Making predictions about what will happen in the future is a dangerous game, and if I were smarter, I probably wouldn’t even attempt it. But as I prepared the new Red Sneaker book, What Writers Need to Know, I revisited my predictions for 2019—and they weren’t half bad. I did see some trends coming, missed…
In the spring of 2017, I faced the possibility I might not live to see my 70th birthday. I was in the cardiac ICU in a hospital in Branson, MO with complete heart block waiting for a pacemaker to be inserted. It didn’t feel like God was done with me yet. I had so much…
Sometimes there’s a blog that sort of grabs you out of nowhere, speaks to you in a certain place in your writing journey even when it’s not about writing. As the new year begins and you’re thinking of your writing goals, be inspired below by Christy Johnson’s blog on New Year’s “Revelations,” followed by a…
If you’re a sports fan, you may recognize the name Ted Winsley. He’s best known as the chaplain for the Philadelphia Eagles. His Super Bowl ring testifies to his great success at motivating players. Pastor Ted also leads The Family Church in Voorhees, New Jersey. While interviewing him for his new book, View From the…
I remember the day I heard Geena Davis, the actress, was vying for a semi-finals spot in archery for the 2000 Olympics. She was 43 years old, and her introduction to archery had only begun two years before this Olympic tryout. The news filled me with a warm, elated feeling, close to giddiness, that I…
Finding creativity in the mass of depression is like trying to find the wind for your sails in the middle of the ocean, where there has been no trace of wind in what seems like a lifetime ago. You are trying to muster up the creativity that came so naturally to you, but now it…
While researching my book on the Moore tornado of 2013, I came across the story of a man who instantly intrigued me. His name is Ted “Mr. Tornado” Fujita. The tornado F-scale is named after him, and he is responsible for nearly all the information we have about the mysterious weather phenomenon known as the…
The people of Write Well, Sell Well are brilliant. Many of them have inspired and helped me in my writing career from its infancy more than 20 years ago through today. But they may have had a brain cramp. You see, they invited me to write a periodic column for their blog. They asked me…
When you first get published, peers will tell you, “Don’t read your reviews.” We nod, completely understanding how distracting and potentially damaging it could be to our artistic psyche. And then we all ignore that advice and read them anyway. How can we not? They’re everywhere these days and we’re curious, of course. Writing is…
I have a bizarre relationship with new things. Maybe you can identify with it. I can’t seem to own them very long before they’re damaged. Many years ago my husband and I went out and bought our first really nice, new piece of furniture, a dining room table. We’d had it exactly three days before…