Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller

                  Young longleaf seedlings underneath the dead landmark tree   I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. Kilmer said it. It’s hard to be a tree. I’ve always seen God’s fingerprints on trees. The intimate life cycle between the animal world and botanical. Trees take in …

  We’re no longer in Africa but Africa is still in us. I’ve been thinking about the Sahel this week. It’s where Sand Africa meets Grass Africa.   “We were showing “The Jesus Film” outdoors in a village. Just at the moment of Jesus’ crucifixion, a snake slithered through the crowd. There was chaos. The viewers literally ran out of …

                Holding the Rope in Prayer: Pray for DeDe’s tutoring. Pray for Curt as he writes As the Crow Flies. God’s guidance for our precious children and grandchildren.  Thanks for praying! Booted out of the Mall I have contracted with several places in Alexandria that have become my writing offices.  At the end …

It’s my mantra: Be curious. Be amazed. Tell about it. I arrive at Freedom Baptist Church early. Walking in the auditorium, I stop at a group of photographs on the back wall. I know what it is: black and white photographs of the men and women from this church who served our country.  Most are WWII faces. Most  Ten Mile …

There’s many bigger houses. Taller. More expensive. Older or newer. But the house at 622 Clayton Iles Rd is where my heart is. Built by my parents in 1960. Where my sisters and I grew up. It’s a good place. A good place to go home to.    

Last week’s posts put us over 1100 posts for the past dozen years or so. Just one more example of the simple perseverance of  writing daily. All of those stories, whether touching or forgetful, have come from my heart. From my heart to yours. Thanks for being on this journey. You can glean from these thousand plus posts by category …

I’m working on As the Crow Flies the follow up historical novel after A Good Place.   Here are two openings I’m tinkering with.  Your honest input is appreciated.  No one writes a book alone.  I need your prayer, suggestions, even criticism.  Everything can be improved.  Opening A: Ft. Worth, Texas Christmas Eve 1955 As the crow flies it was …

  November is National Novel Writing Month. It’s an opportunity to write that novel (or family story) that’s been bubbling inside you for years.   You can keep your project quiet if you wish. I simply encourage you to begin. As they say, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step … or computer keystroke. The goal …

I’m grateful for friends and followers who pray for us. Today (November 1) I’m speaking at Freedom Baptist Church in Ten Mile, Louisiana. This is the message from Mark 2:   Please pray that my words will lift up Jesus and please the Father. This week I’ll be working on our upcoming novel,  As the Crow Flies. Stay tuned to …

November is National Novel Writers Month, commonly known as NaNoWriMo. The goal is for folks like you to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. I’m writing a new novel,  As the Crow Flies, and need to add 50,000 words in the coming month. This is an invitation to join together and write. We’ll be sharing ideas and encouragement …

The fun and joy of writing historical fiction is “going back” to a time in the past. With our new draft novel, the year is 1881 on Louisiana’s frontier, commonly called “No Man’s Land.”             It’s important to look at dates, moon phases, weather (when you can find it) and “live in that era.” That’s …

A Word from Curt   Here is the current draft opening line of my current novel, As the Crow Flies:   My name is JANE DOE, and I was born into a family of thieves. It’s how I ended up in the middle of what came to be known as the Westport Fight. This is my story of what happened …

Tough or Hard   In front of me are three objects: a brick, a piece of leather, and a hammer. These make for a wonderful lesson. However, this story is not about the hardness of a brick, toughness of leather, or the pain of the hammer blow. This is a story about somebody. Objects don’t move us—but people do. Watching …

We’re highlighting stories from our short story collection, Deep Roots. Measure Twice, Cut Once   Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you. -Exodus 31:6   I’ve always loved watching an artist at work. To watch a skilled craftsman shape something with their hands—and heart—is a joy. As the above verse …