Category Archives: Writings

Exploring the paradoxical need to endure obscurity in order to become famous as a novelist.

Inspired by Jonas Ellison’s essay; “A rant on Lutheran theology and contemplation.”

Momentum takes over even when the will flags And I am moved to write Having just finished reading the first draft (Actually, the first fragments) Of my novel. Today I return to my practice After two days of having fallen ill And having fallen asleep to let that illness run it’s course. But now theContinue reading “Faith seeking understanding #068: Momentum supercedes my will”

I worked hard today. At my job. As a novelist. I spent hours printing out my novel’s manuscript and forcing myself to sit and read as many of the 72,000 words I’ve written as fast as I could comprehend what I was saying about what was going on. At times I had to take aContinue reading “Faith seeking understanding #067: The hard work means it’s real”

Someone wrote today what I wished I had written tonight. I will allow myself to pout a little. The author is a little farther ahead of me on solving a problem we both have—and has adopted the same method to overcome it. But he thought to make it into today’s reflection for him and IContinue reading “Faith seeking understanding #066: Writing envy”

I spent hours in storycraft land today. Most of that time was well spent, although I didn’t advance my word count (and probably decided to lose more pages than I will keep).

Pleasure. Pleasure is the type of word that makes me blush. That makes me feel guilty. That brings me to the brink of shame. But why? Pleasure draws my attention to the beautiful and the good. Pleasure allows me to participate in the sacred flow of life. Pleasure is the reason to get out ofContinue reading “Faith seeking understanding #064: Reclaiming pleasure”

I suppose one should be very careful about choosing one’s heroes. Pick someone too brilliant, and one runs the risk of sure frustration. Pick someone too, uh, not brilliant, and one’s aspirations are too easy to attain. However, the heart picks whom the heart will pick, and so I have become saddled with Gore Vidal.

The cats aren’t helping me write tonight. This upsets me. When I don’t need them to help me write, they’re all over me and my keyboard. Inquisitive and demanding, they insist on knowing what I am doing, why I am doing it and when I am going to stop so they may receive the focusContinue reading “Faith seeking understanding #062: Blaming it on the cats”

I have decided, when I grow up, to be Gore Vidal. I think there is still time. I just finished reading the first chapter of his Palimpsest: A Memoir, and I fell in love with its language and breezy tone. Of course, I need to figure out how to meet and gather stories on hundredsContinue reading “Faith seeking understanding #061: Fantasizing about becoming Gore Vidal”