200 Pentecost 24: First Draft
"Let those who love Your salvation say continually, ’Let God be magnified!’” ~ Psalm 70
First Draft
Welcome to inaugural installment of First Draft, an ongoing pit stop where I share what I’ve learned about writing great stories. We’re gearing up for a three week run while I work on the next chapter of Earth, among other things. Here we go: First Draft: Fiction Writing for Life, Change and Heart Rule #1 - First drafts are always both worse than you wish and better than you think. Rule #2 - You have a hero. He has the most at stake. He wants it to work out. Rule #3 - Some One or Some Thing(s) want to stop him. Thumb Rule #0 - Even though, “They won’t succeed,” is a pretty good Rule #4, "Too Many Rules Stop You From Writing Your Story" is a more important one. As soon as you’re following rules, someone else is writing your story for you. When your soul discovers that this has happened, you will start to despise your story. Hypocrisy is like that. It seeps out. Soulless is what most “how to write” writing ends up being. That’s because no one can give you a checklist for finding your voice. And, until you find your voice, the magical elbow grease that personal understanding provides to finish all good stories will elude you. You are not going to find a hero worth following at the end of a checklist. That doesn’t mean that reading about writing, or writing about writing, is a waste of time. It only means that such reading and writing has a zero- to smidgens- value until your soul is at liberty to love what you write for no other reason than that you have written it. This is important because you will need to destroy most of it. First drafts are always both worse than you wish and better than you think. You must love your writing enough to hunger to go back and change it – to rewrite it, to compel it to say what you meant – until when others read it, they see what you know was there from the beginning. So, Thumb Rule #1 for finding your soul is remembering that have something at stake. You have something to lose. You have dreams. You’re on the hunt. There is still something out there. You must discover. It’s a good chase. What sport! It may only be your ordinary life after all, but you’re still at the center of it, and that means, no matter who you are, you’ve got a few stories to tell. And, you have an enemy. Or three. In storytelling, enemies are the essence of character. Without the enemy, you have no character. Without character, your character has no story worth telling. The First Draft is the best place to start anyway. Writers’ Workshop “Your Own Little Ditty” Do-It-Yourself Assignment Play along at home with the First Draft Writers’ Workshops. In the Beginning - Step 1 1. List your top three, all-time A. plot lines B. heroes C. villains D. scenes (use anything: movies, books, histories) 2. Letting everything about your answers to A+B+C+D above influence you, imagine a dark hall in which a spotlight comes up on three figures. Who are they? Describe them each in detail without name or brand recognition. 3. These figures will be the archetypals of your Hero, your Villain, and your Muse for your First Draft story project. Which is which? Jot down anything here that clarifies their role or whatever comes to mind. If you don’t know what a muse is, that’s ok. It’s just the one that’s not the hero or the villain. 4. Create character sketches for each figure by answering the following questions: ▫️What is at stake? ▫️What can’t afford to be lost? ▫️What could be gained? ▫️What must be hunted? ▫️What is still out there? ▫️What’s a good chase? ▫️What’s good sport? ▫️What’s in his/her pockets? ▫️What was his/her childhood pet’s name? Did you get some fun answers? I bet you did. Hang tight to those notes, or at least keep your three archetypals close. We’ll be putting those to work for us next time. Stay tuned for more early release content right here at Mad☧Mondays. Till angel cry and trumpet sound, The Mad Christian
Odds and Ends
Marriage, Sex and Family
A pro-life ballot in Ohio was voted down last week. Around 55% of Ohioans voted to enshrine abortion access into the constitution and also to legalize marijuana, which was bundled together on the same ballot. See our write up below for more. (WNG)
Mark Houck, a pro-life advocate whom the FBI arrested at his home after an altercation at an abortion mill, is suing the Department of Justice for $4.3m. (LifeSite News)
The Institute of Family studies says men are spending more time with their kids than fathers were two decades ago. (The Federalist)
Some thoughts on recent defeats in the pro-life cause:
Death and Contentment
Pastor Wolfmueller has been pondering the juxtaposition between the ghoulish celebration of death seen in Halloween and that observed by Christians at All Saints. Death is not natural so we always side with things that promote life, but death is also “like an old friend” we’ve been expecting, “bringing us to the joy and bliss Jesus promises”. Glorious! (Wednesday What-not)
Daniel Witt wrote a piece about our culture’s fixation on “toxic emotions” and the bent of artists to believe that such is needed to keep creativity flowing. He argues that stirring up negative emotions - anger, despair, outrage, fear, anxiety - creates discontentment and advocates for producing art that is beautiful, calm and positive. Emo Gen X kids know there is a place for gritty art, but aiming for contentment is a wonderful idea. Singer Andy Squyres (who writes quite cryptic lyrics, so, mileage may vary!) had a line in his recent single which sums up the steadiness gained through hope in Christ: Live or die/I am filled with/Death-defying joy! (Salvo Mag, Spotify)
Military
We offer thanks to God for all those who serve as this year’s Veteran’s Day has come and gone. President Biden has commemorated Veterans Day at Arlington Cemetery. (The Hill)
The Wall Street Journal has linked a lack of patriotism to low recruitment in the military. We can’t access the paywalled WSJ story, but Albert Mohler discussed the issue on his podcast. One former veteran wrote that the Pentagon’s promotion of diversity and inclusion undermines the idea of the armed forces as a cohesive meritocracy. He notes that the Marines are still meeting their goals without all the DEI. Top-down recruitment will likely fail for, as he says, love for country starts around the kitchen table. (The Briefing, Providence Journal)
Politics
The House has subpoenaed Hunter Biden and James Biden to testify about President Biden’s financial dealings. (WNG)
Rep. Jim Jordan has released a list of social media accounts that intelligence agencies asked to be censored in the lead up to the 2020 election. (Not the Bee)
A Michigan judge has heard arguments for a lawsuit aimed at keeping Donald Trump off the ballot next year, in that state. (WNG)
Technology
Meta (Facebook, Instagram) says it will label political ads that have used AI-generated images. (CBS)
Elon Musk says he’s put together a new chatbot called Grok just in a couple of months, but critics are skeptical. (Wired)
Election
It’s been busy. Here’s a little off-year election recap:
West Virginia Demcratic senator, Joe Manchin has announced that he will not run for re-election next year, giving Republicans a chance to gain in the Senate. Senator Manchin has hinted that he will throw his energy into the No Labels movement in a bid to produce more independent candidates. (The Week, The Hill)
Iowa governor Kim Reynolds has endorsed Ron DeSantis as the Republican presidential nominee ahead of the Iowa first-in-the-nation caucuses. (CNN)
Democrat Andy Beshear won re-election as governor in Kentucky. (NBC)
In Virginia, Democrats held onto the Senate and gained control of the House. (The Guardian)
”Democrat Dan McCaffery won an open seat on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court in Tuesday’s general election”, bringing the Democrat majority to 5 out of 7 judges. (PBS)
The founder of a Black Lives Matter chapter said he is endorsing Donald Trump for president. Turns out, not every BLM member is anti-family and anti-enterprise. (The Blaze)
From the Mad☧Tank
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Courts, Crime and Policing
The “manifesto” of a shooter who killed several children and staff at Christian Covenant School in Nashville has been leaked to conservative commentator Steven Crowder. Pages containing the shooter’s open hatred of white people and her grisly schedule for the day have yet to be confirmed as authentic by police. However, Fox News said their source verified that the manifesto belonged to Audrey Hale, the trans-identified killer. Nashville law enforcement had been keeping the document from the pubic and have placed seven police officers on desk duty as a result of the leak. (ZeroHedge, Not the Bee)
New Jersey parents are bringing a federal class action against the state’s Department of Health and its Division of Family Health Services. While it’s common across the US for newborns to have a heel prick test, each state has its own policy as to how long the blood sample is stored. In NJ, the retention schedule is 23 years and parents are concerned how that genetic information might be used. “What New Jersey can do with this blood and DNA is limited by the state’s own imagination.” (Wired)
The National Association of Realtors have been found guilty of inflating commissions on house sales. The case considered hundreds of thousands of sales in Missouri, Kansas and Illinois between 2015 and 2022, with $1.78bn in damages being sought. (Reuters)
Climate and the Natural World
A retired American lawyer has shot two climate protestors blocking a highway in Panama. The deaths come after after three weeks of disruptions by climate activists protesting the approved re-opening of a copper mine. “The roadblocks have caused up to $80 million in daily losses to businesses and have shuttered schools nationwide for more than a week.” (Not the Bee)
First small-scale nuclear reactor planned in the US has been cancelled after backers dropped out. (ArsTechnica)
Everything old is new again? Airship startup releases first look at its giant Zeppelin. The Pathfinder 1 is expected to use “zero carbon” and be deployed to disaster areas where airstrips are impossible. (Tech Crunch)
Bill Gates-backed startup has a novel idea for less intrusive wind turbines. (New Atlas)
Australia has said it will give special consideration to residents of Tuvalu to resettle there. The low-lying Pacific island nation is believed to be “under threat” from climate change. (ABC)
Religion and the Church (well, the Roman edition..)
Pope Francis has approved a “Code with Pope” initiative which will teach kids to learn… Python. We’ll just leave that there.. (The Register)
Pope Francis has removed a Texas bishop who has been openly critical of the pontiff’s efforts to liberalize Rome. Bishop Joseph Strickland has criticized Francis of undermining the church by bringing topics of women clergy and same-sex “marriage” up for discussion. “Those who would propose changes to that which cannot be changed seek to commandeer Christ’s Church, and they are indeed the true schismatics”, Strickland said. (Texas Tribune)
Finally, the Vatican tried to clear up recent questions from cardinals by releasing a “dicastery” document which seems to us to just be a hot mess. If we understand it, gay and transgender couples can have their children baptized if it “won’t cause scandal” and if it was likely the child would be raised in the teachings of the church. Francis said the church “must have very serious reasons for turning someone away [from being baptized]”. (US Conference of Bishops)
The Arts and History
Hollywood is heading back to work after striking actors came to an agreement with producers. (Hollywood Reporter)
Live action Zelda movie is in production. But as NTB says, we can’t have nice things. Fans are calling for a confused male actor to play the lead role. (The Guardian, Not the Bee)
Celebrated comic book writer says comics have become pretty preachy. (The Blaze)
Who owns the treasure on a sunken galleon? Spain (who own the ship), the Bolivian tribe from whom the treasure was stolen, Columbia (in whose waters the wreck now rests) or the US company who first discovered it? (The Hustle)
Health
A high-voltage line worker who lost part of his face in an accident has undergone the world’s first eye transplant. New York University Langone Health say transplanting a complete eyeball is a landmark in itself although it’s unclear whether sight will be restored. (WNG)
The CDC says childhood vaccination exemptions are at their highest rate ever. “There is a rising distrust in the health care system.” (NBC)
Amazon Prime members will now be able to subscribe to One Medical as part of their membership. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) expressed concern over ways Amazon might use customer data when it acquired the primary care provider back in February. However, the FTC did not block the deal. (Tech Crunch)
The FDA has approved a new weight loss drug. (NBC)
Science
Scientists are using AI to read words on burned scrolls from the ancient Vesuvius eruption. One researcher said, “For me, reading words from within the Herculaneum scrolls is like stepping onto the moon.” (The Guardian)
War
Israel has agreed to four-hourly pauses in its incursion into Gaza to allow for people to leave. Commentators say that is a sign that the IDF’s mission is going well and shows good faith on the part of Israel. (Just the News, Reuters)
Israeli troops have reportedly surrounded the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Gaza authorities say the hospital has been made inoperable by IDF strikes and that patients, including babies are dying. Israel says they offered to help evacuate patients but were turned down. Israeli intelligence says many Hamas terrorists responsible for the October 7th attack have sought shelter in the hospital, using the vulnerable as “human shields”. The IDF also insists that Hamas headquarters is below the hospital, part of the tunnel network known as the “Gaza Metro”. (Reuters, New York Post)
Reports that Russia is back with reinforcements add fuel to the claim that Ukraine’s offensive is struggling. (ZeroHedge)
A Ukrainian colonel has been implicated in helping to orchestrate the bombing of the Nordstream 2 pipeline. (ZeroHedge)
Stories from Far Away
🇬🇧British prime minister Rishi Sunak is in a bit of a bind the Home Secretary called out a double standard on the part of London police. Secretary Suella Braverman says the police have let pro-Palestine protestors get away with behavior that right wing mobs have been punished for. The PM is under pressure from the one side of parliament to fire her and the other side to keep her. (Daily Mail)
🇩🇪 New poll shows that almost two thirds of Germans support a ban on immigration from predominantly Muslim countries. A large number of those surveyed “believe an increasing number of new arrivals despise German society.” (ZeroHedge)
🇦🇱 Albania has agreed to build detention centers to house immigrants trying to reach Italy. The deal would see Italy pay to have migrants it is supposed to accept (under EU rules) processed in Albania. “The plan would allow Italy to skirt the Dublin agreement, which states that the first country in which migrants arrive must care for them and process their cases.” In related news, conservatives in the Albanian parliament have accused the ruling socialist party of being corrupt and tyrannical, disrupting a session with smoke bombs and overturning chairs. (CNN, Hot Air)
🇪🇸Spain’s ruling socialist government has agreed to grant amnesty to those involved in a failed secession attempt by the region of Catalonia in 2017. Acting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he would cut a deal if the fringe Catalan separatist party would help him form government. (AP)
🇦🇺Australian woman charged with triple homicide after feeding guests poisonous mushroom dish. (CNN)
Your favorite pixelated hero will return when EDH has returned from a well-earned rest..
John Michael Jones Gets a Life is produced for Mad⳩Mondays by E. Darwin Hartshorn. Episodes can also be found on Tuesday, along with previous episodes, on Bunny Trail Junction at bunny-trail.com.
Quick Hits for the Eyebuds
🏎️ What it says on the label: Hot Wheels cars on an empty waterslide. But it’s a bit of fun!
💎 Rare blue diamond sells for over $40M
💺 Chairs featured in Star Trek that you could actually buy (if you were so inclined. Or reclined..)
🎶 The catchiest song according to science. And it’s not “Everything Is Awesome” from the Lego Movie.
🔧 When you drop a tool kit in space…
🎨 Artist uses Lego bricks as letterpress to make playful prints
🇹🇭Thai carpenter made a working Cybertruck, out of wood!
🦑The world’s largest bioluminescent creature is still a mystery to us
🪡 Whimsical embroidered aerial landscapes
🇦🇺 Man bites crocodile and lives to tell the tale
A Good Word: Links from the Show Notes
Hillbilly Baroque? On this week’s Stop the White Noise (YouTube, Rumble) Jonathan and Meridith discussed decorating style and finding beauty. Meridith gave some tips for shopping with a peaceful conscience and Jonathan explained why he does not accept the introvert/extrovert dichotomy. Here are some resources that were mentioned:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Psalm 16 - that’s in ur Bible!
The Hey Bruh Collegium: learn what it means to be a patriarch
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Watership Down by Richard Adams. You can learn a lot from rabbits…
These are some books the Fisks have found edifying, but as with all human-authored text, apply discernment liberally!
Sweetness You May Have Missed
This Week Preached:
Podcast Release:
Let us pray. Lord God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.