“I am an atheist, but this…” He extends his arms wide and looks around him. “…is my church! Once a year I come here to get filled back up!” Those may not be his exact words, but every year, Matthew Clemens shares a version of this statement at Midwest...... More »
This is part 4 in my Think • Write • Pray • Explore series focused on TIME. Read part 1, part 2, and part 3 here if you missed them, and if you don’t have the January prayer prompt calendar about time, you can download it for free...... More »
This is part 3 in my Think • Write • Pray • Explore series focused on TIME. Read part 1 and part 2 here if you missed them, and if you don’t have the January prayer prompt calendar about time, you can download it for free here. So...... More »
This is part 2 in my Think • Write • Pray • Explore series focused on TIME. Read part 1 here if you missed it, and if you don’t have the January prayer prompt calendar about time, you can download it for free here. Writing in a prayer...... More »
This letter is for you: the creative one who isn’t creating. Okay, so you haven’t written one word of your latest book (or blog post), performed a single inspiring song on YouTube, recorded a video encouragement, painted a single thing (not a rock or a wall or a canvas),...... More »
I’ve been kind of busy, you know… what with FINISHING the complete first draft for book #2. Yes, you heard me correctly. Finished! I’ll tell you the truth. Since this wasn’t a novel, I didn’t really need the words “The end.” But it just felt so good to type them....... More »
At the age of 53, I took up saxophone playing and, surprise-surprise, I gained insights for my writing life as well. #1. Practice pays. This may seem obvious, but by the time we’re in our fifties, most of us figure we’ve mastered whatever skills we’re going to master and...... More »
15 weeks, 15 letters, 15 minutes. To start the new year, 2015. It’s never too late to join us. Learn about the challenge here. Someone who noticed or encouraged a talent or ability It all started with a postcard announcing that a Wabash professor, Joy Castro, had published a memoir...... More »
I know you write from a pure heart. I know that when you put words on paper, you dig down deep. You turn your soul inside out to try to express the depths of all that you feel, of all that you see. You hold nothing back. And yet...... More »
15 weeks, 15 letters, 15 minutes. To start the new year, 2015. It’s never too late to join us. Learn about the challenge here. Several years ago, the first time I attended the Midwest Writers Workshop, I met this woman from Michigan. Irene invited me to lunch with some...... More »