04/02/2024
If it was up to you, would you choose to live a life completely free of any suffering? No illness. No close family members dying. No money problems. Always having enough to go around.
Read More21/01/2024
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9,10) Why in the world would Solomon say that? Maybe because if you don’t fear God, you’re likely to go through life quite casually.
Read More07/01/2024
Do you sometimes experience the same feelings as the apostles did when they said to Jesus: “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17,5) Or yearn for a stronger faith, as the father of the demon-possessed boy did when he cried out: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” (Mark 9,24)
Read More24/12/2023
The whole world is celebrating Christmas. Major cities all over the world are adorning themselves with spectacular light displays, glowing angels and glinting trees. And in homes all across the globe, the festivities are elaborate.
Read More10/12/2023
Writing fiction for Christian readers can be incredibly rewarding. First of all, your content can be inspiring and soul-searching, and secondly, it’s a great privilege and a challenge to write a book that is both honouring God and satisfying to readers. Many Christian writers base their books on a much-loved historical figure, so they are […]
Read More26/11/2023
Are you part of a Christian community? Do you call yourself a Christian? Is your Christian faith truly genuine? Then, forgiving others is non-negotiable. There are many times in your Christian walk that you will feel wronged, hard done by and even betrayed. Yet you cannot afford to keep breeding resentment. It is absolutely essential […]
Read More12/11/2023
Writing is a solitary profession. You settle down in your favourite place to work, you practise the discipline of writing for so many hours a day, but you’re not DOING it with anyone. You’re in a place, by yourself, getting on with the task. You may have fellow writer friends whom you consult every now […]
Read More29/10/2023
Ever wanted to write something new? Completely different from anything you’ve written before. A piece of writing that will energise you. Inspire you. And yes. Keep you right on your toes. If this is you – TRY WRITING IN A DIFFERENT GENRE And – DON’T ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE EXPERTS! They might say: […]
Read More15/10/2023
More than 2,000 years ago, in the religious heartland of the world, iconic events occurred which were to change the course of history. So significant are these events that they have the power to change peoples’ destinies. Yet so divisive are these same events that they separate right down the middle those who will live […]
Read More01/10/2023
‘Not another one! That’s the fifth time I’ve been rejected this month.’ ‘Try 30 times. These rejection emails just keep pouring in. I’ve had enough.’ ‘Giving up?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘Don’t!’ ‘I’ll never get my book published.’ ‘Tried self-publishing?’ ‘Too expensive.’ ‘Well, just keep going. One of these days…’ Sound familiar? Had your own manuscript rejected […]
Read More17/09/2023
Authors, particularly of fiction, are hopefully all blessed with vivid imaginations. They can be resourceful, creative and inventive. They can dream up new ideas, invent fantastical stories and visualise scenes in 3D technicolour. The imagination is certainly a powerful tool for any writer. Without it, a piece of writing would be robbed of its interest. […]
Read More03/09/2023
Non-fiction writing, of course, covers a range of sub-genres…blogs, web articles, journals, amongst others, but for the purposes of this blog, I will be focusing on just three: memoirs, biographies and autobiographies. I have selected just four tips for writing these three genres.
Read More13/08/2023
Grumble. Moan. Groan. “Everything’s going wrong.” Does that sound familiar? When life sends us curved balls, do we start to complain and blame everyone around us, including God? What about when life’s going well? When blessings pour down from heaven. We’re happy, then. We rejoice. We stop grumbling, groaning and moaning. But do we take […]
Read More30/07/2023
For me, writing children’s books, especially picture books, is a sheer joy and a pleasure. It’s delightful to find the child in myself as I explore the wonder and excitement of being a child. Everything seems so new, so fresh, so amazing. I surprise myself with discoveries the child in me is making, and initially, […]
Read More16/07/2023
Do you sometimes find it hard to tell the difference between real and fake? The commercial world is full of examples of genuine, custom-designed, branded merchandise and fake, copied, most definitely unbranded merchandise. Can you always tell the difference? A real Christian? Fake or authentic? What about genuine or fake Christians? How can you tell […]
Read More02/07/2023
You’ve dreamt of being a writer but haven’t done anything about it. You’ve attended plenty of book fairs and festivals in an attempt to glean how other writers do it. But you’re still not sure where to start. Why do you want to write? Firstly, it’s worth asking yourself why you want to write. For […]
Read More18/06/2023
The church is not a building but a community of people. Without this Christian community, I would argue that there is no church at all. There are many examples in the Western world of former church buildings converted into theatres, restaurants, or entertainment centres. Sadly, some of these places where the Christian community used to […]
Read More04/06/2023
Whether your mind behaves like a blank screen or a kaleidoscope, the effect is the same: you can’t write a thing. You have the dreaded writer’s block. How do you even begin to overcome it? You’re staring at a computer screen. Your mind is blank. NOTHING is coming to you. You feel no inspiration whatsoever. […]
Read More21/05/2023
Have you often thought about what gives you joy –genuine joy? Not superficial happiness, like a well-cooked meal, a visit to a family member or a trip to a theatre. But a deep-seated, abiding joy that wells up inside you and is present even when times are hard. Finding joy in the midst of hardship […]
Read More17/08/2021
When I wrote the novel, ‘Headlines in Heaven’, I had long wanted to explore the world of Christian adult fiction. I felt passionate about planting some good seeds out there, so I thought carefully about what messages I particularly wanted to share with the world. I realised that the most important question I wanted my […]
Read More29/03/2021
2020. A year of hard lockdowns – and not-so-hard lockdowns. If you were fortunate, you were allowed to venture out of your home for essential groceries and for vital medical supplies. But: No visitors allowed. No trips to the theatre, to cinemas or to any entertainment venues. All sporting events cancelled. Even your personal exercize […]
Read More29/03/2021
When I decided to write my Christian contemporary novel, Crystal Island, I knew I was embarking on a challenging adventure. Not only was I intending to write about ten very different characters who, for seventy whole days, would live in close proximity to each other on an isolated island; but I was also planning to weave […]
Read More18/11/2020
It has been my great joy to write Christian fiction for all ages during the past decade. From delving into the delights of Christian picture books for young children – in Star Bright, The Greatest Treasure, The Master Builder and the soon to be released Josh’s Impossible Journey – to exploring the Christian possibilities for […]
Read More27/10/2020
Walk with the characters through challenges and trials, successes and victories. Discover the mystery of their ‘firm foundation’. As no life is a bed of roses, most readers can identify with stories about characters who face, deal with and try to overcome the many obstacles, hardships and problems that cross their paths. Life, on the whole, can guarantee […]
Read More23/09/2020
Here’s How – In 5 Brief, Basic Steps Picture Book Short Story Picture created by artist Scene visualised by reader Scene graphic/visual Words conjure up scene in reader’s mind Reader instantly enjoys scene Reader must imagine the scene Strong – often single thread of a story line Although […]
Read More14/09/2020
Many authors try their hand at a variety of genres during the course of their writing careers; others specialise in one or two genres as they seek to perfect their craft. Like Robert Frost’s two diverging roads (in his well-known poem, Two roads diverged in a yellow wood), there are advantages and disadvantages to choosing […]
Read More31/08/2020
The Corona virus. Covid 19. International pandemic. Infections spreading. The curve flattening. Lockdowns imposed. Lockdowns lifted. Vaccine research. An effective vaccine rolled out. New information instantly available at the click of a button from all the continents and all the countries on a daily basis. Who would step in where angels fear to tread! Who […]
Read More21/08/2020
Just how big and bad and ugly is the world out there? Unfortunately, this is a question many young adults have to face. As teenagers try to forge their own identity in a confusing world, they are faced with many unpredictable events, disappointments and changes which can rip their worlds apart. Many experienced authors have […]
Read More17/08/2020
In memoir writing, more than in any other genre, it is not only legitimate to pour out your feelings on the page; it is also expected of you. Your reader wants to travel with you along the arc of your emotional journey, to empathise with you, to feel the same emotions as you, especially if […]
Read More17/08/2020
Whether you are writing Christian novels, YA fiction or picture books, it goes without saying that the bible is a rich source of material for your ideas. Of course, if you’re writing Christian non-fiction, you will be continually exploring themes and issues from the bible which, according to the 1995 Guinness book of records, is […]
Read More17/08/2020
What a powerful medium the picture book is. There is so much young children can learn from turning the pages of a beautifully illustrated story. Most picture books have fascinating plots, strong characters and a good moral message. Readers can laugh, they can worry, they can be happy as the character they are rooting for […]
Read More14/08/2020
One of my most satisfying writing adventures was creating the plot, characters, settings and themes for my Young Adult trilogy, The Golden Highway, The Diamond Pathway and The Emerald Treasure Chamber. When I wrote the first book in the trilogy, I implemented some good advice from the AFDA film studio: when creating the plot for […]
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