Enjoyed this article, especially the personal quest to bring stories and connections back into our day and lives. Keep pushing forward those reeds and ideas, they’ll be the raft that Carrie’s you down the river.
Thank you Mark. I appreciate you reading my ramblings and encouraging me. I'm not sure where this personal quest goes, but I suspect that along the way something will emerge.
"We’re too busy, with too much to do, to indulge in fantasies." -- such a sad truth. We live in a time of pre-packaged fantasies. People just don't even want to bother with painting a scenario in their own heads that is theirs and theirs only. No, they're ok with fantasizing by proxy. I'm 100% with you on stories and their power on our imagination and, ultimately, our capability to stretch our minds. It's like a muscle, at the end of the day. And for many that muscle is slowly getting to atrophy. Not a pretty picture, sadly.
"We live in a time of pre-packaged fantasies. People just don't even want to bother with painting a scenario in their own heads that is theirs and theirs only."
Damn Sylvio. That hit home. Writing this newsletter has been my process of breaking free from that. Like you said, it's a muscle.
Ugh I agree with so much of this! It makes me want to turn off all my screens, curl up on my couch and just go through my fiction list. Can’t wait to see the group of story telling enthusiasts that you put together!
I share this passion for storytelling Latham, and I'm vicariously appreciating your "quest" to discover how and where you can celebrate story, spirituality, and wonder in community with others. Following with interest. Wondering how much you've explored what is available where you live in terms of groups that may be touching on this, only because the things you describe looking for would be very hard to engage in an online format.
I've looked at my local writer's group and I've tried the local improv group. The writers group is focused on feedback, not on stories. And the improv group....well that was a not great experience even ignoring the fact that it lacked the spiritual, wonderous aspect. I also kind of hoped church would provide some of this. My original inspiration for starting to play with some of these ideas was sitting in church realizing how little they valued the art of true experiential stories.
I know this would be really hard to engage in online. But sadly, the people who would feel called to help me explore this don't live near enough for it to be a regular thing. I've sometimes wondered about an online group to explore the idea and then a multi-day retreat to see if it works. But like I said, this is all really ill formed right now, and I'm just throwing out nuggets to see what the universe responds with.
I'm curious what you think is possible with your street performance background? What would you adapt?
I wrote a mystery novel about a guy who gets lost after his wife dies, and then when more death happens around him, he shakes himself awake enough to engage again with the world. He's a pastor, but his way back to life is less about religion, and more about the life-death-renewal cycle that the poetry of religion is sometimes able to point towards. One of the "maps" back to life is actually a "book" he finds, that tells him the story he needs to know. This may be nothing like what you are talking about as the power of story, or it may be something you find interesting. The Book of Answers: A Rev. Thomas Book Mystery. I use the "vehicle" of a mystery story to let the protagonist go on a journey that leads him toward new kind of adult life.
Darrow, that's amazing. I'd love to read it. I've been thinking a lot about how stories are maps, but they're also vehicles for inspiration and for awakening. For waking people out of their sleep and showing them what's possible. It sounds like your novel explores some of the same idea.
I actually started on Substack as a way to serially publish the novel. The first 20 or so chapters are already on reluctant sleuth. I've since gone on to self-publish on Amazon, because readers told me they didn't want to wait for the next installment. I just read your piece about the guys on the deck of the aircraft carrier. I love the last line, a lot.
Enjoyed this article, especially the personal quest to bring stories and connections back into our day and lives. Keep pushing forward those reeds and ideas, they’ll be the raft that Carrie’s you down the river.
Thank you Mark. I appreciate you reading my ramblings and encouraging me. I'm not sure where this personal quest goes, but I suspect that along the way something will emerge.
"We’re too busy, with too much to do, to indulge in fantasies." -- such a sad truth. We live in a time of pre-packaged fantasies. People just don't even want to bother with painting a scenario in their own heads that is theirs and theirs only. No, they're ok with fantasizing by proxy. I'm 100% with you on stories and their power on our imagination and, ultimately, our capability to stretch our minds. It's like a muscle, at the end of the day. And for many that muscle is slowly getting to atrophy. Not a pretty picture, sadly.
"We live in a time of pre-packaged fantasies. People just don't even want to bother with painting a scenario in their own heads that is theirs and theirs only."
Damn Sylvio. That hit home. Writing this newsletter has been my process of breaking free from that. Like you said, it's a muscle.
Ugh I agree with so much of this! It makes me want to turn off all my screens, curl up on my couch and just go through my fiction list. Can’t wait to see the group of story telling enthusiasts that you put together!
I totally agree...as I'm typing on my screen!
I feel like this needs to be a very IRL process, but the people who resonate with this are all over. I'm not yet sure how to bridge that gap.
I share this passion for storytelling Latham, and I'm vicariously appreciating your "quest" to discover how and where you can celebrate story, spirituality, and wonder in community with others. Following with interest. Wondering how much you've explored what is available where you live in terms of groups that may be touching on this, only because the things you describe looking for would be very hard to engage in an online format.
I've looked at my local writer's group and I've tried the local improv group. The writers group is focused on feedback, not on stories. And the improv group....well that was a not great experience even ignoring the fact that it lacked the spiritual, wonderous aspect. I also kind of hoped church would provide some of this. My original inspiration for starting to play with some of these ideas was sitting in church realizing how little they valued the art of true experiential stories.
I know this would be really hard to engage in online. But sadly, the people who would feel called to help me explore this don't live near enough for it to be a regular thing. I've sometimes wondered about an online group to explore the idea and then a multi-day retreat to see if it works. But like I said, this is all really ill formed right now, and I'm just throwing out nuggets to see what the universe responds with.
I'm curious what you think is possible with your street performance background? What would you adapt?
I see the dilemma. Lots of thoughts/questions here, probably best explored directly. Let's talk or zoom.
I wrote a mystery novel about a guy who gets lost after his wife dies, and then when more death happens around him, he shakes himself awake enough to engage again with the world. He's a pastor, but his way back to life is less about religion, and more about the life-death-renewal cycle that the poetry of religion is sometimes able to point towards. One of the "maps" back to life is actually a "book" he finds, that tells him the story he needs to know. This may be nothing like what you are talking about as the power of story, or it may be something you find interesting. The Book of Answers: A Rev. Thomas Book Mystery. I use the "vehicle" of a mystery story to let the protagonist go on a journey that leads him toward new kind of adult life.
Darrow, that's amazing. I'd love to read it. I've been thinking a lot about how stories are maps, but they're also vehicles for inspiration and for awakening. For waking people out of their sleep and showing them what's possible. It sounds like your novel explores some of the same idea.
I actually started on Substack as a way to serially publish the novel. The first 20 or so chapters are already on reluctant sleuth. I've since gone on to self-publish on Amazon, because readers told me they didn't want to wait for the next installment. I just read your piece about the guys on the deck of the aircraft carrier. I love the last line, a lot.