Nearly eight years ago, I quit my full-time desk job at Duke University to become a writer. I patched together freelance writing and teaching gigs until I published Saffron Cross in fall 2013. How did I do it? Patience, perseverance, and many cheerleaders who kept me …
I’ve recently completed my fourth year as a freelance writer, teacher, and consultant. That’s 1,460 days of surviving artistic doubt and the feast-or-famine nature of contract work. So, what’s the key to freelance writing success? The answer might surprise you. In mid-April of 2011, I …
After a four-month marathon of writing and editing, I have submitted the Saffron Cross interfaith marriage memoir manuscript to my editor, Jeannie Crawford-Lee of Upper Room Books. The first-time author journey was full of lessons. Here are a few: 1. Start early. The first chapter of Saffron Cross …
This writer’s life is picking up speed. In just a few short months, the manuscript for Saffron Cross is due to my Upper Room Books editor, Jeannie Crawford-Lee. This means that nearly every waking moment I have is spent writing or thinking about our Christian-Hindu interfaith marriage. When I’m not writing or …
“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.” –David McCullough, Pulitzer prize winning author of Truman and John Adams (via @QuotesforWriters) There’s not much clear thinking going on in my head these days. Since last Monday, my mind has …
Lent has come and gone, and it was less quiet than I anticipated. While my intention of a writing discipline and reflection was sincere, the holy season seemed to fly by, lost in a whirlwind of activities and work. Within that work, though, there were spaces of …