writing on lent

this week is writing week. like rumplestiltskin i will descend into my basement and weave hair (or coffee + sour kids) into gold (or a book on lent).

i'm trying a couple new things this week. first, i took sunday evening and monday off (which i don't normally do on writing weeks...usually i come home from preaching sunday am, have a short nap, and then immediately begin writing). i'm hoping this will help me stave off the inevitable despair that accompanies so much time spent underground writing. i'm hoping my spirits will stay buoyant, and that that lightness will come through in my writing.

i'm also really avoiding heavy theology (which i love) and scriptural argumentation (which i think is important) in favor of a more 'pastoral' tone. i'm writing as if someone is in my office, asking for advice. i'm writing more from the heart than from the head, this time around. of course, that sounds like a really good thing, but it's not as it i normally ignore my heart :) normally, i try and mine some new truth or try and bring light to some old truth in some new way. i love doing that. atlases like monsters, or bleached, or sin monkey are among my favorites. this is more like 'sweet dreams' or the final 1/3 of shadowing god. i feel like i have a lot to offer in this lenten season, based on my experience as a pastor. you can't always trade on that while writing, though, so i imagine that the next time around i'll revert back to form...but here, i'm enjoying writing like this.

i'm also continuing a few things...the liturgical calender (of course), and all the previously employed artwork and layout designs (which really reduces the work load, btw). and i'm continuing with my habit of a 'companion read', something totally un-spiritual to jar me out of my monkness, and in this case i'm reading joe abercombie's 'best served cold.' it's a gooder, and i'm re-reading it in prep for his most recent book 'heroes.'

ok - that's me - hope your life is good, better even than its ever been

back to writing!