Last week, my mother-in-law came to town and treated my little family to a beach vacation in Myrtle Beach. We spent plenty of time enjoying the waves, but my favorite moments happened when I got my kayak and camera out. After doing some research, I quickly identified a salt marsh where I could paddle around…
One of the biggest traps a writer can fall into is believing that their work needs to be incredible the first time around. That’s the kind of thinking where writer’s block is born. Today I officially started a full week off of work, and boy, did I hit the ground running. Yesterday, I sat down…
Do you ever mix up the sounds and letters in words while you’re talking? Because I do. And it feels like I do it a lot. It’s actually become a running joke in my inner circles because I also write a lot, and words are my thing. You know? Indiana Jones has a hat, Popeye…
Worry not! I’m still alive. 😉 Words are getting written, too. It’s been a massive adjustment over the last six months—starting a job teaching, moving to South Carolina, raising my little baby boy. It adds up. Life gets busy. Fortunately, I feel like writing has already become a core piece of who I am. Even…
Tag Along – Discovering the Hanger Sword Join me as I research hanging swords in an effort to increase my writing ability Regardless of how you feel about weapons, you have to admit—they do a fantastic job spicing up life. Think about it: even the most mundane situations become exciting when a weapon enters the…
Today marks my 48th daily weekday post in a row—and it’s my last. It has been a good run, and I’ve enjoyed the challenge, but it’s time to pivot. Instead of writing a post every weekday, I’m going to be spending more time on editing, crafting, and researching a single weekly post every Wednesday. I’ve…
Have you ever thrown yourself into something so fiercely that you felt as though nothing in the world could stop you? I have—and it’s exhilarating. There’s something about devoting your time, attention, and energy that creates a snowball of success. I’ve seen it in missionary work, learning to play the guitar, and in my academics,…
How many jobs have you had? A handful? Several? I bet I’ve had more. For much of my adult life, I’ve switched jobs several times a year. I’d get excited about a new position, love it for a few months, hate it by the third, and be on my way to the next one by…
Four years ago, just as I was beginning to take writing seriously, one of my favorite childhood authors visited my hometown for a book signing. I remember standing in a long line of children at Barnes & Noble, waiting for my chance to show my support. My plan was simple: walk in, tell him I…
Every morning, I stand in a long school hallway for about thirty minutes. At first, the place is quiet, calm, and orderly. Kids trickle in before the bell, slowly filling the pathways. Then, as more arrive, the quiet slips away. Soon, the hallways swell with life, and I find myself adrift in a sea of…