Category: Passion

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Write About Your Passion

I suppose that is a goofy way to start this blog, but let’s talk about it in a literary sense.

One of the reasons I had difficulty writing when I was a kid was simple: I had to write about the topics teachers gave me. I wasn’t interested and my writing proved it. But with the help of my 7th-grade teacher, I developed an interest in history. Later, I got interested in several areas of science. Then, the Bible came alive to me in a way I never dreamed possible, and it became my foundation.

With the Bible, history, and science as my passions, the process of writing became not just meaningful, but fun! It was enjoyable because that same passion drove me to read more, and my well of knowledge began filling. Reading and writing became a major direction in my life, but it was the passion – the love of the Bible, history, and science – that motivated me.

However, I still had a difficult time writing what people wanted to read. I didn’t have their passions, and my writing was a little flat. Call it boring! So I decided to write about my own interests. My newspaper columns, my scientific endeavors, my teaching, and my preaching all revolved around the Bible, history, and science. And would you believe it? I had stumbled onto a very important principle, and people wanted more.

Bestselling author Jerry Jenkins said in his blog, The Secret to Compelling Writing, “Write the book you would read. Write it in a way that would keep your interest, and your book will find all the readers you want.”

So I encourage all of you, find your literary passion. Go with it, and …

Write Creatively

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Set Your Imagination Free

On Monday morning, the teacher gave the economics class the assignment: “You have until Friday morning to write and hand in a three to five-page article about a dime.” Many of the kids thought it was a silly topic, but it shouldn’t be too hard. But one boy just couldn’t figure what in the world there would be to write about, and went to the teacher to protest.

“What’s there to write about? It’s just a thin, little old dime. How could I possibly get enough information for three pages?”

“Well, George, let me ask you a few questions.

  1. Why is it called a dime?
  2. What’s it made out of?
  3. What’s on the edge of the dime?
  4. Who’s image is on it, and why was he chosen?”

That was enough to get George started. But he ran into another problem, and three days later approached the teacher after class.

“Teacher, I might be in trouble. I thought about your questions and looked up a lot of info, but a whole lot of other ideas popped up that I had to include.”

“What’s the problem, George?

“You gave a limit of five pages. I tried in every way possible, but I just can’t cut the page count lower than ten.”

The teacher smiled because she had succeeded in helping another student learn how to use his imagination. “Well, don’t tell anyone in class, and I’ll let you get by this time.”

So, as you write, do not limit your thinking to what you know. Climb out of your self-imposed or culturally-imposed intellectual prison. Practice writing from various points of view. Practice replacing adjectives with verbs. Practice replacing narrative with action. Look up information about writing. Study various writing skills. But most importantly, be fully informed about your topic. Writing is complex, but it can be easy.

You get the point. As you broaden your writing ability, you’ll deepen your message, and you’ll be able to …

Write Creatively

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Writing Creatively?

Why do I normally end these blogs with the 2-word sentence, Write Creatively?

I’ve written for newspapers, science labs, businesses, and churches for most of my adult life, and believe-it-or-not, I sometimes seemed to run dry. I put my fingers to the keyboard and words popped up, but what I wrote was – are you ready? – boring! 

It might not surprise you to hear that people do not, repeat, DO NOT, like to read boring stuff. Therefore, “Write Creatively” is a reminder for me as well as for anyone who reads what I write.

Whatever you write, make your words erupt with life, action, adventure. Let your words be the worms-on-the-hook that lures people to your blogs and and your book.

Over 50 years ago when I began teaching, preaching, and writing, my dad instructed me with this undying bit of wisdom: “Don’t bore the people! Always give everyone something to take home and chew on.” Was I always successful? No, but, that was my goal.

I want you folks to apply that admonition to your writing. Whether your theme is adventure, science, spirituality, drama, poetry, or anything else, “Don’t bore the people! Always give everyone something to take home and chew on.” And fill your writing with life, action, and adventure.

That’s why I say ……

Write Creatively

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Fulfilling Your Dream of Writing – Step 7

In my youth, I didn’t like to write. I didn’t even like to read anything except Superman comic books. Superman was action, the narrative was dynamic, and I could tell folks anything they ever wanted to know about the hero … verbally. But when it came to writing, the process of passing the information had a difficult time making it from my mind, through my hand, and on to the paper.

But friends, through trial and error, I worked hard at learning step 7.

I had to learn how to Grab the Reader’s Attention. If you don’t get people’s attention, they won’t read your book.

Have you read any of George Orwell’s books? The first lines of the first chapter of any book are crucial. George Orwell, writing the book, 1984, began with, “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

Cold in April in the United States? Striking thirteen? Hmmm … what’s George getting at? It didn’t sound right, and that’s what got people’s attention!

How do you write in such a way that will get potential readers’ attention?

You may need to take a course in Creative Writing. I highly recommend it.

But then write about your passion! Write about what interests you. Write about what you know. If you want to write about something unfamiliar to you, study it! Become conversant with the subject. Learn to write creatively. Write in such a way that the reader enters the story through his or her imagination.

Then create a catchy title for your book. Next, generate a good writeup for the back cover of the book. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The first lines of each chapter must grab the reader, and each page must prompt the reader to turn the page. The end of each chapter must have a hook that won’t let the reader go. You hope the reader will say, “I couldn’t put the book down.”

When I was twelve years old, I finally stopped investing valuable time reading Superman because I had become acquainted with science, history, and nature. Learning history ignited my desire to study the Bible, and if you read much of my writing, you’ll learn that my writing generally revolves around those four topics. (You can find my books at https://genelinzey.com/books/)

So start writing and let it flow!

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Write Creatively