Why I Write What I Write

After introducing myself in the first blog, I think there’s another bit of “housing keeping” to do.  I mentioned my degree; a BA in Biblical studies.  Yes, I am a Christian, and have served as a youth pastor, and then as a bi-vocational pastor (meaning I worked a regular job, and pastored at the same time) for several years.

I write as an author who is a Christian, not as a Christian author.  “There’s a difference?” one might ask.  There is a difference in my mind in what I’m attempting to do.  The prime audience for a Christian author is other Christians.  There are certainly several good reasons to provide literature to that audience.  My purpose/my goal, is to not limit myself to Christian readers only. I want to engage those outside that circle.

While it’s impossible to separate what I believe from what I write; that would make me a hypocrite (and I have more than enough issues in trying to live up to what I believe, thanks), I think I can learn to connect with those who don’t hold to the same belief system. It’s harder to try to meaningfully communicate with those who hold to other or no belief systems; it also could be more rewarding.  Moving out of my comfort zone is difficult, but why not?

We all know joy, and sorrow.  We laugh and cry.  All of us suffer setbacks, and loss. Most of us love a beautiful sunset and a refreshing breeze.  We generally have some things we look forward to, and things we dread or even fear.  I plan to take those things which we have in common, and use them as a place for discussion, a way to relate to one another.

When I first started writing Ten Days, I had planned on ending the book without any sense of hope. It’s a very dark and harsh storyline.  I found I couldn’t leave it as I originally planned. [More will come about my thought process on this in future blogs.]  My faith demanded at least a thin strand of light in the darkness.

I want to write stories that speak about the real world around us, without any sugarcoating.  They will be tough stories to read, but I want them to ring true. My faith lives in a rough world, it doesn’t always end with “and they lived happily ever after”.

If you’ve read Ten Days and felt it was a painful, emotional ride, hang in there with me.  The future sequels will continue the roller coaster ride, but the story has what I think you’ll find to be a satisfying, if not perfect, ending.

Welcome to The End of Sheppard’s Block

I’m new to the whole “blog thing”, so please bear with me as I work through some of the basics.

Let me start with a bit about myself.  I developed an interest in writing later in life than many. It wasn’t until after I turned 60 that I gave any thought to writing.  During my childhood and teenage years, I grew-up reading and enjoying the works of authors; E.G. Poe, Jack London, Leo Tolstoy, and John Hersey. Currently, I am an engineer for a major Japanese automobile company.  I have a BA in Biblical studies. When I write, I prefer to mix history and suspense.  Ten Days is my first book, and I’m working on the sequel; Seeds of the Bitter Harvest. My thinking is to make them part of a series I call the Fallen Capital Series.

The title for this blog, The End of Sheppard’s Block, draws on two basic broad concepts or goals I have for writing a blog in the first place.

All kinds of “blocks” come to mind.  There are cinder blocks used for building, or the wooden children’s blocks. Remember them; the wooden ones, with letters on them?  Some might think of “block heads”. I’ve been accused of and been proven to be one on several occasions.

The two blocks I have in mind for this blog are:

·   The very popular nemesis of all writers; Writer’s Block.  Often is when a writer can’t think of the right word(s) to use.  Sometimes, it’s a struggle with where to take the scene, or how to finish a chapter.  I’ll share some of my experiences working through the block.

· Then there’s a block, like the one where I/you live; the neighborhood where we grew-up. A place to belong.

As a kid, I felt safe “on my block”, I knew my neighbors.  It was a friendly place. I want this blog to be a welcoming place.  My friendships span a wide berth of ages, backgrounds, beliefs, and ethnic groups. I want all to feel accepted here.

It isn’t that there won’t be disagreements; that there isn’t a place for strong points of view.  I have very strong opinions on all kinds of topics. It’s how those differences are approached.  How can we hear what someone else is saying if we’re yelling at each other all the time?

So, as I said earlier; welcome to the End of Sheppard’s Block.  I hope you’ll come back and visit again.