As some of you (and now all of you) know, I’ve been working on a book for over two years now. It has been a long, exhausting, and amazing process…and I am still right in the middle of it.

The book has changed and changed and changed again since I started working on it. Everything from the title to the subtitle to the format to the writing voice is different from when I began writing it in September 2007, and it is still a work in progress.

The good news is, I really feel like I’m getting closer. I feel like I’ve got the right title, subtitle, and format now. (and folks whose opinion I trust seem to agree). And I feel like my writing voice for this book is finally emerging. There’s still a ton of writing and rewriting left to do, but I’ve got my second wind and I’m focused on the finish.

What’s next, you ask? My goal is to get my polished proposal and sample chapters to the agent I’ve been speaking to before the end of the year (hopefully by the end of the month). If they are deemed ready and potentially salable , then we’ll move forward and try to get a book deal. If not, then I’ll either need to find a new agent, a new book idea, or a new reason to get up at 5:30am.

So yeah, that’s what’s going on with that. Now you know, whether you wanted to or not.

While we’re here I also have a favor to ask of you. I’ll be spending a majority of this weekend at a friend’s guest house just down the road, doing nothing but writing. By Saturday evening I’m going to be mentally exhausted and questioning my own sanity, and it would be nice to get some encouragement or something to make me laugh.

So here’s the deal. I’m not going to read ANY comments to this post until Saturday evening. Give me some encouragement, make me laugh, belittle me with soul-crushing insults, tell me I look great with Joel Osteen’s hair…whatever you like. I won’t read a thing until I’m on the verge of jabbing a quill into my temple.

If you’re game for it, leave me a comment now.

I don’t care what angle you take, just help me clear my mind for a few minutes.

PS…I know some folks have been having trouble leaving comments recently. Email me if your comments are being deleted automatically and I’ll do what I can to fix it.

Here’s 5 random things for a random Wednesday in August…and a caption please

1. I’m getting beaten pretty bad by Tyler Stanton right now in our race to 1000 Twitter followers. At the moment he’s got a 741-603 lead on me. If you’re on Twitter, follow me and I’ll follow you back. It’s a great way to keep tabs on each other. If you’re not on Twitter, consider this your personal invitation to join the party. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn’t mean you’re a sellout for joining. It’s as cool as smoking cigs in junior high, only without the lung cancer.

2. Over at RELEVANTMagazine.com you’ll find a “Best Books of 2009 (so far)” article I contributed to. A bunch of Burnsiders tag teamed on the piece, and my blurb on Jason Boyett’s “Pocket Guide to the Afterlife” wound up at #6 on the list. (funny that those who wrote the article didn’t rank the books, that was done by the editor I guess)

3. In case you’re too lazy to click over and read it, here’s what I wrote about PGTTA:

In Pocket Guide to the Afterlife, Jason Boyett applies his tried and tested formula of equal parts knowledge, snark and authenticity to create another winner in his enjoyable line of pocket-sized books. While his guides to the Bible and the Apocalypse are entertaining reads, the format is never stronger than it is in Afterlife.  The reason for the success, no doubt, is the vast array of religious traditions and zany historical anecdotes that Boyett had to draw from in crafting the book. And while the strength of the guide lies in its captivating subject material, it’s the author’s signature blend of humor and intelligence that keep you laughing while turning one page after another. Whether you come for the knowledge or the laughs, you’re guaranteed to walk away from the book with ample doses of both. Is Pocket Guide to the Afterlife worthy of a spot in your casket when you die? Maybe not. But is it worthy of a spot on your Must Read List for 2009? You bet your (after)life.

4. Excited to speak in New Jersey on Saturday at Bodinestock II. I’m scheduled to speak at 2:30pm and 7:30pm and have to fill over an hour combined. A bit daunting, but it should go well. My first session is going to be lighter, as I’ll be weaving a bunch of amish pictures from the blog into some thoughts about being in the world but not of it. The evening session will be a little more inspirational and challenging for the kids. If you think of me on Saturday, say a prayer that it goes well.

5. Two weeks ago the Young Adult Ministry we help lead at our church helped some friends of ours move into a new house. The girls helped unpack boxes and set up rooms. The guys helped build temporary railings for the front and back steps so the house passed inspection. Yes, I helped put the railings on. Yes, I had no idea what I was doing. In fact, Caleb snapped this picture of me, which, for those of you who enjoy poking fun at me (and why wouldn’t you?), is definitely worthy of a caption.

Hope you all had a great Easter yesterday. We had our highest attendance ever at church (over 800 people) and a great day eating way too much food with family. In a related story, I spent much of the afternoon on the couch watching The Masters and doing nothing. It was great.

I’ve been super busy at work lately, so that’s why my blogging has dropped off a bit. I was going strong with 5 posts a week there for a while, but that will probably shrink to 3-4 a week for the foreseeable future. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. At the very least, I hope you can find an aorta…you need one of those.

I’ve still got my dream of writing and speaking, and I’m still working towards doing those things as much as I can. I’ve got a couple potential speaking gigs in the works for some youth retreats later in the year, so if those come through they will be a lot of fun. As for writing, I feel like I’m in a bit of limbo right now. My last proposals were well received by the publisher I was working with, but in the end they couldn’t pull the trigger on them. That was disappointing, but as my friend Susan Isaacs reminded me the other day, it’s just another obstacle to overcome as I set out to write a great story with my life. The conflict can sometimes make the story better, so I’m embracing it and pressing on. Just not sure what writing project I’m pressing onto next at this moment…

So in the meantime, it’s back to work…and here’s Kylie and Parker making some goofy Easter faces with their cousins.

Have a great week!

There are few topics I love reading about more than writing. Totally fascinates me. Here’s a few things I’ve read online recently that I thought were worth sharing…

+ Donald Miller walks you through the 9 steps he takes in writing a book from start to finish. Considering how successful Don has been at creating important books, I thought it was great that he shared what his creative process looks like. If you’re a writer, or just interested in the process, I highly recommend it.

+ Mark Batterson talks about why he writes in the morning without shoes on. An interesting look at the habits of a successful author.

+ Agent Rachelle Gardner shares the story or a writer who was not ready to be published 6 years ago…but recently signed a book deal thanks to the hours she has put in honing her craft and developing her platform. Encouraging to read for those of us working hard at doing those very things.

Yesterday Erica and I spent almost 8 hours at the King of Prussia Mall. Torture? Not when you’re with your bestest friend in the world. (+5 points for Bryan)

Around 7:00pm we split up because my soul couldn’t take another trip into Old Navy. I headed into the bookstore where I had this bizarre exchange:

I pulled a book off the wall and was looking at the cover, standing about 2 feet from the wall. A man appears to want to walk between me and the wall and then stops. I assume he wants more room, so I step back another foot, giving him an ample 3 feet to scoot by. I am holding the book in front of me as I read the cover.

Weird Man: (mumbling) Could you please pick your book up higher so I can walk by? I am claustrophobic and I would like some more room.

Me: (wondering why someone with claustrophobia wouldn’t just walk around me instead of insisting on squeezing between me and the wall): Sure.

I pick up the book above my head.

Weird Guy (in a sarcastic tone because he apparently thought I was annoyed with him, which I wasn’t): I mean, if it’s not too much for you?

I didn’t say anything and he kept mumbling to himself as he walked by.

There are some strange ducks out there in the pond. Anyway, the point of this post was that after that bizarre exchange I went to the sports section and picked up Drew Magary’s new book, “Men With Balls”. Drew writes for a couple sports blogs I read. He’s extremely funny, and extremely profane. Personally, I think he’s at his best when he’s not throwing in random F-Bombs just for fun, but that’s just me.

As I was leafing through the book, I think I had an epiphany about my book. Drew’s book was funny, that was to be expected. But the format of the book was not traditional. It wasn’t just a bunch of prose. There were graphics, sidebars, lists, and other things that broke up the text and made it more easily digestible. But I don’t think the point was to make it an easier read, I think the point was that this was the type of book Drew wanted to write and he wrote it. He didn’t take his voice and his material and fit it into the traditional style of a book.

When I first started writing my book last year, it was going to be overtly funny and subtly Christian. I wrote about half of it, and as you know, it was not picked up by any Publishers. Recently, I decided to make the book more focused. Now it was going to be overtly Christian, and subtly funny. I was going to take out the parts of the book that were mostly humor, in favor of the pieces that had more spiritual substance. Still a book I thought I was capable of writing, and one that I thought would have a better chance of selling.

Well yesterday, leafing through Men With Balls, that all changed. I am going to write the book that I want to write. The book that I should write. I’m a funny writer. That’s what I am. Or at least, that’s what I’m pinning my hopes on. If this book succeeds, it will be because when you read it, it makes you laugh and want to read more. If it fails, it will be because you’re not laughing. Will it still be spiritual? Absolutely. Overtly spiritual. And overtly funny. Who says I can’t have both?

So that’s my new game plan, and honestly, I couldn’t be more excited about writing it. I am going to be true to my original vision for the book, and I am going to write with my own unique voice, for better or for worse. Not in a voice that I think will sell a book. Honestly, if the book I write doesn’t get picked up for publishing, that’s okay. Really, it is.

Oh, and could you back up from the computer screen a bit more while you’re reading my blog? I’m a bit claustrophobic and you’re making me uncomfortable. If it’s not too much for you…