And yes, yes, I know, some smart aleck in the blogosphere has already …

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Category: Career, The Writing Life
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