Anthony Trendl's Blog

I published a new book. It officially releases July 2. You can (and please do) pre-order the Kindle version now.

The Book of Endorsements: A Ridiculously Short Spiritual Satire Featuring 50+ Glowing Reviews

Be holy. That is the entire book.

The rest contains more than 50 endorsements from historical figures, theologians, fictional celebrities, and even a talking dog. They offer praise for something they have not read and may not understand.

Book of Endorsements is a literary experiment in brevity, a spiritual satire, and a commentary on our fascination with blurbs, branding, and borrowed authority.

Inside, you will find a two-word command packed with eternal meaning, surrounded by humor, wisdom, and absurdity. Through fictional forewords, ironic footnotes, and a flood of fake praise, author Anthony Trendl encourages readers to reflect on one uncomfortable truth: maybe holiness does not need all the hype.

This book is perfect for readers who enjoy C. S. Lewis, Douglas Adams, or The Babylon Bee. It will make you laugh, think, and possibly squirm. It is short. It is strange. It is serious, in its own way.

The post New Book: The Book of Endorsements appeared first on Speechwriter | Author | Public Speaker | Anthony Trendl.

I’m writing up a storm. And editing. And submitting. Without submissions, there is no publishing.

In the last month I’ve been submitting my work. With editors right now are two novellas, two picture books, and eight short stories. If they get rejected, I’m going to submit them somewhere else as quickly as I can.

I’m not done yet. I’m doing final edits on a number of other short stories and I’m excited to get them out into the wild, as they say.

For one of the picture books — a series. One id a standalone, but the other is adaptable (I have two others in the series in motion). I want excellent illustrations. 

For the two novellas — movie deals. Seriously. They need to be novellas first. They need to be read by people who love to read.

For the short stories — a hungry audience. A couple could be converted into books with pictures. Most are literary. Lots of layers, symbols, good ideas. A few get into difficult questions, though a few are lighter. One is a modern fable.

Over 30 stories are out there. Two collections. Modern tall tales and Gothic tragedy. A bunch of devotional material with a couple of publishers, parts of larger collections marketed for runners and for lovers of classic literature. A bunch of poetry — for many years, a magazine commissioned me about twice a year to write a poem. 

Waiting. Lots of weighting. The earliest I’m expecting a response is early July. It could go as late as this fall.

More submissions. A lot more submissions. I’m not writing so quickly so much as I am editing existing work. I hope to submit another 10 pieces by the end of June.

So much depends on my day job writing speeches. The summer tends to be a quieter time, but this is an industry that doesn’t really care what I think it’s tendencies are. A client might call with a big project or several projects with a tight deadline leaving me to completely focus on getting it done. For example for one particular client, I had to write 30 speeches in the span of three weeks. That meant 16+ hour days and more coffee than Juan Valdez has ever seen.

“Is this Mr. Anthony Trendl? Yes? Great. Listen, one of our interns, the one who reads the slush pile, grabbed your story from the app and downloaded it. Anyway, they just glanced at it before filing it for later review—that’s our normal procedure. They read the first two paragraphs and couldn’t stop. Now, normally it goes through two or three more people, but this intern came straight to my office and told me I had to read your piece, ‘—–.’ I did, and wow. Now, this is unusual, and in any other situation, we would jump on this, but, well, I gave a call to my old college roommate who now works at Random House.”

“Random House?”

“Right, right. I told him the gist of the story, and he asked me to send it to him. I did, and while we were both on the phone, we read it together, each taking a character or two. I hope… I hope you don’t mind. So here’s the thing: our magazine is too small for you. I mean, we’re flattered. Don’t get me wrong.”

“You’re rejecting my story?” I said, arriving at my usual disappointed place.

“Yes, no, sort of. My friend at Random House, he wants to talk with you.”

“Um,” I’d say, “Yeah. Wow. When’s he going to call?”

“No. You don’t understand. He wants to meet you in California.”

Replying once again, still confused, I’d say, “I don’t get it. They’re in New York.”

“They are, but Jim Morris is in Emeryville,” [the magazine’s] editor will explain.

“Who? Where?”

“CEO of Pixar. Near San Francisco.”

At this point, I’m pacing the room nervously, trying to be cool.

“Uh,” I would say that out loud but also quietly to myself. I don’t exactly have the funds to talk with anybody about a story. Not in California. I don’t expect to make more than a few hundred dollars if everything goes well.

“Let me explain. California. My buddy at Random House thinks this would be a great opportunity for Pixar to work with them. My buddy makes this into a book, he knows a great artist, and Pixar, well, they’ve been looking for some standalone scripts.”

“Yeah, but I… ” I began, but he didn’t let me finish.

“As I mentioned, my buddy’s going to call you. You’re not obligated to anything, but they’re going to fly you out and put you up in a great hotel. They don’t want to get into a whole bidding war. They want to make this happen. They also want to hear about your other submissions.”

“They’re going to… ” I stumbled once again. 

“Probably the Fairmont San Francisco. Really nice.”

“I… Now, see… ” I stumbled through words looking not nearly as intelligent as I pretend to be.

“Look, I know you weren’t expecting this. Your story’s got the gravitas of Bambi, the sweetness of Peter Rabbit, with the depth of The Lion King—the original, not the weird new one.”

I’d sit there, just as I’ve been sitting for the last nine years in my basement, trying to compose myself, trying to figure out if I had some bad pizza because the hallucinations were going someplace surreal.

“His people will call you tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I’m going to put you in touch with Jo’s agent.”

“Joe?”

“Jo. Joanne. Joanne Rowling. J.K. Rowling.”

Somewhere around this point, I would be in a pile of weird emotions and probably starting to count my chickens before they hatch… only to learn later the chickens weren’t involved, but a golden goose. Then, I could get the fence fixed, maybe the windows replaced.

That’s what I wish would happen. Hence, all of the submissions.

The snail, a little friend I found working its way across my porch, is on a mission even though it might take a while. All of my submissions will receive a response but likewise, it might take a while.

The post 12 & Counting: Submissions appeared first on Speechwriter | Author | Public Speaker | Anthony Trendl.

A speechwriter walks into a bar… have you heard that one? A speechwriter joke?

That’s right, a speechwriter walks into a bar. That’s not a joke. That’s the whole thing. There’s no punch line. It’s a common fact. You could swap out “speechwriter” for almost any profession.

Stress drinking is not a good call. There are better ways to manage stress.

I was up till 3:00 a.m. working, and then I’m back at it this morning writing a number of projects. Did a coaching session yesterday. Lots of editing. A couple of client calls.

Yesterday, I probably wrote 5,000 words. It’s not the most I’ve ever done, but including the other responsibilities, it was a busy day.

Today is like that. A couple of client calls. Conversations about three different keynote addresses.

All of my colleagues are doing more or less the same kind of work. Depending on their clientele, they may have a blitz job that’s due tomorrow with a complex client situation. That ebb and flow is part of the job.

Maybe your job is just like that.

So I took a quick break. I’ve got research to do, a proposal to write, and a book to write.

Do you remember what Count Rogan said to Prince Humperdinck? Bonus points if you know the context.

“Get some rest. If you haven’t got your health, then you haven’t got anything.”

Rest will have to wait a little while, so instead I’m having a half carafe of coffee.

Contact me.

The post Speechwriter Joke appeared first on Speechwriter | Author | Public Speaker | Anthony Trendl.

Most of my writing looks like this. I spend a lot of time thinking, and whether I’m writing a speech, a short story, or a poem, I have a strong sense of how it will go before I hit the keyboard.

I could be in my studio, or here, you see me here, in my library. I’m comfortable, relaxed in all ways, and focused. In this case, it was late at night, and the world was asleep. I was working on a wedding speech that I mentioned in an earlier post.

It doesn’t always look like this. Sometimes, I go for a walk. Or, I turn on some music and sing along. It doesn’t look like I’m thinking about writing, but I am most of the time.

Let’s think about how to write before we write.

One of the things I’m doing is outlining. No matter what sort of writing it is, structure is everything. You can’t take someone from A to Z without having a sense of where A and Z are. And what about those letters B through Y? How do they fit into what I’m writing?

So much of writing is about process. Whether a writer can articulate their process or not, they have one. Successful writers are focused and pay attention to the details.

At every step of the way, there is problem solving. What should the general feeling be? What needs to be said? What can be left out? In the case of a wedding speech, which stories need to be fleshed out? Who needs to be mentioned? In the case of fiction, will the story be plot-driven or character-driven, or something else? Is there a single protagonist or a group? What kind of symbolism is involved? Poems are similar in that way, but special attention needs to be paid to the form. Should it be a sonnet? A villanelle? A limerick?

Other challenges arise, particularly in fiction. If I’m writing a story that starts in a cafe, what kind of cafe? Part of a chain with a corporate feel? One of those hipster places where the baristas have grungy beards using beard oil? Would it be better at a tea house? In a big city or a small town? How populated is the cafe at the moment of a particular scene? Who are the non-playing characters, so to speak? What demographic? Are there other incidental scenes you want to describe, like a barista grinding espresso or a customer spilling her drink?

If I were writing Superman, do I need to explain the physics of why he can fly and do the other extraordinary things? If I were writing Iron Man, do I need to explain how he’s able to build so many suits so fast? Batman has a similar problem: how is he able to build so many gadgets all by himself? As you can imagine, questions get more complex than this.

That’s why prewriting planning is important. Other questions will come up as you write, but this will save you a lot of anxiety and rewriting. So, come on, let’s think.

Contact me.

The post Let’s Think appeared first on Speechwriter | Author | Public Speaker | Anthony Trendl.

This weekend, a client of mine retired from the US Air Force. I wrote her speech and trained her to deliver it.

You don’t know her name, and she wasn’t involved in any famous initiatives. Not directly. She worked behind the scenes supporting those who support those who support those who are on the frontline. Or something like that.

Still, she served our country. What she did helped those who are on the frontline do their job better.

She told me that as she met people in the receiving line at the end of the ceremony, their eyes were filled with tears. I too welled up as I considered what she was about to say and the life she lived to earn the right to say it. On the surface, her story wasn’t extraordinary. Her parents loved her and supported her throughout. Her husband and daughter worked hard to let her thrive, and then warmly loved her when she came home from work. Deeper down, her story is wonderful: it was built on a love of country, a love of service, and a love of humanity.

I wish I could tell you her name, but she’s not on Linkedin. She doesn’t have a website. Personal branding isn’t her bag. It’s not about her, she knows and embraces. It’s bigger than her, she told me. She knew as she retired, she was leaving a lot behind.

I was proud to write this speech and help her learn to deliver it. This one wasn’t just a job. It was an honor.

Contact me.

The post A Life in the Air Force appeared first on Speechwriter | Author | Public Speaker | Anthony Trendl.

Reviewing a biblical commentary is difficult. The necessary brevity is in direct competition with the theological depth of the book and the book it’s commentating.

In this case it is The Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentary (Volume 1, Introduction: Christ and the Psalms). There are four volumes, and this is just the first.

It says immediately in the preface regarding the author’s convictions, “The Psalms are essential to the life of the Christian church and that Christ is central to the Psalms.” That’s consistent with the title, as well as the general perspective of Crossway, the publisher. This is important as it undergirds the following 400+ pages.

Unlike many commentaries, this can be read like an ordinary book as opposed to a reference book. That’s partly because this is an introduction. The other three volumes examine the Psalms in order, with roughly 50 per book. Here, however, Christopher Ash argues his case, helping Christians and others understand the direct relationship between the Psalms and Jesus.

Christopher Ash writes intelligently, but it reads comfortably. It’s accessible by non-theologian thinking readers. It’s well-cited, drawing from classic and modern sources alike.

It’s by no means a quick read, and it will help you to have your Bible handy as well as the internet. You’re going to chase a few rabbits along the way, but they are good rabbits helping you understand the larger part of this book. You might, for example, do as I did and wonder about Clement of Alexandria, or want to get a little deeper into Charles Spurgeon. Ash explains enough to whet your appetite, but you’re going to explore beyond this book as well.

It’s divided into three parts:
“Christ and the Psalms”
“Doctrine and the Psalms”
“Christian History and the Psalms”

If you are doing a sermon series about Psalms or want to do a rich study on your own, this is the book to start. I would get a print version, which I have, as opposed to an ebook for this particular book.

So far, it’s the best book I’ve read all year.

Note: While this review is 100% my view, I do get a small cut of this and any purchase you make when you click through to Amazon. Thank you!

The post The Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentary Review appeared first on Speechwriter | Author | Public Speaker | Anthony Trendl.

I’m thrilled to be a featured author at the Lilburn (Georgia) Branch of Gwinnett Public Library on November 2! Come by for Local Author Day and discover new books, meet fellow authors, and connect with the community.

FREE!

I’ll be joining over 25 area authors to present my books, meet readers, and discuss great ideas (hint: I love talking about literature and wildlife). Buy a book, get it signed, and make my day.

Join us to celebrate Local Author Day on Saturday, November 2, from 11 am to 2 pm.

Lilburn Branch
4817 Church St NW
Lilburn, GA 30047

I would love to talk books at your event or school. I perform the stories, talk about the related literary genres and about writing technique. Highly energetic and positive. Contact me.

The post Author Day appeared first on Speechwriter | Author | Public Speaker | Anthony Trendl.

By now, most of you know about the Apalachee High School shooting in Winder, Georgia. If not, you can quickly catch up.

I posted about this on LinkedIn, connecting it to my professional world. I’m going refer to my original post somewhat.

The Apalachee High School shooting left two teachers and two students dead, and nine other people were sent to the hospital. The alleged shooter, Colt Gray, a 14 year old student from the high school has been captured and charged with murder, among other things.

Although he will be charged as an adult, he is not eligible for the death penalty. Georgia is an execution-friendly state, but 18 is my state’s minimum age limit for strapping someone down and poisoning them to death.

If found guilty, Colt will spend the rest of his life in prison.

His father, Colin Gray, who, according to the BBC, is facing four charges of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder and eight of cruelty to children. This seems to revolve around Colin giving Colt access to guns. He also faces life in prison. The particularly legalities about this I don’t know, but I applaud that he is being held accountable for his son’s alledged crimes.

Regarding such things one of the things to reasonably debate is whether or not apparent should face the precise charges of the child in certain circumstances. I don’t know the answer to that, but I think it’s an important question regarding parental responsibility.

Marcee Gray, the mother of Colt and ex-wife of Colin, has had plenty of her own legal issues, but, in this case, tried to warn the school. She was too late.

That’s the gist.

Normally, I don’t pay lots of attention to these kinds of things nationally. The last school shooting I paid close attention to was Columbine. This is intentional. I’m aware of them and I’m disturbed by them, but I don’t have any connection to them.

My choosing not to focus on it is not about ambivalence. Far from it. I taught for many years in a county jail, and worked with local gangs, toured quite a few prisons, and did some consulting on related issues. I have known people who have killed, and others, sadly, who would later be killed. I’ve also known inmates whose children would follow them into crime and incarceration. 

Thankfully, I’ve also known success stories. The inmate does his time, and becomes an ex-offender upon release. He goes on to build a good and healthy life, giving back to the community he once injured.

This is something close to my heart, but the reality is, I can’t focus on everything.

Why then this case?

Does this relate to me? Directly, no. However, I live about 40 or 45 minutes from the high school. I’ve been there for an event. It’s an architecturally bland building set on a beautiful campus. I’ve driven through the area a number of times, but I can’t say I’m familiar with Winder.

People in my outer circle work there. No one I know personally, so I’m not in a position to give somebody a call. I’d like to think they have enough people in their immediate circle, people they know well, who will do exactly that.

Is that enough to feel connected to this crime, this tragedy?

It’s part of many conversations here. My church in both the main sermon and in the Sunday school time talked about this.

The situation has been politicized. Both Harris former President Trump and Vice President jumped on this quickly to make this about them. Trump called Colt Gray a “monster,” attempting to dehumanize this disturbed boy. Harris gave lip-service to this as well, “mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short by gun violence.” She also gave no humanity to either the victims or the shooter, and quickly added an innocuous campaign plug. Their respective running mates. JD Vance and Tim Walz said equally unimportant things, presumably wanting to avoid upstaging their boss’ lack of leadership. Vance considers school shootings just a fact of life. Walz talked about guns instead of people. Read their comments.

The names of the murder victims, those people Harris, Trump, Vance, and Walz ignored:

Nine other people were admitted to the hospital (one teacher and eight students). Most of their names aren’t readily available, presumably for privacy reasons. One, a teacher, is identified as David Phenix. All of the nine are expected to survive. 

Read more about all of them.

This is the time to care for neighbors, friends, and above all, the victims, with love, grace, and kindness. Make this tragedy about anything else and the shooter has won. Focus right now on the humans impacted directly.

The time will come to discuss the big issues regarding safety, guns, and schools.

For now: those who pray should pray. And they, and everyone else, reach out to the neighbor across the yard. Have dinner. A good chat. Return the power tools your borrowed. Ask about their kids and talk about yours. Smile compassionately when you do.

Stay away from arguing that solves nothing. It only hurts the families either mourning the dead or concerned about the injured.

Whatever you believe about the issues, soon … Hard discussions are ahead. Necessary discussions. Cool heads, not inflammatory defenses and attacks, need to reign.

Love your neighbor. Not tomorrow. Today.

In the meanwhile, to our potential next president: are you willing to use the death of four human beings and the wounds of an entire community as a campaign opportunity? How much money can you raise from Colt Gray’s bullets? No one believes any of you care.

The post Apalachee High School Shooting appeared first on Speechwriter | Author | Public Speaker | Anthony Trendl.

Three years ago, in 2021, I saw a couple of spiders on my deck. I had only been in Georgia 5 years, and was still discovering how different the wildlife is from my life in the Chicago area. Always fascinated by insects and spiders, I looked it up, and it led me to learning that it was a Joro Spider.

It’s an immigrant from Japan, as far as researchers can tell, having hitchhiked on a shipping container. It Found this area hospitable, and has been extending its range ever since. Researchers are still trying to ascertain the limits of that range, but so far, its moved from the northern Atlanta metro area to the adjacent states.

I took some pictures, started a fan website, and found that there was a lot of interest. I learned more and gained some expertise, and I also learned that there was a lot of misinformation going on out there as well. So my fan website has been converted to an informational one.

I added other social media, like Instagram and Facebook, hoping to reduce the fear and highlight the beauty in the midst of education.

To my surprise, the photos I shared quickly gained traction. Major media outlets took notice, and before I knew it, my images were being featured across the internet. I’ve been fortunate to have my work showcased by the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, USA Today, and many others. These opportunities have not only expanded my reach but also connected me with a global community of nature enthusiasts, photographers, and fellow creatives.

As my passion for the Joro spider deepened, I felt compelled to create something tangible—something that could bring the same sense of wonder and joy to others. That’s how “The Joro Spider Journal: The Blue Book” came to life. This book is more than just a collection of photographs; it’s a celebration of nature’s beauty and the creative spirit. Within its pages, you’ll find 50 carefully curated photos of the Joro spider, each paired with a quote meant to inspire and uplift. It’s designed for those who love nature, journaling, or simply appreciating the small, intricate wonders of the world around us.

When you purchase “The Joro Spider Journal,” you’re not just buying a book—you’re joining me on this journey. You’re helping to spread the joy of creation, and supporting my ongoing work as I continue to explore and document the world of the Joro spider.

I’m incredibly grateful for the past three years and for everyone who has supported this project along the way. From the early followers on Instagram to the readers who’ve embraced the book, each of you has played a part in making this journey possible. As I look to the future, I’m excited to see where this path leads next.

Thank you for being a part of this adventure. Here’s to many more years of curiosity, creativity, and connection.

The post Three Years appeared first on Speechwriter | Author | Public Speaker | Anthony Trendl.

Writing, particularly fiction, for me is a wonderful experience. I’ve created a world, characters, a plot, and everything else. Sure, I’m drawing from the greater pool of the known universe. Everything out there already exists, so all I’m doing is combining a few things. All invention is like this, including storytelling.

As such, joyful writing comes often for me. I recognize others have difficulties with this, and I understand some of the hurdles others face. It’s probably not too dissimilar to the hurdles I face doing higher mathematics. Actually come out I don’t understand it at all. Why doesn’t everyone find writing as delicious as I do? It’s not a question easily answered.

Several days ago, I began work on a new novella. I didn’t know that’s what I was doing at the time. All I thought I was doing was playing with an idea.

I’m having a blast. It started with a little phrase, and it seemed intriguing so I explored it further. It was about a particular sort of people, and I wondered what those people are like. One thing led to another and I’m around 20,000 words into it. I think it’ll finish in the 25 to 30,000 word range. That’s a short to mid-length novella.

It’s over the top, with ridiculous characters. It is set in a small town, that kind of town Currier and Ives and Norman Rockwell never visited. Andy Griffith never lived there and Garrison Keillor would be hard-pressed to find anyone he recognized.

I’ve been learning about the challenges of an isolated small town, pig hunting, hard candy, horses, and dunk tanks. 

It’s a conversational style narrative. Warm, funny, with a dose of preposterous nostalgia.

I hope other people like it as much as I do. I’m laughing as I think about each of the characters. I know they are my own creations, but I’m excited to go on their adventures as much as I think they are.

If silly tales are your bag, I’ve collected a bunch of them in The Raging Giant Blue Goldfish: 22 Short Stories. The novella isn’t finished — more to write and then to edit. Take a look at that in the meanwhile. Plenty of joyful writing to be found.

The post Joyful Writing appeared first on Speechwriter | Author | Public Speaker | Anthony Trendl.