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_Who I Am:
A former librarian turned freelance writer and editor. An eclectic scholar with degrees in classical studies, drama, library science, and organizational communication. I am committed to the concept of “Everyman Theatre,” bringing Christ’s message to the world via good storytelling, whether it is in the form of novels, plays, or puppet theatre. I share my Mississippi home with my retired parents and an every-changing assortment of adopted stray cats. Please take a look around my site and use my "Contact Me" form to let me know what you think! You can find pictures of all my feline pals along the way and use the available links to purchase my books. Happy reading! |
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NEW TITLES Available from Kindle & Amazon!
The Power of Story III: Making it yours.
One of the questions often asked of writers is, “How do you begin a story?” This is, of course, much like asking an artist how he paints what he paints or how she sculpts what she sculpts. Where do songwriters begin—with the music or the lyric? Creativity comes from many sources, and for most writers I know, a story can come from any number of places, with most writers citing more than one, depending upon the story...But have you ever picked up a book or a magazine article that looked interesting then started to read it only to find the author was more interested in preaching than storytelling? This can happen all too easily, if we’re not careful. Most writers have something important to say, whether writing fiction or nonfiction, but it is just as important to think strategically about our subject matter lest we become so immersed in whatever issue we’re tackling that our story gets lost in the argument. Writing can change minds and hearts, just as performance drama can, but beware of biting off more than you can comfortably chew and letting the topic eclipse the story rather than letting the story illuminate the topic...
See Also, under Nonfiction...
The Power of Story: Using good storytelling to make a lasting impression
The Power of Story II: Using research to add reality to your story
One of the questions often asked of writers is, “How do you begin a story?” This is, of course, much like asking an artist how he paints what he paints or how she sculpts what she sculpts. Where do songwriters begin—with the music or the lyric? Creativity comes from many sources, and for most writers I know, a story can come from any number of places, with most writers citing more than one, depending upon the story...But have you ever picked up a book or a magazine article that looked interesting then started to read it only to find the author was more interested in preaching than storytelling? This can happen all too easily, if we’re not careful. Most writers have something important to say, whether writing fiction or nonfiction, but it is just as important to think strategically about our subject matter lest we become so immersed in whatever issue we’re tackling that our story gets lost in the argument. Writing can change minds and hearts, just as performance drama can, but beware of biting off more than you can comfortably chew and letting the topic eclipse the story rather than letting the story illuminate the topic...
See Also, under Nonfiction...
The Power of Story: Using good storytelling to make a lasting impression
The Power of Story II: Using research to add reality to your story
The Power of Story II: Using research to add reality to your story
For writers of stories, research is NOT an option—even when writing fiction. Why not? Because research is the thing that puts reality into a story, allowing your readers to participate in the “suspension of disbelief” we, as storytellers, need for our stories to work.
The old adage from an early writing instructor who said, “Write what you know,” is simply incomplete. What you must remember is how you know what you know can vary with what you’re writing. Stories are certainly quicker and easier to write if our characters work at a job we’ve had or live in a city in which we’ve lived, but that doesn’t mean we can’t ever write about what we don’t know right this minute, as long as we do the research first, so we do know it, before we write the story.
Albert Camus once wrote, “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.” I couldn’t agree more, but it is critical to get the facts right within the lie so as to capture and keep the attention of our readers. It really is all about the details, because if you get the details wrong, you could lose your audience...
For writers of stories, research is NOT an option—even when writing fiction. Why not? Because research is the thing that puts reality into a story, allowing your readers to participate in the “suspension of disbelief” we, as storytellers, need for our stories to work.
The old adage from an early writing instructor who said, “Write what you know,” is simply incomplete. What you must remember is how you know what you know can vary with what you’re writing. Stories are certainly quicker and easier to write if our characters work at a job we’ve had or live in a city in which we’ve lived, but that doesn’t mean we can’t ever write about what we don’t know right this minute, as long as we do the research first, so we do know it, before we write the story.
Albert Camus once wrote, “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.” I couldn’t agree more, but it is critical to get the facts right within the lie so as to capture and keep the attention of our readers. It really is all about the details, because if you get the details wrong, you could lose your audience...
Also available from Amazon.com:
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The Cat & Mac Mysteries, Volume I
Mac is a Seattle police detective turned private eye; Cat is a Pioneer Square gallery manager with a secret. Together, they make the perfect team. Follow the adventures of Cat and Mac as they race against time to solve a murder in Eyewitness, find a missing woman in Vanished, avoid assassination in Ambush, and stop a madman from living out a deadly fantasy in Darkness. Each episode is also available separately from Kindle. |
3 of 6: Clarence, Puss, & Jack
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Stripe (2000-2018)
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