I love to read about how writers came up with their ideas for different characters, places, etc… and thought it would be fun to share here at MLP how I came up with some of my own. Enjoy! The Sea People of Avonai Readers have told me they love the sea people of Avonai from my book, Daughter of Light. For those of you who have not read it yet, they are a race of people who live along the eastern coast of the continent and are so connected to the sea that they can feel the sea inside their veins …
Sunday Devotional–Psalm 146
Sharon’s done a great job grounding us in the Christian part of the Christian speculative fiction MLP specializes in through her Sunday devotionals. I’m here to spell her for August; she deserves the break after a job faithfully and well performed. Christian theology ought to transcend individuals, cultures, geography, era, personality, the any other categories or isms we can imagine, at least in its foundations, what C.S. Lewis termed mere Christianity, much like science or mathematics is commonly thought to do. In this, I’ll offer rough thoughts from my own Sunday morning teaching/preaching and perhaps a nod in the direction …
Daughter of Light Book Trailer
I always wanted to make a book trailer, so I finally learned how. It was a lot of fun! And here is the result: Daughter of Light movie HD I also just finished an interview with Keven Newsome, author of Winter, on balancing ministry, writing, and family. Check it out! www.kevennewsome.com
Sunday Devotional – Extravagance
“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. ‘Why this waste?’ they asked. ‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.’” Matthew 26:6-9 (NIV) In a world full of real human need, art is sometimes seen as an extravagant gesture. Artists spend hours, years, decades, honing their craft and producing their work. Time …
I have Stubbornness Issues
For any of you who have watched How to Train Your Dragon, you’ll recognize my post title (actually, the exact quote is “Vikings have stubbornness issues”). Lots of good quotes in that movie. If you haven’t seen it, you need to check it out. Anyway, this quote always stuck with me for two reasons: a) most of my family is Norwegian descent, thus making me viking, right? and b) I definitely have stubbornness issues. I have a hard time letting go. Sometimes that’s a good thing, and sometimes that’s a bad thing. How can stubbornness be good? It can give …
Sunday Devotional – Variety
“Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.” Psalm 150:3-5 (NIV) What strikes me about Psalm 150 is the variety of tones, sounds, and instruments. There are so many things to praise God for – so much to convey – that we need a variety of means to express it all. That’s also why I’m grateful for the variety of genres that Christian writers are using to communicate …
Sunday Devotional – Seeking Him
“God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” Acts. 17:27-28 (NIV1984) God delights in “being found” by us – in revealing Himself to us. He is so awesome and multifaceted that we will never stop discovering new aspects of His mercy, grace, strength, and holiness. I love the moments in writing where a scene, a character, or an event …
Why Isn’t Marriage Romantic Anymore?
Dan and I were watching The Event one night. Afterwards, I turned to Dan and told him they should have had two of the main characters married instead of just dating. I would have pulled for them more. Then Dan pointed out something: most of the world does not see the romance or permanence of marriage anymore. Dan’s words saddened me. I guess I’m one of those that still believes marriage can be the strongest human relationship in the world. Where a man finds a woman and chooses to love only her the rest of his life. Where a woman …
Sunday Devotional – Beauty
“And the Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground–trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.” Genesis 2:9a (NIV1984) Reading this verse, I realized God could have created a food source that was a little gray box that popped out fruit as needed. Instead He made a lush variety of shapes, colors, and types of trees–trees that stir as the wind tickles them, trees that change color. In short, He designed trees that are not only utilitarian, but beautiful. Lord, thank You for creating beauty. Help us go beyond utilitarian uses of …