Michael Ehret, WritingOnTheFineLine
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Memories are strange things. Malleable by time and easily lost, but among our most cherished possessions. That first time driving on our own. The moment we look at the one we’re dating and know with certainty that she is the one. The birth of a child. The death of a close friend. The embarrassment of…
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Personal integrity is key for me. See what I mean with my guest post today on Jennifer Slattery’s blog, “Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud.” Loved, chosen, & empowered Our culture says certain lies are okay, that motive rather than content matters, and, well, everyone fibs once in a while. But God doesn’t take our words…
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The other day I found this interesting blog by Chris Hilton (follow the link at the end to read it) about whether those who use a computer or those who write longhand are more creative. I found many of the arguments persuasive, but for me it boils down to the physical. My hands, arms, and…
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This may seem counter-intuitive, but here it is: You can improve your writing by taking time off to not write. Those of you who are jumping up and down right now because you think you’ve just found a new excuse for your lack of writing this week, this month, this year—“Hey! I’m on a writing…
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Facing a crossroads at the moment—what step to take next and all that. I’m not all angsty over it, but I have been thinking a lot about the late Donna Summer lately, as a result. Donna Summer? The Queen of Disco? First of all, thinking about Donna Summer is not new for me. I’ve had…
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Sometimes I think my idea well has run dry. The plots I dredge up are so spare they couldn’t even flesh out a flash fiction story. Can you relate? Usually what this means is I need to switch from “creative” mode to “ingestion” mode—I need more raw material to draw from. Some writers can create…
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Sometimes when I’m goofing with my two dogs, Baxter and Taffy, God will snap his fingers, hold his hand over my nose, and tell me to “Sit. Stay. Listen.” And when I do, I learn valuable lessons. Almost every morning I have the same breakfast—two slices of peanut butter toast. I love peanut butter. At…
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“The story in this book is fantastic!” Rowlf exploded. “I can’t put it down.” “Oh really?” Cyndy interrogated. “I found it annoying to read because of all of the oddball speaker attributions.” “That’s because you have no vision,” Rowlf interjected. “This writer is being experimental.” I’m proofediting a book right now for a publisher that…
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“If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn’t matter a damn how you write.” –Somerset Maugham, 1874-1965, British playwright, novelist (Of Human Bondage) and short story writer. “It is perfectly okay to write garbage—as long as you edit brilliantly.” –C.J. Cherryh, a United States science fiction and…
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It’s an unfortunate truth—if there are writing contests, there will be people who do not win them and most of the time those people will be you and me. So know going into it that, when it comes to writing contests, the odds are against you winning. Does that mean you shouldn’t enter? Not at…
Writing On The Fine Line 