Dinner Theatre

Writer’s Log Stardate 17-1-12

I just had dinner with some of my writing students at Gordon College who, for some reason, have come back to campus two days before class starts. The dinner was most encouraging, although the food was from the cafeteria. We talked about the structure of the class, the assignments, and what each person wants to get out of the class.

This is a writing workshop, which I described as halfway between an internship, with no syllabus, and a course, with a highly prescribed set of assignments. I want to strike a creative balance, where the students have enough structure they don’t feel lost and unsure about how they are doing, but not so much structure they cannot work on the things that interest them most.

The main thing I want the workshop to do is help the students realize just how satisfying writing can be. If I can communicate some portion of the excitement I have when I am in the midst of a writing assignment I will be happy. But, this is the first writing course I have taught, so who knows how it will go?

Things are really coming together nicely. Two editors have expressed interest in publishing things from the class. My editor at Beacon has agreed to come visit the class and will be interviewing one of my students for an internship. And InterVarsity just today told me they will give the class free copies of my next book, coming out in March.  

Not a bad day, overall.

Writer's Log Supplemental 17-1-12

Dean Nelson just sent me a link to another great review of our book Quantum Leap.  That was probably the most modest of all my writing projects--partly because Dean did so much of the writing--but the book has really surprised us with the great reception and brisk sales.