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The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Reading

Reading

Just the Facts

By Dan Balowon August 17, 2022
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With the omnipresence of social media and other ways for people to directly express opinions, Christian writers should take extra care to be aware of the facts when it comes to both theology and society.

Since Christians actually believe there is truth and it is knowable, Christian writers should be a lot more like classic journalists, researching, studying, and reporting truth, rather than simply expressing opinions.

Over five years ago, I wrote this piece on the agency blog addressing fake news and the Christian writer. The issue isn’t new to 2022.

If we were to use a courtroom comparison to some Christian writing, it would be deemed invalid because it is hearsay. I am sure some people reading this post are much more versed in legal issues than I am, but every Christian writer should work to use original sources and quotes and not quote someone quoting someone or giving an opinion of data and information from someone else, rather than discerning it themselves.

Despite all the craziness of media in today’s world, you can find a lot of information about society, the church, and our world today by looking.

For sure, doing your own search of the Scriptures and using tools to help navigate them yourself is a preferred method of writing about its contents. Certainly, a well-placed quote about a passage is always a good idea; but like pastors, Christian writers need to know what they are talking about firsthand. When in doubt, let the Scriptures speak for themselves and take them at face value.

Many Christian writers find they must be students of the Scriptures to keep them on track, either through formal education or less formal methods. Regardless, good Christian writing starts and ends with the Bible.

Every person in the world is a theologian of one kind or another, some with biblically accurate views on the meaning of life and our relationship to God, but many with completely inaccurate perspectives based on their opinions, sprinkled with Bible verses, and a healthy dose of evil influences, combined to make them feel good.

Knowledge about the world is also available, generally not on social media or cable news though. It is probably only me, but US census data is an interesting read.

Now that I think again, it likely is only me.

Another interesting source of societal data can be found at USAFacts.org. Go ahead and bookmark this site; and I guarantee you will find something interesting on everything from population data to abortion, marriage, divorce, finances, and even slavery. You can subscribe to a regular email reminding you of various new reports and updates of existing reports.

News of the world will keep you informed on the global church. Premiere Christian News out of the UK is very informative. Ministries like Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs are great sources of information and reminders of the daily battle of Christian brothers and sisters around the world. You could probably add more sources that you particularly enjoy.

The point here is that Christian writers should be diligent searchers and explorers of the truth. It is too easy to fall into the trap of writing from memory or, worse, from our flawed human perspective.

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Category: Reading, The Writing Life, Trends

21 Influential Books

By Steve Laubeon July 18, 2022
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There is a shelf in our living room where I have placed the books that had the most influence on my spiritual growth. I call them my “Punctuation Marks” because in a metaphoric way some books were a comma, some an exclamation point, and some a period or full stop. The beauty of having them all in one place is the visual reminder of those moments when God reached out through the pages of creative …

Read more21 Influential Books
Category: Personal, Reading, TheologyTag: Books, Reading

What Do You Read to Stay Informed?

By Steve Laubeon June 20, 2022
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I am occasionally asked to list the magazines, newsletters, and blogs I read to stay informed about our industry. It is a good question. But when I started compiling the list, I realized how ridiculously long it is. Therefore, I can only list selected highlights by type of media. Lest you get the wrong impression, realize I’m an eclectic reader who skims the surface of the waters gleaning …

Read moreWhat Do You Read to Stay Informed?
Category: Book Business, Reading, TrendsTag: Informed, Reading

Today Is a Good Day to (re)Read

By Steve Laubeon March 28, 2022
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by Steve Laube

What was the favorite book you read, cover to cover, in the last year or so? Why is it your favorite? (It can be fiction or non-fiction. Faith-based or not.) Feel free to tell us in the comments about yours.

Read it Again

Now that you’ve identified the book. Read it again. As Vladimir Nabakov wrote:

“Curiously enough, one cannot read a book: one can only reread it. A …

Read moreToday Is a Good Day to (re)Read
Category: Art, Craft, Reading, Writing CraftTag: Reading, Writing Craft

Why I Bought the Book: Consumer Edition

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 6, 2021
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I’m a literary agent, but I’m also a reader. As a reader, I have reasons for buying a book. Nonfiction Topics: The topic must address a need or want I’m feeling at that time. For example, if I’m cooking for someone who’s a vegan, I’ll search for books with ideas for vegan dishes. Fiction Topics: Some topics simply don’t appeal to me as a reader. Authors may note that some readers have triggers and …

Read moreWhy I Bought the Book: Consumer Edition
Category: Book Sales, Marketing, Reading

Words I Can Spell but Mispronounce

By Bob Hostetleron December 16, 2020
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A couple years ago I was enjoying a small family reunion with my two older brothers. We were playing a card game, and for some reason I used the word chimera in the conversation. Unfortunately, I failed to take into consideration three things: I had (to my recollection) never heard the word spoken but had only read it. My brothers are both smarter than me. My brothers would never hesitate to …

Read moreWords I Can Spell but Mispronounce
Category: Humor, Reading

Do Writers Read Differently?

By Bob Hostetleron November 18, 2020
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Writers are readers. Right? Of course, right. In fact, I’d say that if you’re not a devoted, even voracious reader, you might not want to pursue writing for publication, as reading and writing tend to go hand-in-hand. But do writers read differently than other people? And if so, how? I asked that question of some of my friends and clients, and here’s what they said: Yes, I think writers read …

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Category: Creativity, Reading, The Writing Life

How Are You Reading?

By Steve Laubeon April 27, 2020
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by Steve Laube

I collect books. I graze through them like I'm at an all-you-can-eat buffet. I sample this tidbit and that. Eventually I get enough to eat or have found the right morsel to consume until it is finished.

It helps make me an eclectic sort. But there are days, even weeks, where I must discipline myself to become immersed in extraordinary writing. It is there where the soul …

Read moreHow Are You Reading?
Category: Reading, TheologyTag: Reading, Theology

What Will You Read Today?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon January 30, 2020
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Reading at least a few chapters of a book is a worthy goal for each day. One app I have recommends a half hour of reading. Seems doable to me! Since I have at least a thousand books in my collection begging to be read, I’m attempting to be discerning as to where I spend my reading time. To wit, I went to a public library book sale over the weekend and confess I was tempted by Kitty Kelley’s old …

Read moreWhat Will You Read Today?
Category: Personal, Reading

A Different Perspective

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon December 5, 2019
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When I was in grade school, a nosy neighbor decided my parents were too conservative, so she loaned me some of her old books by Helen Van Slyke. My parents let me read anything in book form, so we were good to go. Helen was a divorced New York City career woman with views unlike those I would encounter in my hometown. Today, as I cull my book collection, I am revisiting some of those titles with a …

Read moreA Different Perspective
Category: Reading
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