From the Archive

Does Passion Trump Talent?
“The boy pulled the fiddle from its hiding place inside the wardrobe, opening the tattered leather case with care. Placing the wooden instrument under his […]

How to Annoy Others and Look Terribly Desperate Online
This post illustrates what not to do when building your online presence. In it, I poke fun at the crazy things we do to get […]

Write with Endurance
I’d spent untold hours polishing my prose until it shone like glass. “Nailed this baby!” Or so I thought. Then, I submitted my “baby” to […]

The Joy of the Lord
In the midst of the storm, The joy of the Lord becomes your refuge where you not only survive the storm, But thrive through the […]

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night: Four Tips for Writing Great Opening Sentences
As Will Rogers reminded us, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This is never truer than when an agent or […]

Life’s Plot Twists
Writing is an adventure except, perhaps, when time escapes, the brain won’t cooperate, laundry is calling, dinner needs preparing, or distractions arise from everywhere. I […]

A Recipe for Success in Writing and in Life
We all know the importance of using the right ingredients in a recipe so that it will turn out right. Forget one, and everyone knows […]

How to Critique: The One Big Thing
There are a lot of theories about the best way to critique. The “sandwich” method is one of the most used, especially in Christian organizations. […]

Writing 101: Active and Passive Voices . . . and the Verb “To Be”
Writers are usually encouraged to use the active voice and to avoid the passive voice, so it is important to be able to know and […]