Author Archives: jrcoggins

About jrcoggins

James R. Coggins is a professional writer and editor based in British Columbia, Canada. He wrote his first novel in high school, but, fortunately for his later reputation as a writer, it was never published. He briefly served as a Christian magazine editor (for just over 20 years). He has written everything from scholarly and encyclopedia articles to jokes in Reader’s Digest (the jokes paid better). His six and a half published books include four John Smyth murder mysteries and one other, stand-alone novel. In his spare time, he operates Mill Lake Books, a small publishing imprint. His website is www.coggins.ca

Last Words by James R. Coggins

Posted on October 21, 2020 by jrcoggins

Good writers work very hard to craft interest-grabbing opening sentences to their books. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” Charles Dickens wrote as the opening for A Tale of Two Cities. I think it … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens, closing sentence, Dark Corners, One Across Two Down, opening sentence, psychopaths, Ruth Rendell | Leave a comment

A Manifesto for Christian Writers

Posted on October 7, 2020 by jrcoggins

I have sometimes considered Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 to be “a manifesto for Christian writers.” Verses 9-11 (from the New International Version) describe what a writer should do: • “The Teacher [was] wise.” This is the first qualification of a writer. It … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged calling, Christian writers, editing, truth, Wisdom, writing | Leave a comment

Aspirations

Posted on September 23, 2020 by jrcoggins

Today, instead of more words from me, I offer for your consideration a simple image and a short quotation from a great writer. “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?” – Robert Browning

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged goals, Heaven, Robert Browning | Leave a comment

Human Work

Posted on September 9, 2020 by jrcoggins

Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 is a passage about human work, human responsibility, and God’s providence. From the creation of Adam, the first man, God commanded human beings to work. Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 offers advice on how to go about this. Following are the … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged planting, productivity, Proverbs, ships, work, Worry | 2 Comments

Mysteries by James R. Coggins

Posted on August 26, 2020 by jrcoggins

Having read hundreds of murder mysteries, good, mediocre, and terrible, (and even having scribbled a few myself), I’ve come to a startling conclusion: People read murder mysteries for the mystery. It’s the mental puzzle that attracts. Readers want to see … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged editors, murder mysteries, whodunit | Leave a comment

Weeds

Posted on August 12, 2020 by jrcoggins

A Conversation Hello, pastor. Thanks for stopping by. Pastors don’t seem to visit much anymore. Guess they’re off doing something more important. I hope you don’t mind if I keep on weeding while we talk. I find if I don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged pastor, plants, sermon illustrations, Weeding | Leave a comment

Buy Essay and Get Time for Pleasures of Life

Posted on July 29, 2020 by jrcoggins

Recently, I received a bevy of emails on a new topic. Since my email address is on my website, I receive quite a few unsolicited emails. Apparently my address is harvested by robots and sold to marketing companies, many of … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged bitcoin, essay writing service, spam, thank you, Writer | 1 Comment

Plotters and Pantsers

Posted on July 15, 2020 by jrcoggins

A Christian novelists group I belong to recently had a discussion about how to write a novel—which essentially boiled down to a debate between plotters and pantsers. Plotters outline the full book before starting to write. Pantsers write “by the … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged murder mystery, novel, novelist, plot, writing | Leave a comment

Keeping Busy during COVID-19 by James R. Coggins

Posted on July 1, 2020 by jrcoggins

The lockdown due to COVID-19 has given me a wonderful opportunity to slow down and pay more attention to the world around me. Here is what I have observed. 1. It has rained the last seven weekends and ten of … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Covid-19, haircut, libraries, rain, weekends | 4 Comments

After The Plague

Posted on June 17, 2020 by jrcoggins

Cataclysmic historical events are often followed by massive social changes. The effects of such events are complex, varied, and unpredictable. As well, these effects interact with the effects of a host of other events and developments, so that the direct … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Armageddon, Black Death, Dance of Death, Dirty Thirties, feudalism, Great Depression, inquisition, Protestant Reformation, Roaring Twenties, Spanish Flu, witch hunts, World War One, World War Two | 1 Comment

Replacement Policy

Posted on June 3, 2020 by jrcoggins

“What do you mean my coverage has been denied?” “I’m sorry, Mr. Grey. It’s company policy. This is the third total replacement claim you have made in—what?—a year.” “Well…” “Precisely. The company can’t keep covering these losses.” “But I need … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Gandalf the Grey, hobbits, insurance policies, Lord of the Rings, wizards | 2 Comments

Of Better Homes and Gardens

Posted on May 20, 2020 by jrcoggins

It was a great relief to realize that out fears were unfounded. Having newly acquired a house—and with it yard responsibilities—my wife and I were apprehensive that we might not be able to keep our lawn and garden in the … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged dandelions, environmentally friendly, herbicides, lawns, neighbors, wisdom of children | 5 Comments

Blowin’ in the Wind

Posted on May 6, 2020 by jrcoggins

I am a baby boomer. I was a teenager in the 1960s and in university in the first half of the 1970s. It was the era of the sexual revolution, the youth movement, the civil rights movement, the drug culture, … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Bob Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary | 5 Comments

Urgent and Important

Posted on April 22, 2020 by jrcoggins

Have you ever met people who just have to talk? If they know something, they just have to tell you? Take the other night, for instance. My wife woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged children, driving, Palm Sunday, snoring, stones | Leave a comment

Silent Saturday by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 8, 2020 by jrcoggins

April 11 this year is the Saturday before Easter. Christians have much to ponder on the day before and the day after. The Bible records many events on both days. Good Friday is the day on which Jesus was crucified. … Continue reading →