I am thinking of writing a book. Would you read it?

by ekruks 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  Band on the Run

  I've thought of writing several books. Your details are run of the mill. I feel for an editor to be interested you have to sex it up. Come up with a core thesis in two or three sentences and have everything relate to that thesis. Sex it up with gripping personal details. I was near death for decades with facial pain. A book could really sell. It would not sell if I said I had an illness, went to a hospital, etc. Boring. I would have to reveal soul wretching moments, intimate moments that reflect my thesis. This is why I write no book yet.

  It is much easier to self pubish with the Internet. Certainly, preparing a manuscript might be cathartic whether it is published or not. I read a lot of nonfiction and hate it sometimes. Nonfiction works when there is a theme and a convincing personal presentation that is well written.

  So many times I read nonfiction and become enraged that I am wasting my time and that I could do far better.

  Frankly, no one cares about JWs besides JWs. People might care about dangerous cults if details are vivid and compelling.

  Then again, I do read a lot of books that have been published that I hate.

  Networking helps. Luck helps. There used to be a writer's resource sold in the NYC subways and major newsstands. It must be available online now.

  Getting in touch with publishing houses to find out their concerns and processes would be a good start.

  Ray Franz book was nonfiction and about a group I left decades before. Nevertheless, I could not put it down. It was a page turner and rivetting.
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  Hortensia

  Look for information on how to write a proposal for a non-fiction book. There is a lot of info available online. Before you write the book, write the proposal. It helps to organize your mind and forces you to do some research on what the competition is, how to make your point of view different from the others and how to sell your idea. It will help you identify your market and focus on what you want to tell them, as well as helping you create an outline for your book. Then writing the book is easier, because you have the outline and you know who your audience is and how to reach them.
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  The Quiet One

  http://www.manuscriptediting.com/proposals.htm http://www.shepardagency.com/writing_proposals.html
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  ekruks

  Thanks guys That was encouraging
  
  Steve2 I have watched the film to Angela's Ashes and almost did stop watching it ....a story, but a bit long, and I did just find it depressing.... it didn't have much hope in it. Whereas Seabiscuit deals with similar poverty during hard economic times, and made me think a lot, but it was easy to watch and while sad, positive as well, like life... perhaps why people like the film.
  I take your point, that I mustn't just write some sad, grumpy old rant about elders. I will need to have a more collected approach, and I will have to select just some of my life, as too much weird stuff happened for one book.
  
  I don't actually read that many books - read many Watchtowers, etc.. (I'm not the only one!)
  Most people only seem to read on the train, etc.. I prefer films, and as far as I can see, most successful films are in two catergories:

  1. Thriller..... action, mystery.... relies on intrigue.... I could try writing from this angle.... the discovering of what I belonged to...
  2. Romantic/comedy..... relies on the feel-good...... I don't see my life story as that..... romantic 'gift of singleness'
  ......brought up thinking Witness girls were the best thing in the world, and sure, I like the ideal.....
  ...............nothing appealing about a girl who passes out drunk, takes drugs, etc. but that's not every girl....
  ...........don't understand the way worldly girls thinks or who to trust.....
  ..........and well, spiritual girls would hold me to something I'm not sure about, i.e. sacrifice kids in hospital, etc.

  ....jamiebowers, the thing is turning my back on the faith seems to be denying morals
  
  As you can see, I like to write.... yes, The Quiet One, Band on the Run, it's get's it out the system..... and yes, I should contact a publishing house
  
  The Quiet One... thanks I don't really know anyone with a college education.... didn't keep contact with those we were taught were scriptually viewed as 'bad associations'....
  
  Ziddina It's difficult to know whether to stick hard to the facts or whether to go for a fictional approach.
  
  Using the actual names of elders wouldn't worry me, shame them, but in a way I do feel sorry for their misguidedness, but more sorry for the victims. I would be tempted to use similar names. I would quote parts of Watchtowers, perhaps by the main character reading them, but not extensively, because I want this to flow as a story, not a documentary.

  Sizemilk, Rocky_girl will look into the perspectives you suggest

  Totally ADD Sorry if I sound arrogant - I just don't like the negative attitude towards education - I know many kids have the potential to do more. I do work as a cleaner at the moment ...any attempt to get better work is hindered by brothers who see it as failing in love of Jehovah... and yes, Jesus did have a simple life.... well, my health is 100% anyway, so perhaps best I just work with my hands.
  
  Thanks to everyone else
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  jamiebowers

  .jamiebowers, the thing is turning my back on the faith seems to be denying morals

  You won't feel that way once you realize just how immoral the organization is.
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  ekruks

  .jamiebowers, the thing is turning my back on the faith seems to be denying morals

  You won't feel that way once you realize just how immoral the organization is

  @jamiebowers - I know - grew up living by a moral code, and now it seems crazy to start making the rules myself, or to be influenced by whatever people around about me enforce (for good or bad) - to be honest, I feel very lost without a higher power, like facing the wild frontier. I have heard of how people leave the army and can't adjust to "normal" life, without the army discipline system, and I can see a similarity with someone who leaves religion. There's a part of me that wants the organisation to be right, because it's easier and I can see many Witnesses are likewise (sounds like stockholm syndrome!) - there is also the fact my close and distant family are all Witnesess, going back generation, and isn't family the important thing in life, what it's about, so I don't want to loose them - many Witnesses seem to be going to meetings for this reason; sometimes just to keep their wife happy.
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  TotallyADD

  No end to say you are sorry. As a born-in I understand where you are coming from. I just feel so sad about all the harsh stories I read from fellow XJW. I feel your story does need to be told and look forward to your book. If you felt I was saying you were to harsh that's not what I meant. I was just saying your story was very sad. I hope the writing of your book will be emotionally uplifting to you. Take care. Totally ADD
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  ekruks

  I have seen and received much abuse from within the organisation. The concept of forgiveness on the basis of Jesus's ransom is kind in many ways, but the problem is that it is abused. An unbalanced person, with serious personality problems (a sexual abuser, a personal with a violent temper, passive-aggressive, etc.) can emotionally, verbally, even sexually abuse someone, then repent, and all is to carry on as normal. To not hold a grudge is one thing, because yes we all are imperfect, but to take no action at all is another - the abuser blatantly needs treatment of a medical nature, perhaps the so "demonic" therapy to correct their thinking.
  
  If the worldy counselling is anti-God, then why not have our own - I know we have the elders, and the holy spirit qualifies them, but they are by no means experts on mental health - it's the whole aspect of being spirit-appointed that bothers me. I know of elders with a real personality problem rather like Kevin Spacey's character in Swimming With Sharks - the organisation seems to be a fantastic place for such guys, where they can live in their perverted way, and everyone must just adapt to them. I have seen more than one elder (different congregations) have a tantrum in a Kingdom Hall during a meeting in front of a whole congregation, but while many - including quieter, shy elders - didn't like his actions, they didn't want to question Jehovah and 'don't know all the facts', so blindly unquestioningly continued showing the due 'double respect'. Where is the moral courage? What of high priest Phinehas striking an Israelite prince's (in some ways similar to Governing Body!) son to death? Any one who even dares to mention concern about something happening is silenced.
  
  Both times, a number did just stop going to meetings, and were actually watched for months (a number of times I would be on the ministry with an elder - various ons - and they would drive past a brother's road, even stop nearby or ring his bell in hope of catching him up to something) - some other reason for their departure could be found for the CO, such as 'he left because he has a girlfriend in the world'. The girlfriend / worldly life-style was the effect, not the cause (the abuse that pushed him away from the organisation) - we all have those weaknesses, things we struggle with as Witnesses, and when one drifts away, what of the drive to fight that temptation? Is it always that the temptation for 'fleshly desires' is what draws one away?
  
  It's easy for a psycho to continue his ways in 'the Truth' - he repents, doesn't receive treatment, so naturally will continue to behave in some perverted manner, while still serving as an elder - how can that be God's will? If it happened at work, you may change job, but if you jsut change congregation because an elder upset you, a letter follows that destroys you in the next. I'm not condoning violence, but outside the organisation, such a bully would sometimes get beaten and back off, but Witnesses are sheep-like, so such easy victims. I know we have to 'wait for God's appointed time', as did King David with pressure from Saul (let's not forget he ran AWAY), but this seems like an apologist, even helping the abuser, and is impossible to agree to while someone is blatantly being abused.
  
  What I find difficult is that I actually really believed in, lived for, worked hard for the ideals of Christianity. I agreed with the disapproval of the church for it's failings. If however Jehovah's Witnesses are also a failing, self-interested, then where is the true Christianity, where is God, where is the basis for our morals? Evolution doesn't provide a basis - it's all about survival of the fittest at all costs. I have this great longing for a higher power to guide ignorant, corrupt, self-interested mankind.
  
  It all reminds me of Darwin's dilemma -

  “Suppose the whole world stopped believing God had a plan for us. Nothing mattered. Not love, trust, faith, not honor. Only brute survival. Apart from everything else, it would break your mother’s heart.”

  "I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created parasitic wasps with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars"
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  sizemik

  ekruks . . . your post (above), especially the latter half, is very perceptive. Ironically, it is the apparent brutality . . . or lack of either malevolence or benevolence in the natural world (including mankind) is often at the core of apocalyptic based religion and religious philosophy. ie; something is wrong, corrupted, sinful about the world that needs some sort of restoration and cleansing.

  Further irony is added when such thinking extends to exerting a harmful influence, either psychologically or physically . . . and yet that is so often the end of such a cycle of thought. It simply becomes enshrouded in righteous virue in the minds of the adherents of such thinking.

  I would encourage you to give yourself some time to look deeper into the human psychology of belief . . . as a way of cleansing the mind before looking for the benevolence and subsequent restoration of all we see as corruption. Doing so may give a more stable foundation from which to draw conclusions about where the answers may be found . . . it's not the empty well many fear it to be.
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  The Quiet One

  Ekruks- post a new thread saying 'quiet one you have a pm' whenever you need help, once you've sent it obviously. I'm now an agnostic, who desperately wishes he could believe that a God cares about us, but can't see it at the moment, so I can't help you much with your dilemma. The only thing I can think of is to say that you are whoever you choose to be from today forward. No religion or human being can define you or set your morals for you, otherwise you would just be serving man, not God (this is all for if you still believe). You sound like a thoughtful person who wants to do what is right. A Christian lifestyle, especially when it comes to loving your neighbour, can be followed without men holding threats of hell/armageddon over you. Jesus is a good example to try and follow whatever you choose to believe in. If you fear being judged by God, though, you might hold yourself back from being honest and logical. If you're still worried that the jw's have the 'truth', maybe look into mind control. Maybe ask yourself if you believe that a loving God would kill you, as a sincere truth seeker, for not believing in a particular book/doctrine if you haven't proved it to be true/inspired to yourself? Would he expect you to live a life filled with doubt, guilt and fear, or would he want you to use the gift of life in accord with your own free will? Just a thought..