Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Random This and That

So I'm thinking about trying my hand at a novel.

Just for the heck of it.

I have a setting, a few characters, and a "situation," but no real plot to speak of. I fully expect to get a few pages in and then run into a difficult what=happens-next-moment. At which point I'll just call it quits and go read someone else's story rather than attempting to write one myself.

Anyway, wish me luck.

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I seem to have lost much of my blogging initiative. Maybe it'll come back. Maybe not. Maybe In the Clearing has run its course. I just don't seem to have much to say any more!

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And on a not unrelated note: I'm starting to feel like the proverbial "loner Christian." Can't say exactly why, but my enthusiasm for church is running thin. And I go to a church where enthusiasm is the coin of the realm!

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Brant Hansen, in his own inimitable brilliantly amusing way, says people tend to be more attracted to church than to Jesus, which surely ranks up there with the strangest and truest of all strange-but-true statements.

And the thing is, churches--who want nothing more after all than to be "attractive"--respond by giving people what they find most attractive, and shying away from that which they find disturbing.

But that Jesus . . . he was one very disturbing dude.

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On a personal note: my son Nate is in town with plans to cut a CD before going off to Ireland busking this summer (of course those plans could change a few dozen times between now and then).

Anyway, it reminds me that I totally love having a couple of crazy dreamer kids. It makes me feel really really warm and fuzzy about being their Dad!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

burned out on blogging?
don't think you have anything to say?

i can understand that.

but...you have not tried "random acts of poetry" yet !

check it out here...

http://highcallingblogs.com/

on fridays
and let's see you try your hand at it.

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interesting to hear that you are going to start writing something that may turn into a book.

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i thought that all
believers felt like loner Christians!

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i am so stupid, i had to look up what busking means...

here is a bit from wikipedia:

Benjamin Franklin was a busker of sorts. He composed songs, poetry and prose about the political situation and went out in public and performed them. He would then sell printed copies of them to the public. He was dissuaded from busking by his father who convinced him the stigmas that some people attach to busking were not worth it. It was this experience that helped form his beliefs in free speech, which he wrote about in his journals.[29]

Paul McCartney of the Beatles fame donned a disguise and went busking. He reportedly did very well. In an interview on Britain's Radio One he revealed: "It was for a film thing (Give My Regards To Broad Street, 1984) and it was something I'd always wanted to do, so I scruffed myself up a bit, put on a false beard and shades, and went down to Leicester Square tube station. It was really cool. A couple of people came up and said, 'Is it you?' but I just said, 'Oh, no'. But I got a few shillings and I thought, 'This doesn't feel right,' so I gave it to charity."[30]

It has also been reported that Sting has also donned a disguise and gone out busking. He reportedly made £40. "He pulled a hat down over his eyes, but one woman said: 'It's Sting.' The man behind her said: 'You silly cow. It's not him. He's a multi-millionaire.'"[31]

The world-famous classical violinist Joshua Bell played as an incognito street busker at the Metro station L'Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C. on January 12, 2007. Among 1,097 people who passed by, only one recognized him and only a couple more were drawn to his music. For his nearly 45 minute performance, Bell collected $32.17 (not counting $20 from a passerby who recognized him).[32]

Singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey recorded an entire album down in the Boston Subway, where he was a regular busker. In most cases, songs were recorded in one or two takes.[33] Bon Jovi has been known to take to the streets from time to time. Among the most famous Bon Jovi busks were those at London’s Covent Garden and Moscow’s Red Square


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yeah, you got some cool kids.

Anonymous said...

oh yeah...looks like there is a book club, too!

http://highcallingblogs.com/blog/books-build-community-converstaion/1396/

Anonymous said...

Hi Bob,

Good for you that you are hearing the call to 'come out of her my people'(Rev.18:4).

That trumpet has been blowing for some time now and most within the man-made church SYSTEM continue to stay put. I left the system about 4 yrs. ago and am so thankful and have no desire to ever return. The Harlot is a false system.

Here is a great in depth study of the Harlot that will give you lots to ponder on.

May Yahshua/Jesus bless you

http://www.meatindueseason.net/newbold/or/harlot/harlottoc.html

Anonymous said...

BOB !
you really have to read this post that i read today...

just think of it as a banjo strummin a cool sweet song...

http://amyiswalkinginthespirit.blogspot.com/2009/03/aloneness-doesnt-have-to-mean.html

Milton Stanley said...

Bob: I wish you well in writing the novel. The past few weeks I've decided to get back to a novel on which I wrote three chapters some years ago. Only thing is, I discovered that the electronic files are nowhere to be found. The lesson, of course: always back up your work. Happy writing! Peace. Milton

Bob Spencer said...

Nancy, thanks for the links. I really like that post from Amy.

Milton, well, I also think that God may have wanted you to start from scratch anyway!