I’ve disappeared from real life, and I’m hidden in a cabin in Northwestern Minnesota right now. No, I’m not evading people I owe money to, or women whom claim I’m a crook for selling them a dream. I’m here because I have a ton of writing work to do – but the weather was so fantastic – 80’s and sunny – that it’s become a vacation at the same time. I’m floating on a boat right now as I type this.
I left Minneapolis with a mission on my mind: I had to do my last edit on my novel and get it to an editor in two weeks. I’ve proclaimed it done several times before, but as many artists know, as you evolve as a person, it’s difficult to feel that you’re art is ever truly complete. But now that I’m 32, I feel I’m getting closer.
Anyways, I’ve spent the last few days sitting on a screened-in deck, ripping out unnecessary words, and duplicate sentences that supported the same sensations and imagery when one sentence was enough.
About three months ago I had a revelation. I was playing on my cell phone and thinking about writing styles at the same time. Suddenly, the elements of innovation were present, and the two powerful worlds meshed, creating a hybrid realm of thought. A new idea clicked. I saw a vision of the style of writing I feel destined to create…
After that moment, I immediately called it smart writing. It’s a style of writing that tries to be just as fast, agile, and user-friendly as a smart phone, because I believe that’s where the future of our communication is going. We writers have to follow technologies lead if we wish to remain relevant, which we can. So many thoughts have crystallized in my mind since that moment of innovation occurred. It’s like everything I’ve ever studied has prepared me to understand and execute on this assignment. My future path is clear as day to me: Now that I know how to write, my missions ahead is to create a style of story-telling that’s just as enjoyable to read as a smart phone.
I’ve been hidden out on this lake the last few days, and have gone to work fearlessly developing it. I’m forty pages into my novel and I’ve already cut out 3,000 unnecessary words to give it a much sleeker design. This new style is cool, and fun, and you’re watching it develop here at the Purpose Pages.
I said I have a novel coming out. FAQ’s: What is the book about? And when will it be released?
In July, a professional editor is scheduled to edit it. After that, several publishing options have presented themselves which I’ll then decide on. I’ve been planning this adventure for ten years and I am ready for it no matter which direction I go.
The book is a story is about a teenage kid who’s fascinated playing with fire, (which is a metaphor for any the vices, sins we all love to play with), and if he can be saved before he destroys himself. Other characters are introduced, which include an older guy who’s been to prison and becomes a mentor to him. It becomes sort of A Good Will Hunting story, except it’s set while often fishing on a lake. What’s the audience? Well, my writing mentor for years was Gary Paulsen, author of the many-multi-million selling Hatchet. It’s a story about a kid finding himself, and the adults around him, but like Good Will Hunting, it’s a story for any age.
But I have to get back to my lake, novel-writing vacation/adventure. It’s too nice out. The sun is setting and I want to be awed by God’s landscape for awhile. It’s better than watching TV in my opinion. There’s so much to explore out there. TV will only lead you to the couch. I’ll keep taking one step at a time to push the limits of the artform I love, and I think it will lead me to an amazing life. We all can do this. Following your passion is one of the most important steps in finding your purpose. That, and be willing to give more energy to the world than you receive… (Continue)
Things are good for me right now. I’ve got a cool new girlfriend, a book on the way, and a sunset tonight. Grow with us as we find ourselves.
If you followed your passion, where could it take you?
