Daily Help Plus

Finding Jesus in the Bible…So We Can Follow Him in Life

Bible Reading Plans

• Plan One: New Testament Only
• Plan Two: New Testament + Psalms
• Plan Three: New Testament + History
• Plan Four: The Entire Bible – Year 1 of 3, Year 2 of 3, Year 3 of 3

Don’t know which plan? Go to A Christ-Centered Bible Reading Plan: Quick Start.

Extras

Verse of the Day, Audio Capsule, and Video Minute

Overflow

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Checkpoint

It’s time for a checkpoint in the writing and reading of this book. This process will take today, tomorrow, and next day. After that, I’ll get right back to the daily book installments.

As of yesterday, you have completed reading the introductory section of The Implications of the Second Coming as Accomplished Fact. It consisted of four chapters, delivered in 68 daily installments of about 500 words each. While I am pleased that I have kept up the pace for the last two months, I give myself a poor grade on the writing of the book so far. There are a couple of reasons I say this.

First, my total word count so far is way too high. The first four chapters just are the introductory portion of the book and the word count is already right at 40,000 words. I have also written and scheduled the next 80 days of installments, which are about the first implication, and they amount to another 40,000 words – and I’m not even finished with it! When the other implications are written, they could take the total word count to something approaching 150,000 words! This is terrible. Compare that total to some of my other books. (These are round numbers.)

• The Biblical Case for Everyone Going to Heaven – 60,000 words
• The Implications of Everyone Going to Heaven – 34,000 words
• The Biblical Case for the Second Coming as Accomplished Fact – 32,000 words
• The Honor of Marriage – 50,000 words

The average non-fiction book on sale today is 50,000 to 70,000 words. So if this book comes in at 130,000-150,000 words, its size is going to discourage potential readers. The size is not so much of a problem when you’re reading in serial fashion as we are, roughly 500 words day in, day out. But for those who come later, they’ll be faced with reading the entire tome. At that size, a lot of folks will find it just too intimidating to even start. And even if some do, how many would finish?

Second, the problem is not just the total word count – it’s that I’ve been too wordy in every other possible way as well. The paragraphs I write are too big. The sentences I write are too extended. The words I use are too long. I have to admit that my writing can be turgid, and, as a result, stultifying. (See what I mean?)

I’m writing as if I’m debating my seminary professors. The excuse I’ve given myself is that I’m trying to help fortify readers so that they’re not knocked flat when the inevitable critics come along to tell them that the ideas in my books are heretical. I can’t afford to forget this because readers do need to be forewarned and forearmed. But I have to stop letting it have so much sway over my writing style. Over time, it just became too academic.

In short, life is short. And I’m taking too much of my readers’ time to deliver the content I have to give. Tomorrow, I’ll explain what I’m going to do about the problem.

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