Writing for the Soul

Writing for the Soul: Instruction and Advice From an Extraordinary Writing Life
By Jerry B. Jenkins
ISBN 1-58297-417-9
Available now!

Reviews

Writing Instruction From the Acclaimed Author of the Left Behind Series

From learning the fundamental lessons of the writing world, to breaking in with small (even non-paying) markets, best-selling author Jerry B. Jenkins walks readers through the skills and abilities required to build a writing careers. Filled with autobiographical tidbits and lessons on the writing life, Writing for the Soul will empower and entertain writers and readers everywhere.

Max Lucado says:
“Few can write about writing like Jerry Jenkins. Even fewer can do better urging us to write for the soul. He has done so for decades. Any person interested in the high privilege of writing for the soul will delight in and profit from reading this valued work.”

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1. Early Breaks
Chapter 2. Change of Course / My Family Policy
Chapter 3. Why Write?
Chapter 4. Keeping Your Soul Intact
Chapter 5. What to Write
Chapter 6. Equipping Your Writing Space
Chapter 7. Writers Are Readers
Chapter 8. Realism Through Research
Chapter 9. Pace, Conflict, and Plot
Chapter 10. Your Own Little World of Characters
Chapter 11. Your Perspective Party
Chapter 12. Thickening the Stew / Advice for Thick-Skinned Writers
Chapter 13. Pursuing Publication
Afterword: Keeping the Goal in Sight

Anecdotes

Walter Payton
Billy Graham
B.J. Thomas
Meadowlark Lemon
Brett Butler
Mike Singletary and Joe Gibbs
Orel Hershiser and Nolan Ryan
Madeline Manning
Paul Anderson

About the Author

Though much of Jerry Jenkins’s life has been spent writing, editing, and publishing in the inspirational market, you don’t have to be a person of faith to benefit from this book. Jenkins has enjoyed an unusually diverse career over three-plus decades, even before penning the mega-bestselling Left Behind series of novels — of which seven in a row reached number one on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly.

His writing has appeared in Time, Reader’s Digest, Writer’s Digest, Parade, the in-flight magazines of both American Airlines and United Airlines, and dozens of other publications. He was featured on the cover of Newsweek magazine in May 2004, when the Left Behind series reached sixty-two million in sales.

Readers familiar only with his Left Behind novels may not realize that Jenkins is the author of more than 155 published books and that his career has also included stints as a sportswriter, photographer, sports editor, magazine editor, magazine publisher, book editor, book publisher, biographer, marriage and family author, syndicated cartoon strip writer (Gil Thorp, 1996-2004), and graduate school writing instructor (Wheaton College, Daystar University, Moody Bible Institute).

Jerry’s biographies have included books about Hank Aaron, Walter Payton, Meadowlark Lemon, B.J. Thomas, Orel Hershiser, Nolan Ryan, Mike Singletary, Joe Gibbs, Billy Graham, Bill Gaither, and many others.

Jerry owns the Christian Writers Guild (www.ChristianWritersGuild.com), which partners mentors with writing students via e-mail courses designed for writers aged eight and up to adult, and Jenkins Entertainment (www.Jenkins-Entertainment.com), a Los Angeles-based filmmaking company.

Jenkins has been awarded two honorary doctorates: in humane letters from Bethel College, and in letters from Trinity International University.

Dr. Jenkins and his wife Dianna have three grown sons and three grandchildren, and reside in Colorado. You can find him online at www.jerryjenkins.com