Here, in the first part of the year, everyone focuses on what they will accomplish in the coming year. This is fun and exciting since we are, by nature, people who like to start and build things. We’re writers, after all—we are wired to create! However, one of the dangers of being part of the … Read more
Today, we’re continuing our “Clear the Clutter” series. Now we come to one of my favorite topics related to getting organized—dealing with piles of paper. Isn’t it ironic that we live in such a technologically advanced age… yet we seem to be drowning in paper? On any given day, I’m dealing with several pages of … Read more
Today, I’m introducing a short week-long series on becoming a more productive writer. Let’s talk about the biggest perceived productivity killer: writer’s block. Whatever you’re working on right now, you’re bound to get stuck at some point. When you stumble upon “writer’s block,” here are ten tips to keep the words flowing. Lower your standards. … Read more
Today and tomorrow, I want to do something different and share excerpts from a book I published a few years ago. It’s called The Artist’s Suitcase: 26 Essentials for the Creative Journey. It’s a short, fun read that will help you increase your creativity in writing and your other creative work. * * * B … Read more
When I became a college professor in 2004, one of the courses I was assigned was Introduction to the Arts. It was a basic survey course covering visual art, architecture, music, theatre, and film from a Christian philosophical viewpoint. The area I knew the least about was architecture. I had always been fascinated by it, … Read more
There is a common trait among successful writers, and it has nothing to do with skill, talent, genre, or style. Instead, it has everything to do with taking responsibility for your own life choices. Most people are passive observers to their own lives. They accept the choices that life hands to them. They assume what … Read more
In the Christian community, there is a lot of talk about the concept of calling. Most Christian leaders have experienced some type of calling toward their work. They see it as a spiritual invitation from God, a continuation of the great tradition of biblical leaders like Moses, David, and Paul who experienced a supernatural call. … Read more
Whatever you’re working on right now, you’re bound to get stuck at some point. When you stumble upon our old friend, lovingly called “writer’s block,” here are ten tips to keep the words flowing. Lower your standards. Many times, we get stuck because we’re trying to make it perfect. Be willing to write garbage just … Read more
Once you make the decision to start writing, and you do it on a regular basis (hopefully every day), over time you will build up quite a collection of half-baked ideas and unused pieces of material. It might be blog posts, book chapters, social media posts, podcast material, or in the case of myself, I’m … Read more
It’s been a rough couple of years for many people, but today we set aside our worry and stress and instead set our sights on gratitude. Here on Thanksgiving Day, we writers have a lot to be thankful for. I thought it would be fun to consider five specific things each of us can be … Read more