>On a recent trip to the libraray, I picked up some classics I'd like to read in the (probably) vain hope that I might find time next week. One of them was Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.Last evening I discovered that we had purchased a DVD of an old movie version out of a discount … Continue reading >Les Miserables

>This is the path where I walk most days. I won't be walking today because, according to the Doppler weather radar, storms will soon be in this area. And since I'll be away from my office most of next week, I have a lot of work that needs to be done today.

>When I was considering and praying about blogging, the name "Ascribelog" came to me. Some of the primary reasons for choosing it: connotation, double-meaning, and sound.The main reason I liked the name was because I felt that the word "ascribe" properly puts the focus on giving God glory. But I also liked the double-meaning of … Continue reading >Why Ascribelog?

>This morning I was thinking about my small corner in the Christian writing mansion. Many people do so much more than I do, and do it so much better. But I still have to try to keep my feeble candle lit, even though it often sputters and threatens to go out.The "small corner" analogy got … Continue reading >My Small Corner

>If only every hour could be the first hour of the day! Or if I could at least work for eight or ten hours at the same pace I am able to work during the first few.The trouble is that I have so many things I want to accomplish first thing in the morning, but … Continue reading >Mornings

>Another discussion of the Faith in Fiction board deals with "safe" fiction.I'm of the opinion that Christians can write "safe" fiction, but they ought not feel obligated to avoid certain words or situations--if those words or situations are necessary for effectively telling the story. They need to tell the story truly and for God's glory.I … Continue reading >"Safe" fiction

>Can all good fiction be defined as Christian? That's the discussion on the Faith in Fiction discussion board today.I prefer not to compartmentalize fiction into Christian and non-Christian categories. I would rather think in terms of the worldview reflected by the author.I'm of the opinion that there's a difference between good and excellent fiction. Good … Continue reading >Excellence

>Yesterday I received a gift. While I was showering, I had an idea for a short story. I got dressed and--since my computer was already turned off--I grabbed a notebook, sat down with wet hair, and wrote over 900 words of a short story.Once in a while, some poetry or a story idea will come … Continue reading >The Gift

>This morning I've been working on a poem called "Fine Line" that's about the delicate balance between genious and insanity. It seems to be a fine line that many writers have crossed, if the high incidence of suicide among highly creative types is any indication (Hemingway, London, Plath, and a host of others).The instructor for … Continue reading >Fine Line

>Latin is a language of great economy. Strunk and White probably loved it; it omits unnecessary words. It not only dispenses with articles, but it also avoids all kinds of conjunctions. Its participles exemplify its terseness. A two-word Latin participle is often best translated as a new clause containing several words. Dale Grote calls it … Continue reading >Latin