Podcast Episode 174: Take a Peek Inside the Writing Process of 21-Time Bestselling Author Jerry Jenkins

Feb 28, 2015 | Podcasts

In The Loop with Andy Andrews, hosted by David Loy

Click here to download the transcript of this episode.

On this week’s episode, we’re honored to have special guest Jerry Jenkins with us to share his proven writing process.

Give us a snapshot of your journey that got you into writing.

I played on a state championship little league team.
I was hurt my freshman year in high school playing football and decided to be a sports writer so I could stay close to the games.
We’re a bad example to great writers because we can’t identify the different parts of a sentence but composition was something that came so natural.

Did you go to college to write?

My first year of college was at Moody Bible Institute.
I wanted to go to journalism school, but by the time I was 19 I was a sports editor of a local paper and never did finish college.
I felt a call as a teenage to full time ministry. I thought I would have to give up my writing to full-time ministry. Someone counseled me and said, “God sometimes equips us before he calls us. Don’t assume you have to give up writing. It may be the vehicle that you use to fulfill your call.”
I looked for work in Christian journalism, and that really put me on the path that I am now.

Do you feel like writing is a discipline?

I see people year after year that say they’ll write a book when they have the time or feel inspired.
I keep a sign in my drawer that says, “The only way to write is with seat in chair.”
Sit in the chair, look at the screen and do something.
When I go to my writing cave, the work I do before noon is the best work I do. The first thing I do is a heavy edit of the work I did the day before. That catapults me into the writing I need to get done that day.
When I finish the book, I’ll go back and start from the beginning with a heavy edit.

I have a phrase I use almost every time I teach: “Writers are readers. Great writers are great readers.”

If you want to become a writer, Jerry’s blog is must-read material. He teaches writers the little-known secrets behind writing an amazing book and getting it published.

Click this link to see Jerry’s ultimate guide on how to become an author.

And to learn how to write a book, you can find his amazingly comprehensive guide here.

Questions for Listeners

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