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The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » The Writing Life » Page 2

The Writing Life

Embedded Writing

By Dan Balowon August 28, 2018
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During World War II, one of the highest profile journalists who wrote about the war for Americans back at the home front was Ernie Pyle.

Ernie was one of the first “embedded” journalists in wartime and he lived and wrote while among the soldiers. He focused his stories on individual soldiers and their daily struggles. The troops loved him because he “got it.” The generals and politicians weren’t always happy, but Ernie was so popular with the troops, if they ever thought about preventing him from writing, they knew there would be substantial backlash.

Pyle even lobbied for pay raises for combat troops and Congress passed it. They named the spending bill after him.

Ernie was in his early 40’s when World War II broke out and he spent several years going back and forth from the US to Africa and Europe with the troops before leaving for the Pacific theater of war.

He was eventually killed while accompanying an amphibious assault on an island off the coast of Okinawa in April 1945.  His wife died later in 1945 as her health declined after his death. Their marriage was tumultuous to say the least and she struggled with alcohol their entire marriage.

Ernie won a Pulitzer Prize and the school of journalism at Indiana University bears his name. He wrote several books along the way as well.

Ernie led a rather tragic life, but he provided an example to writers for the last seven-plus decades.

Whenever any agent or publisher reviews a proposal from an author, it is pretty easy to discern whether an author is writing from “within” the content of the book or whether they are writing “about” something.

Lots of people can write about something. Fewer write from within a topic.

The best journalists “embed” themselves in a story before they write about it. Television and radio field reporters are different than news readers. One reports from within. The other simply reads it.

This “inside” requirement is not only for writers.

Most people are probably not aware that rehab clinics rarely employ people who have not themselves gone through rehab.  Many of the most successful social service organizations were started and run by people who needed the help themselves at some point in their lives, which they now deliver to others.

It’s the same with books. Those which are simply about a topic are not nearly as interesting as those which come from the author who wrote from within a subject.

Many can write about God and live a fairly righteous life by all appearances. Fewer can write from within an experience, portraying lessons learned from the battlefields of life as they worked out their faith in relationships and service to the Creator.

For example, any intelligent person can scan scripture and write a book containing positions and principles on how to be a better parent. You don’t even need to be a parent yourself to do it.

Fewer can give a true biblical perspective on parenting, showing how principles found in scripture actually play out in life.

Fewer still have the courage to write about failures, times when biblical principles didn’t seem to work at the moment and be humble enough to portray life the way it actually happens as we battle our way through a sin-corrupted, imperfect world.

So, next time you open up a Word document and start to write about something, ask yourself how deep you are embedded in the topic, whether you are writing from deep within it…or whether this is just a surface connection.

I guarantee others will see a difference in the depth of writing as they sense you have intimate knowledge of the subject, which makes your work worth reading.

 

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Category: The Writing Life, Writing CraftTag: The Writing Life, Writing Craft

Four Myths about Fame

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 23, 2018
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Being rich and famous solves every problem, right? Let’s give that some thought. 1)  Once I have my first book published, I’ll be famous and the journey will be downhill from there. We’re tackling two myths here. One, once you are published, it’s not likely you’ll be famous, at least not Billy Graham famous. But as a Christian writer, you may become well known and loved in Christian circles. And …

Read moreFour Myths about Fame
Category: Awards, Career, The Writing LifeTag: Career, Fame, The Writing Life

The Author’s Life in 39 Easy Steps

By Bob Hostetleron August 22, 2018
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Someday I ought to write a book. Woohoo! I’ve just started writing a book! I deserve some ice cream. I’m so excited, things are going great. Writing is hard. No, writing is cool. I’m having the time of my life. Writing is hard. I should just give up. I’m almost done with my first book. Writing is so fun. I have written 4,000 words! I deserve some ice cream. I just found out …

Read moreThe Author’s Life in 39 Easy Steps
Category: Humor, The Writing LifeTag: Humor, The Writing Life

The Automatic Writer

By Bob Hostetleron August 15, 2018
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My coffee maker is on a timer. My thermostat is programmed to different temperatures at night and by day. My computer screen even dims to a softer hue as the day progresses. I try to automate everything I can, believing that the fewer tasks I have to remember every day, the more I can focus and achieve. That may or may not be true, but I’m convinced that automation has helped me—and many of my …

Read moreThe Automatic Writer
Category: Social Media, Technology, The Writing Life, TrendsTag: Technology, The Writing Life, Time Management

Same Message, Different Reader

By Dan Balowon August 7, 2018
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When a published book is successful (sells well), the publisher and author begin pondering how to be successful again with the next book. Often times, the solution to the repeat-success puzzle in non-fiction is having a similar message but aimed at a different audience. You’ve seen it happen many times, whether you realized it was intentional or not. Examples of branded book lines which have been …

Read moreSame Message, Different Reader
Category: Book Business, Creativity, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, Book Sales, Career, Creativity, Nonfiction, The Writing Life

How Much Time Should I Budget to Write My Book?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon July 26, 2018
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New authors have a distinct advantage over established authors under deadline: no deadline. As a new author, you may have fiddled with your novel for years. Perhaps you’ve entered contests and incorporated feedback. Maybe you’ve read books about writing and attended conferences. After all this effort, you landed a contract. Congratulations! Now you may have another happy problem: estimating how …

Read moreHow Much Time Should I Budget to Write My Book?
Category: Career, The Writing LifeTag: Career, Deadlines, The Writing Life, Time Management

Problem Solved! — NOT!

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon July 19, 2018
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Sometimes my office receives submissions for books that claim to solve a problem or provide the answer to a question that has been plaguing mankind since it was known to be an issue. To wit: Why the death penalty is Biblical. Why the death penalty is not Biblical. Why there is climate change. Why there is not climate change. Why Dispensationalism (or another Bible interpretation) is right. Why …

Read moreProblem Solved! — NOT!
Category: The Writing Life, TheologyTag: The Writing Life, Theology

A Writer’s Beatitudes

By Bob Hostetleron July 18, 2018
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In the famous “Sermon on the Mount” passage in the Bible’s Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presented a series of eight “beatitudes.” Each was a saying that turned conventional wisdom on its head, showing how in God’s eyes the oppressed are blessed and the despised are prized. No one can improve on those inspired beatitudes, of course. But what if we tried to capture their perspective and redirected them …

Read moreA Writer’s Beatitudes
Category: Creativity, Inspiration, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Creativity, Inspiration, The Writing Life

Best Advice for New Authors – For Working with Their Publisher

By Steve Laubeon July 2, 2018
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The idea to write this post came from a conversation this past week with a client who turned their manuscript in to the publisher a week early. The editor was thrilled! Thus began a short exchange on what every writer should endeavor to do in their career. This may seem simple but is important to reiterate. Do your best work. Always. No shortcuts. No “mailing it in.” No “sending …

Read moreBest Advice for New Authors – For Working with Their Publisher
Category: Book Business, Career, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, Career, The Writing Life

A Request for a Full Manuscript! Now What?

By Steve Laubeon June 25, 2018
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Katie sent the following question: What should an author do if they receive a full manuscript request from an editor as a result of a contest, but the editor works for a small publisher and the author wants to explore other options first (e.g. getting an agent, finding a bigger house, etc.)? I would like to avoid a breach in etiquette here, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s …

Read moreA Request for a Full Manuscript! Now What?
Category: Contests, The Writing LifeTag: contests, Contracts, The Writing Life
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