For many years I wrote about fiction, story, belief, ordinary life, and the questions that shaped my work. More than two thousand essays remain here—not because every one represents my current thinking, but because together they tell the story of a writer learning over time.
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The archive begins with the most recent writing. Use the numbered pages below to move backward through time.
The Nature of the Fun: David Foster Wallace on Why Writers Write
Here’s the link to this article. “Fiction becomes a weird way to countenance yourself and to tell the truth instead of being a way to escape yourself or…
Here’s the link to this article by Merle Hertzler. Years ago, people began to study the rocks. They noticed something they did not expect. They found fossils in…
Your character wakes up in the middle of the night. As she resettles in bed to return to sleep, something moves in the shadows. Write the scene, focusing…
“Scientist argues that both science and faith play a role.” Part I. Here’s the link. “Do science and faith share curiosity and a comprehensible Nature?” Part II. Here’s…
Drafting–Colton & Sandy dispose of Mildred, and make key discovery
Colton, Sandy, and Mildred had spent all of Sunday and most of Monday at O’Hare International Airport, nestled inside Parking Lot C along with hundreds of other vehicles.…
You Have No Right To Question Why You Suffer. What???
Here’s the link to this article by Bart Ehrman. March 18, 2023 We come now to the conclusion of the dialogues of Job. His friends have stridently insisted…
Here’s the link to this article by Merle Hertzler. Last night some very special packages arrived at your house. They had made a long journey. They had been…
Richard L. Fricks 