A Salute to Gilbert Morris

Many of us know Gilbert Morris through his classic book, How to Write (And Sell) a Christian Novel (Servant Publications: 1994). It's probably the best-informed "how to" book about the Christian historical novel, because Rev. Morris has had more experience writing this type of book than anyone else who's ever lived.

He wrote his first novel when he was nearly 50 years old. Now 85, he writes an average of a novel a month. More than 130 of his novels have been published, selling more than 7 million copies.

Visit his website and see his interviews, where he shares his work habits (he dictates those novels, then edits transcripts) and the vision that motivates him to continue writing. Here's a link to his video page itself: http://www.gilbertmorris.com/about.htm

I'm currently reading Dr. Morris's turn-of-the-century novel, A Bright Tomorrow, and I'm struck by how fast the plot moves. Perhaps it's a reflection of the author's fast-paced writing method itself, but also an important reason why his stories are so popular. They read like the breathless Gospel of Mark, where the Lord goes "immediately" from one scene of ministry to another. So take a tip from a masterful Christian writer: Keep the story moving.

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Joe Allison and his wife, Judy, live in Anderson IN, where Joe serves as Editorial Director of Discipleship Resources & Curriculum for Warner Press, Inc. Joe has several nonfiction books in print, including Swords and Whetstones: A Guide to Christian Bible Study Resources. He's currently writing a trilogy of Christian historical novels set in the Great Depression.
 

Visit Joe's blog at http://southernmtns.wordpress.com