In this episode, Belinda Pollard, Donita Bundy and Alison Joy interview Buck Storm, the critically-acclaimed award-winning author of 8 literary Americana novels, who is also a songwriter and recording artist. Buck dives deep into the issues of engaging with biblical and cultural research, and writing from the heart about God’s extraordinary love.

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Episode summary:

• Buck’s process of starting with a blank page and seeing where the story takes him.
• How creating cadence in songwriting transfers across to cadence in fiction, especially in dialogue.
• Buck’s habit of reading his books aloud to a family member once the draft is complete, and how seeing their reaction to the story informs his further work on the manuscript.
• How Buck wrote and researched The Light, the story of a broken, powerless person in the 50 days between the Resurrection and Pentecost – and how the process differed to his more intellectual book The List which looked at Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea coming to faith through prophecy. Authenticity and the power of research, plus the reactions of readers to the characters.
• Working at avoiding using a Western lens to understand biblical background.
• The relevance of OT prophecy today, and the power of how Jesus united Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who were from opposing parties.
• Changing popular culture as a writer, one person at a time, by sharing your heart with them on the page.
• Not writing to “teach a theme” but just to tell a story and share the love of God. Not knowing the theme until the book is finished, or even until the reader tells you what it means to them.
• Writing on automatic pilot vs the times when God really digs deep into the writer. Taking time out when it gets too mechanical.
• Praying for our writing, and the practice of praying without ceasing.