Tag Archives: writing

A Thousand Pictures

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Jim Killam

   

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Says Who?

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Jim Killam

At the missions organization where I work, we’re moving toward using “says” rather than “said” most of the time for attribution in stories. The reason is part of our gradual change in voice. “Says” helps build drama. It helps build … Continue reading →

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Starry, Starry Night

Posted on March 17, 2015 by Jim Killam

I spent Monday and Tuesday visiting a friend and his wife at their mountain home above Taos, N.M. They live almost 9,000 feet above sea level, and one unexpected highlight was stepping outside about 10 p.m. The sky was clear. … Continue reading →

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A Writer’s Mission

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Jim Killam

Quick: What’s the goal in any story we write about ministry? Show readers what God is doing in a particular place? Further the mission of Bible translation? Further the Great Commission? Engage people? Inspire more prayer and funding for a … Continue reading →

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Creative fuel

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Jim Killam

Sometimes when I need a creative boost as a writer, I’ll get around people who are hyper-creative in other fields. Photographers, videographers, artists, musicians, designers, inventors, entrepreneurs. People who look at life differently and deeply … who see things that … Continue reading →

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Wonder in a Butterfly’s Wings

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Jim Killam

This is a blue morpho butterfly, native to Central and South America. My wife and I spent part of Saturday at Texas Discovery Gardens, next to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The gardens’ featured attraction is the two-story Butterfly House and … Continue reading →

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The Old Man and the App

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Jim Killam

Among the best self-editing tools I’ve ever seen is “Hemingway,” an app that helps you write like Ernest Hemingway. Well, sort of. The app — $6.99 at http://www.hemingwayapp.com — analyzes any piece of writing for simplicity. Short sentences. Plain language. … Continue reading →

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The stream and the banks

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Jim Killam

Historian and philosopher Will Durant liked to see the big picture. The history of the whole world, for instance. Between the 1930s and the 1970s, he and his wife, Ariel, wrote an 11-volume opus called “The Story of Civilization.” They … Continue reading →

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Elements of a good story

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Jim Killam

We’ve gained a few new audience members lately, so this might be a good time to run through some basics of how we do what we do at Crossfield News, and how anyone can better identify stories worth telling. Our mission: … Continue reading →

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These books go on the top shelf

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Jim Killam

During lunch conversation Tuesday at the Evangelical Press Association convention, I was asked, “Other than your own book, what are your favorite books on writing?” Here’s what came to mind, in no particular order. They aren’t all about writing. Some … Continue reading →

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