There’s no single ‘perfect style of writing.’ Everyone connects to words a little differently, and what grips me may not grip the next person.
Be that as it may, one of my personal passions in both writing and reading is building a deep emotional connection between the reader and the character. One of the main ways I do this is by developing a unique voice around an already distinct character.
Continue readingIt isn’t a new idea. It isn’t revolutionary.
But it bears repeating.
As Christians, we should not sit down to create the next great Christian piece of art, be it a book or painting or movie. It’s a terrible idea and if that’s all we have to go on it will end up stilted, cringy, and dull as a rusted coin that’s lain in a gutter all winter.
Here’s why.
Continue readingWhen I read something I love, I can’t just enjoy it. I have to study it. Pull it apart to see what worked. Put it together again just to see if I can do it too.
It’s how I process and it’s how I learn. And it’s something I did recently with a new favorite series, Red Rising. Continue reading
Do you ever love something so much you actually hate it?
Example: Amazing book. Tears out your heart. Shreds it with sharp fingernails and hands it back to you with a serving of thematic truth, raw emotions, and a glaze of carefully crafted prose and self-doubt. Continue reading
Everyone says it. Over and over.
Sure, there are exceptions. But it is generally a good tip, even if overused.
Show, don’t tell. Continue reading
I don’t generally like ‘clean Christian fiction.’ Not reading it. Definitely not writing it.
My goal when I write is not to keep the story ‘clean.’ My goal is to reveal truth. Truth means a messy tangle of this thing we all call life. Continue reading
