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Writing for Men – Leadership
This conversation has started a little bit slower than I had anticipated, but I do think we have a good start. I would like to clarify that in this discussion, when I say “man,” I mean no dilineation between “real” or otherwise. I consider all men to be real, therefore the object of this discussion truly is aimed those characteristics of men. To further clarify, this discussion is coming from the perspective of God’s model of man and how we …
Two more short stories released!
I have released two more titles from my first Civil War Short Stories collection! Slough of Despondence A man’s identity is sometimes all he has. When he loses the one thing he understands most, the world around him can descend rapidly into chaos and confusion. Caught between the stalled battle lines of warring armies, the loss of one’s can halt you in your tracks. Which way do you go and who are your friends? Broad River Dash Under the cover …
Men Writing for Men – Regaining Manhood
The purpose of Men Writing for Men is not to disparage the great many women author who pen tremendous stories. Rather, this conversation is to encourage men to rekindle the masculine spirit that has become hidden amongst a culture of exaggerated sensitivity and feminine censorship. Women can indeed write great tales of adventure, mystery and suspense, but men need to read the brazen words that can only be fully communicated by other men. It has been asked more times than …
Blogging Basics – What’s your story?
Now you know what a blog is and have done enough research to be able to choose the blogging software you will use to get started. The next step, before jumping in feet first, is to decide what you are going to blog about. There industry term for this is a “niche.” The “niche” is your unique viewpoint on any given subject. Let’s say you want to write about cars. Well, there certainly is a big audience for automobiles, but …
Slough of Despondence now online!
The second installment of my Civil War Short Stories, Volume 1, is titled “Slough of Despondence,” and is now online as an eBook. This short story is about a man searching for a lost identity in a strange land and under extreme duress. The original story was half as long in order to qualify for the FaithWriters weekly challenge. This version is extended in order to give the reader a bit more information, but not too much. I believe the …
Men Writing for Men
Men do still read, don’t they? Of course they do! Men, it is time to face the fact that much of our writing is not reaching our male audience. The women have figured out their audience and they even manage to pull in a great number of male readers. It is time that male authors, particularly Christian male authors, kicked it up a notch and encourage other men to read and to write. It isn’t that men do not like …
Why write historical fiction
When you ask people what they least favorite subjects were in school, chances are that history is going rank high on that list. Perhaps this is the reason that one of my most often asked questions is, “Why do you write historical fiction?” Follow up comments usually include comments about all the dates and names and how in the world could anyone make all that “stuff” interesting. It is upon that last point that drives my passion for writing historical …
Blogging Basics – Ten Popular Platforms
When making the decision to begin the creation process of a blog, the first thing you need to decide is which platform you are going to utilize. There are several to choose from, even beyond those listed here. Before listing the different platforms, what you need to understand is that a platform is similar to choosing a software solution for any other situation. Most platforms display information in very similar ways, but behind the scenes they often function much differently. …
The writing life does not have to be a sentence to solitary confinement
There are typically two prevailing mental images that come to a person’s mind when they hear that you are a writer. The first is of disheveled figure, locked away in a dimly lit room, trudging away at a keyboard. The second is of someone dressed in some form of relaxed attire, sipping upon a cup of coffee with their feet propped up on the balcony of some exotic resort, a keyboard upon their lap and a contented smile upon their …
Blogging Basics – Introduction
Blogging is a vastly popular and powerful medium for writers of all skills levels and interests. If you haven’t yet joined the millions of others enjoying the benefits and adventure of publishing a blog, there is still time to join in the fun. We’ll start of with some very basic information that you will need before jumping into the fray. What is a Blog? In its most simple form, a blog is simply website that contains content including such things …
Scrolls of Nordaan – The New Dawn
“The gray-green of dawn broke quietly over the land of Nordaan, a thin layer of evening dew still covered Castle Paradran. A flock of white-winged Tanjers fluttered across the gray-green horizon as dawn broke quietly over the land of Nordaan. Thin lines of white smoke trailed upward from the many chimneys of Castle Paradran. A layer of evening dew draped the cool, gray stones.” Life in the land of Nordaan is as normal from day-to-day as in any other land …
Favorite Writing Quotes
Writers are always looking for sources of encouragement and inspiration. Quotes from other writers often fulfill such a calling, so here are some of my favorites. The list will grow over time as I encounter more words of wisdom and inspiration. Quotes About the Writing Craft If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster. – Isaac Asimov We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever …
FAST Writing Ideas Template
There it is again, that blasted blinking cursor. The writer’s worst nightmare! There truly is nothing more damaging to a writer’s ego than a silent, blinking cursor. Incomplete thoughts are troubling and bad ideas are frustrating, but to have no ideas is a point of lament. I, like most writers, have struggled through the silence many more times that we care to contemplate. Whenever we meet with other writers, the topic inevitably turns up. “Where do you get all those …
Friday Fiction – A Christmas Stalking
Crystal flakes of pure-white snow floated down from clouds that stretched across the heavens as far as they eye could see. The snow gathered upon the frozen ground and drifted against the steps of a cheery, yellow house upon the top of a slow, sloping hill. Snow gathered upon high branches of the majestic pines that encircled the home. A tree squirrel flittered from branch to branch, sending the snow that had gathered there to the sparkling floor below. A …
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Writing during the holiday season
I don’t know about other writers, but the Christmas and holiday season is typically one of my most productive times for writing. Although it may seem to be an unusual time for the writing process to flourish, there are a number of reasons this time provides for my creativity. One of the most important factors that writers look for in performing their craft is time of peace and quiet that can be set aside to become one with a manuscript. …
What software do you use when writing?
I’m always interested to see the different tools and techniques various writers use today. The advent of the computer age has created a myriad of possibilities within the writing craft, but there remain some die-hards who continue to peck away at an old fashioned typewriter. What do you use to write your stories or articles? I have a few different tools at my disposal, but I would probably say that the vast majority of my writing is done in Microsoft …
The book of the day is Forbidden!
If you love Christian Fiction, there are few writers today as talented as Ted Dekker. His tales of drama, suspense and humanity flow from cover to cover. If you haven’t done so already, look into getting your hands on a copy of his latest achievement, Forbidden.
Stepping Up: A Call to Courageous Manhood
I just received word that Dennis Rainey’s latest book on manhood, Stepping Up: A Call to Courageous Manhood, is currently being made available as an eBook download for only $1.99! Here is the book description: What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done? As men, all of us face decisions in life that demand courage. Big or little, complex or straightforward, these choices—let’s call them battles—matter a great deal. One courageous choice leads to another; tomorrow’s integrity depends on today’s …
eBook Formatting – Amazon’s Kindle
If you aren’t looking ahead and planning for an eventual switch to publishing eBooks, you are already behind the curve. Ebook sales are on the rise while print publishing revenues continue to falter. I already realize I am behind the curve, but am trying to look ahead and get a better understanding of this “new” market. Among the top contenders for Ebooks is Amazon’s Kindle. Their format is proprietary, of course, and I have been investigating the different avenues writers …