Earlier this year, I started a series highlighting the prominent minor characters in my novel, Coin and Dagger. First, we caught up with Bartimaeus, the blind beggar from Jericho. In this installment, we’ll get to know John Mark as we examine his place in scripture, unpack the rich traditions about him, and explore his role… Continue reading Writing Minor Characters: John Mark
Category: People of the Bible
Writing Minor Characters: Bartimaeus
One of my favorite ways to engage with scripture, particularly the narrative portions, is to contemplate the people in the stories. It is fun and enriching to examine the possibilities of their lives and consider how their unique circumstances and perspectives enhance my understanding of the passage. The gospels are an especially rich trove of… Continue reading Writing Minor Characters: Bartimaeus
A New Look at a Familiar Story
Have you ever watched a favorite movie or TV show so often that you are shocked that one time you noticed something different? Perhaps something in the background, or a piece of dialogue that managed to fly below the radar during the first five (dozen? twenty?) viewings. When this happens, it jolts us into paying… Continue reading A New Look at a Familiar Story
The Bible and Point-of-View
Before I received my first paid writing assignment in 2020, I spent portions of the previous six years reading about the craft of writing (why it took so long is a subject for another day …). As I studied storycraft, I kept reading about the importance of point-of-view (POV). The idea is simple—know who is… Continue reading The Bible and Point-of-View
Out of Egypt
I have encountered an interesting struggle in the few short years that I have been writing. When God inspires me to write, words flow easily. When client demand is robust, my days are sometimes full enough to turn away paying work. The struggle is, I cannot create either of these phenomenon. There are days when… Continue reading Out of Egypt