Jerry Jenkins' Writing for the Soul

Jerry Jenkins is the guru of inspirational writing. Jenkins is best known as the co-author of the Left Behind series, but he's in fact written over 150 books. He's been on several bestseller lists - for significant periods of time. His articles have appeared in Time, Reader's Digest, and Parade along with dozens of other magazines. And, yes, he's made millions!

His latest book, Writing for the Soul, is part autobiography, part advice book. The book is structured with a balance of exposition, Q&A, and anecdotal asides - often from others. While it seems cobbled together and, at times, disjointed, it nevertheless does pack in some decent wisdom. Here is a sampling of that wisdom:

Write Your Passion

In the first chapter, Jenkins starts off with the advice known to most aspiring authors: Write what you know. "What's your passion? Your strength? What field do you really know? Write about it. Fashion a short story, write a poem, interview a leader in the field, or work on a novel. Put yourself and your interests into it." According to Jenkins, it's hard to write, but even harder to be recognized as a writer. If you aren't passionate about your writing, it will become "drudgery." Work with your passion. Not against it.

Maintain Your Priorities

Early on, Jenkins counsels aspiring writers to keep their priorities in order - especially their home life. He recounts how he set a schedule for his writing - one that respected his family. And he stuck to it. Self-discipline and time management were the keys to his success in balancing his work obligations, writing dreams, and his home life.

Know Why You Write