I first met Gina Holmes through Penwrights, an online Christian critique group that I joined in October 2004. At the time she was a relative unknown, a peon like the rest of us. But that was about to change. Shortly thereafter, Gina started a blog entitled First Novel Journey, which she recently renamed to Novel [...]

Not long ago, I doodled about creativity and imagination. How do artists cultivate ideas, find fresh angles and avoid writing ruts? In their relentless pursuit of originality, creative souls have developed all kinds of odd rituals and techinques. No doubt, one of the most obvious ways to be inspired, is to get in touch with [...]

It’s said that, destiny is not something you choose; it’s something that chooses you. I don’t believe in blind fate, but there’s truth to that adage. Why? Because in some cases, the road to destiny is so bitter, so difficult, so trying, that nobody in their right mind would choose it. Charles Spurgeon has been [...]

call·ing (kô’lÄ­ng) n. 1.)An inner urge or a strong impulse, especially one believed to be divinely inspired. 2.) An occupation, profession, or career.Most writers would confess feeling an “inner urge” or “strong impulse” to write — some would even say it’s “divinely inspired.” I don’t doubt the “inner urge” part; it’s the “divinely inspired” part [...]

And I sent messengers unto them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?’ (Nehemiah 6:3 KJV).The Bible never talks about a “call to write,” though many writers and artists would describe their pursuits in those [...]

And I sent messengers unto them, saying, ‘I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?’ (Nehemiah 6:3 KJV).I’m losing my mojo. As soon as I typed the last word, sipped my warm Guinness and pushed away from [...]

Some random stuff… Speaking of Flannery O’Conner’s “haunting moment,” I stumbled upon an interesting post which traverses similar ground. The topic was the difference between films that scare you and films that disturb you in some deep way. Adam Walter, in this post, makes some terrific points. I recently saw A History of Violence, a [...]

Barbara Nicolosi’s blog, Church of the Masses is one of my weekly watering holes along the internet highway. While her site focuses upon films and film-making, it also contains lotsa wonderful insights for Christians in the arts. These recent quotes had me particularly psyched… The biggest shortfall I find in beginning writers – Christians and [...]

I collect phrases — exotic phrases, offbeat phrases, uncon- ventional phrases. Nowadays, I read like a big game hunter creeping through the African brush. But instead of an elephant gun, I hold a Hi-Liter. What am I hunting? Words. Phrases. My trophy wall is over my desk. It consists of two pages, two columns per [...]