Sit back and let this performance wash over you.
Turn the volume up.
“Shall We Gather at the River.” Gorgeous.
HT: Dick Malone
Blog
The Things I Say Most Often About Writing
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 …
Books You Missed in School?
To be great writers, we must be avid readers. To be informed citizens of the world, we must read widely. As part of my independent, ongoing education, I’m reading a few titles my teachers didn’t assign. One is The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Teachers mentioned the novel, but few readers in modern times seem to have read it. Initially published in 1905, Sinclair’s work exposed the …
Story Structure Part #2 – Three Act Structure
Welcome back to the continuation of story structure. For this series, I’m using the Three Act Structure. However, there are other models you can use. Just because I’m using this one doesn’t mean none of the others won’t work as well. However, the three-act structure is a tried-and-true method for crafting a story and is utilized by screenwriters and novelists alike. So, here we are in Act 1. Act 1 …
J Is for Just-in-Time
The economics of bookselling are complex and ever-changing. There is a method of inventory control called “Just-in-Time” (or JIT) that revolutionized both the retail and manufacturing industries. When I began as a bookseller, there was no such thing as computerized inventory, at least not in the Christian bookstore business. We used a method called “Stack ’em high and watch ’em fly.” Because “If …
Fun Fridays – October 27, 2023
I title today’s video “Leave it to the proofreader to find the ONE mistake in your entire masterpiece.” HAHA!
Develop Your Book’s Concept by Brain Dumping and Mind Mapping
One of the first challenges many first-time authors face when it comes to beginning or completing a manuscript is getting their content clear and organized. Specifically, authors aren’t always able to clearly articulate their main idea–the thesis of their book–or illuminate the supporting evidence for their claim in the following chapters. Without taking the time to truly develop their …
Rejected Books
With all the discussion about marketing platforms, some authors think the only thing standing in the way of being published successfully is the lack of a large-enough, personal promotional machine. It is important, along with several other items affecting whether a book is published by a traditional publisher; but there is one powerful item that is rarely discussed or mentioned. Sometimes books …
H Is for Hybrid
To state the obvious, the publishing industry has changed rather dramatically over the last few years. The possibility for a writer to inexpensively produce their own books (in e-book form) shifted the sands. In addition, the economic challenges facing the brick-and-mortar bookstore reduced the amount of shelf space available to launch a new book via traditional methods. It appears to be an …
Fun Fridays – October 20, 2023
Today’s clever short movie is called The Black Hole (less than three minutes long). I’ll admit, I laughed at the end. What would you have named this if you had written this short story? (A story without words.)