26 April 2006

Faith and Writing

This past weekend was amazing. I attended the Faith and Writing Conference at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI; it was everything that I expected and more. There were very popular writers there to speak about somethings they've written (Donald Miller, Salman Rushdie) and others (Professors, amateurs, and students) just to discuss the tension between being a Christian and a writer and trying to get published. The main thing I learned:


Write from your heart.


After that it doesn't much matter what you right about, because someone, somewhere will feel or think the same way and there will be a connection made. Obviously, we want to write without being didactic or pushy; rather, let's try to write about real life, experience, which may be a little fantastical at times, but for the most part trying to change the religion of the entire nation or world in one fell swoop isn't going to work. I've been brewing on a lot of things and have to see where all this stuff fits in with my writing.

Other notes on the trip, I found that I can be the most annoying Pittsburgher (pronounced Piksburgher) in the gym and yins guys will just shake yer heads. Choice phrases like: We're goin' dahntahn to see the Stillers and eat a Permanni sandich, and later we'll wursh it all dahn with an Iern (Iron) City, n'at. I only wish that my friend Topher were there to share in the massacre of aural enjoyment.

Also, I hate driving west. Flat and straight. Absolute tedium at its worst. I only wish the other people in the van would have let me read while driving, I would have gotten so much more work done. Lastly, I'm thankful for sharing that trip with everyone that went, some friends that I've had, and others that I can now call friends. It was a great time, thanks.

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