Ask the Author: Robert S. Turner
Answered Questions (7)
Robert S. Turner
Donald Trump ran for President. He won.
Robert S. Turner
I'm not sure writer's block is really a thing. If your job demands that you write, writer's block is a luxury you can't afford. If you don't write, you don't get paid. Or you get fired. So I guess what you have to do is convince yourself that writing is your job, and let fear be your motivator. You can also diversify. If you're trying to write something and nothing is coming, work on something else for a while—a different project, a different genre, whatever. There may be water in another well.
Just kidding about the fear part.
Just kidding about the fear part.
Robert S. Turner
Looking at something you have written and saying to yourself, "Dang, that's good. Did that really come from me?"
I had a professor once who said, "Nobody likes to write. Everybody likes to have written." I subscribe to this notion wholeheartedly.
I had a professor once who said, "Nobody likes to write. Everybody likes to have written." I subscribe to this notion wholeheartedly.
Robert S. Turner
Write. Develop a discipline or timetable that works for you, but sit down and do it. Write all sorts of things. If your job has you writing newsletter articles for your company, write the best damn newsletter article you can. Strive for excellence. Whether it's an article for a magazine or a text to your friend, write well. Don't rely on lazy habits. Never use webspeak like "lol." If you want to convey something that you found funny, write it so that the other person will find it funny. Learn how to use commas and apostrophes appropriately. Use good grammar. Learn how to spell. Don't disregard the little things. You can't convey a grand idea with a crappy vocabulary or lousy syntax.
Also, read. Everything you can get your hands on. Read in a wide array of genres. So you like sci-fi and fantasy? Fine, but read other stuff, too. Read the classics. Read contemporary writers who challenge you in some way. Read fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama. Just read.
And work crossword puzzles. I'm serious. They're great for your vocabulary and your thinking skills. And people will be really impressed if you finish them. Especially if you do it in ink.
Also, read. Everything you can get your hands on. Read in a wide array of genres. So you like sci-fi and fantasy? Fine, but read other stuff, too. Read the classics. Read contemporary writers who challenge you in some way. Read fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama. Just read.
And work crossword puzzles. I'm serious. They're great for your vocabulary and your thinking skills. And people will be really impressed if you finish them. Especially if you do it in ink.
Robert S. Turner
I am amassing a collection of biblical passages that I call "game-changing" texts, by which I mean those passages that point away from conventional wisdom and theology into new and surprising revelations. I'm looking at writing brief exegeses of these texts, detailing the ways they serve as game-changers. I haven't started writing yet, but the ideas are marinating.
Robert S. Turner
I'm not currently preaching anywhere, but I have in the past, and the main "inspiration" I experienced was the deadline of 10:30 Sunday morning. I would have biblical texts to work with, so I didn't have to conjure something out of thin air, but I did have to sit my butt down and do the work.
Nowadays, most of what I write are nonfiction essays and the like. Now that I'm finished with the novel, that is. They usually take the form of my reflections on the news of the day from a progressive faith perspective. So I basically read and watch and listen to the news until I hear something that "grabs" me in some way—usually negatively—and I try to write something meaningful and at least marginally hopeful about it. The name of my blog, after all, where most of this stuff appears, is THE HOPEFUL CURMUDGEON.
Nowadays, most of what I write are nonfiction essays and the like. Now that I'm finished with the novel, that is. They usually take the form of my reflections on the news of the day from a progressive faith perspective. So I basically read and watch and listen to the news until I hear something that "grabs" me in some way—usually negatively—and I try to write something meaningful and at least marginally hopeful about it. The name of my blog, after all, where most of this stuff appears, is THE HOPEFUL CURMUDGEON.
Robert S. Turner
I was actually contemplating a different book. I have written a number of short stories, sermons, and dramatic monologues over the years from the first-person perspective of characters who encountered Jesus. I was thinking about gathering them into a collection and writing some more to fill out the page count. I started with Judas, and I thought a cool idea would be to imagine his suicide note. After I got started, I realized it wasn't going to work for my planned project. It was going to be too long. So I thought I was maybe writing a novella. But as I kept pursuing the story, it got longer and longer until I knew I had a full-fledged novel on my hands.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more