All of It

A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

Let’s Think

Most of my writing looks like this. I spend a lot of time thinking, and whether I'm writing a speech, a short story, or a poem, I have a strong sense of how it will go before I hit the keyboard. I could be in my studio, or here, you see me here, in my library. I'm...

A Life in the Air Force

This weekend, a client of mine retired from the US Air Force. I wrote her speech and trained her to deliver it. You don’t know her name, and she wasn’t involved in any famous initiatives. Not directly. She worked behind the scenes supporting those who support those...

The Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentary Review

Reviewing a biblical commentary is difficult. The necessary brevity is in direct competition with the theological depth of the book and the book it's commentating. In this case it is The Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentary (Volume 1, Introduction: Christ and the...

Story Influences

We are, to a degree, what we read and who we know. I started on a new story yesterday that examines the human condition in regard to pride, greed, narcissism, and revenge. As I thought about it, I realized there are six strong influences on this particular story....

Authors as Entrepreneurs

Here’s an ad. Do you see it? Scroll up. Three books. Each not remotely like the other. Death, Misery, & Other Curiosities: 12 Dark Short Stories Filled With Angst and Tragedy The Raging Giant Blue Goldfish: 22 Short Stories The Joro Spider Journal: The Blue Book...

Don’t Miss the Message

Don't miss the message. Otherwise, you might get bit by a snake. Where I live, it's a real warning, not merely a metaphor. I took the photo of this sign. Several other signs like this were through the park. Copperheads are the biggest, but not only threat. This isn't...

Rudy Trendl

That's my late dad, Rudy Trendl. More of a joke teller than witty, but as you can see, he had a smile ready to go. Here, he's celebrating his 80th birthday, some eight months before he died. He helped me professionally without realizing it. As founder and head coach...

Writing Through Thinking

WRITING TIP: I often write before I touch a keyboard. When I'm working with a client, I listen. I try to learn their voice and their message. Then I write the speech in my head. Actually, I don't write it. I deliver it to an imaginary audience. I'll speak...

On Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature. I don't know if he cares... or if he doesn't. We've never chatted. It is what it is. I'm a writer. Things like that catch my eye. What I like about it -- Bob getting the award -- is it caused a new look at his old work...

Reviewing Poetry Translations

Reviewing Poetry Translations Years back, I reviewed a number of translations: Hungarian-translated-into-English books. Mostly poetry. While I feel comfortable reviewing poetry in English, I realized how important to know Hungarian culture and history is. I know bits...

Language: Cussing, Swearing, and University Pastimes Involving the F-Bomb

Freshman year at Illinois State University... I redefined myself. Wasn't the first time I rebuilt my image, but the previous time, I fell into myself. No control. This time, I was in charge. I was smart, taking literature courses, I read Kerouac, Ginsberg, men of...