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Why We Must Be Forthright
I’ve heard more than one writer say, “I’m sneaking Christianity into a book for the general market!” Wanting to reach the unsaved is a wonderful mission, but in my opinion, sneaking (and I’m not kidding when I say authors actually use this verb) Christianity into books isn’t the way to do it. Why not? Well, for one, that’s not the example Christ set. …
An Amazing Legacy
I just visited my younger brother and his family. Kirk and his wife, Lyn, both went to Seattle Pacific University, so it was no surprise when Kirk shared a video made to honor Paul Lee, an SPU student killed in the campus shooting last year. What did surprise me was how profoundly affected I was by the video. That this young man so enriched and impacted those around him that they created a …
Eyes Open, Antennae Up
I can find humor anywhere. It’s a gift…or a curse. I waver on that regularly. About 35 years ago I was in a small grocery store across from our apartment to pick up a few things we needed. We didn’t have much storage space so we went to the store multiple times each week for few things each time, usually diapers and baby formula. To this day, I can still see the well-dressed middle age woman in …
What’s in a Name?
Look at this list of names: Mary Maxwell Julius Cromwell Hector Williams Lucinda Smith Do they mean anything to you? Probably not, unless you happen to have some random connection to them such as you happen to have an aunt named Lucinda. Truth is, they don’t mean anything to me, either. I just made them up. (With apologies to the many people named Mary Maxwell, et al on Facebook.) But what …
The Myth of God’s Goodness
I’m in the process of developing a program with a friend to minister to writers who are in deep places in their lives. I’ve been asking God to show me how to encourage and share His truth with those who feel lost, abandoned, worthless, like they’ve wasted their gifts…those who are in pain and struggling… WHAT was I thinking?? There’s only one way to really minister to people in certain situations: …
Starting Your Own Writer’s Conference
No, you don’t need to start your own writer’s conference, but the headline sounded attention-grabbing to me. Every writer needs to intentionally put themselves in a position to learn and be challenged in a variety of areas. The formal environment for that is the professional writer’s conference. Click here for a list, but you need something more consistent and ongoing as well. Not everyone lives …
When Your Book Becomes Personal
I wish every writer could see what we see as agents and editors with regard to proposals. I wish they could experience the sheer variety of book ideas presented at writers conferences and through the submission process. It is breathtaking. And sometimes heartbreaking. I wrote down a selection of the true stories that have recently crossed my desk. This small sampling shows real-life events that …
Your Publishing History: Tell Me Everything
When I review proposals, one element often missing is publishing history. How do I know this? I own a computer. With a Keyboard. And a Search Engine. Guess What? So do All The Editors. Granted, not every proposal piques my interest enough for me to do a search. But when I get that far, I must search your name to see your publishing history whether you have offered it or not. Because believe me, if …