Writing and Reading

The Only Rule: There are None

by Shawn December 28, 2011

The first and last important rule for the creative writer, then, is that though there may be rules (formulas) for ordinary, easily publishable fiction – imitation fiction – there are no rules for real fiction, any more than there are rules for serious visual art or musical composition…Invention, after all, is art’s main business, and [...]

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Encouragement vs. Despair: Steinbeck’s One Purpose in Writing

by Shawn December 12, 2011

“There is one purpose in writing that I can see, beyond simply doing it interestingly. It is the duty of the writer to lift up, to extend, to encourage.   “If the written word has contributed anything at all to our developing species and our half-developed culture, it is this: Great writing has been a [...]

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My Cyber Book Tour Begins Today!

by Shawn December 5, 2011

All week I’m taking this show on the road. Some of my favorite bloggers have agreed to help me promote my new book, My Amish Roots, by either hosting a guest post, a question and answer session, or reviewing the book. Here are today’s links:

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Share Your Favorite November Blog Post

by Shawn December 1, 2011

It’s been far too long since I’ve done this here at the blog. A busy autumn has me feeling like butter spread over too much bread (thanks for that saying, Bilbo). So, as in traditions past, today is your chance to share three things in the comments: 1) What’s the best blog post you read [...]

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What Money Never Tells You

by Shawn November 30, 2011
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Maile and I came home from our four-year stint in England bruised and battered. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was burned out from working too many hours for too many years under too much stress. A business that just didn’t quite take off, adjusting to a new culture, being away from [...]

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Want to do Something Worth Remembering? Tell Good Stories

by Shawn November 28, 2011

There are two things my daughters ask for when I’m tucking them into bed: a prayer and a story. They don’t ask for an explanation of geometric proofs. They’ve yet to look up at me, their heads on their pillows, and inquire about the molecular structure of hydrogen dioxide. Don’t get me wrong: they ask [...]

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460 Rejections and a Muddy Hill

by Shawn November 23, 2011

You can’t let what you are able to see put limits on what you believe is possible. * * * * * Somewhere around mile four of the Tough Mudder was an innocent looking obstacle: a muddy hill. That’s it, just a steep slope, maybe twenty feet long, coated in mud. A few of the [...]

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