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One More Week- My Friend Louie #ASMSG #MFLouie

jeremy_final_websizeIn less than a week my new novella “My Friend Louie” will be available. In short, it is the story of a Bi-polar fifteen year old boy and his baseball bat. For some it may be violent. For others it may be sad and wrapped in a sea of guilt. Regardless, I hope it finds a way to speak to you.

I never intended to write this story. It sort of simply happened by mistake. No outline. No plan. Just a notebook, a pen, and a curious idea. I found myself consumed with the concept and wrote the first draft in one week. In some ways I think it is the most honest story I have ever told. And for that reason it has a special place in my heart.

As I sit here one week away I have to ask myself the question- Who is Louie? Where does he come from? And for most, you don’t even know for you haven’t read it. Regardless, let me assure you that the answer is not quite that simple. For Louie is a part of both you and me. He represents that dark nature I have so longed to try and escape. He is my nemesis as well as my friend. He is both evil and good. But in the end, I know that in order for me to become better, I must rid myself of him.

You see that is the essence of this little story. Turning away from who we are, and searching for the one we can be.

All of us have encountered that terrible thought. What would we do to the one that wronged us? And when we call up those ideas of what we would do, well those thoughts are private, violent, and often frightening to even ourselves. It matters not who it is. The jerk that cut us off in traffic. The one that gave us a bad review. The father that said you weren’t good enough for his daughter. The list is endless. And we all have one.

Revenge is a human instinct. It’s natural to want to see justice done to those who have wronged us. And when I sit, and think of the terrible things I want to do to someone who has hurt me, my wife, my family, Well- I must admit. In that moment, it is not me. It is My Friend Louie.  

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Christianity, Horror, and Fear #ACFW #MFLouie #ASMSG

545596_10151281869011057_415906165_nFear by all means is not a pleasant emotion. Having to experience terror, being threatened, feeling doomed, is quite naturally a negative feeling. It isn’t something that one wishes to feel. Fear in the circles of Christian belief is one that is often suppressed. As a Christian believer myself, I have found myself afraid many times. But I have also found that at times my fear is unnecessary because I always place my hope in Christ. But fear, regardless of where our faith lies, is a natural reaction that often is unavoidable.

I like to write fiction that crosses the line. Gently coloring outside of them is not enough for me. I don’t want to write within the bounds of a “You Can’t Say this or do that criteria…” Please understand I am neither mocking nor complaining about any publisher in the Christian industry. What I am saying however, is for me, I want to explore the questions that some may or may not be daring to explore.

In my Short Story “Compulsion” I asked the questions- Can God forgive a monster? Could he forgive someone that murdered for enjoyment…? Could he forgive a Hitler, Stalin, or Jim Jones…? But more importantly, could I accept the fact that he would forgive them…?

With my upcoming Novella “My Friend Louie” I ask the question- For those of us that struggle in life, for those of us who face deep psychological issues, does God care that we suffer…?  I will admit, that none of those questions were fun to explore. They were quite frightening indeed. It’s by all means never fun to make assumptions. However, when exploring philosophical concepts sometimes the answers aren’t clear and assumptions are all we have. The Bible I believe provides us with many answers, and likewise provides us with the character of God. But often times the Bible is silent in places where we would like it to be bold.

There are many in the Christian industry that would look at my writing and say “It’s too dark…” That’s okay, because those readers aren’t my market. There are many in the non-Christian industry that would say I’m too preachy. That also is ok. As I just mentioned, they aren’t my market. My market is those who are willing to look beyond the surface, and aren’t afraid to dive deep and explore the depths that most folks never take the time to search themselves.

For me, stories are only the form to achieve that. But stories are more than simply a tale that may leave us up turning the pages well into the early morning hours. I want to tell stories that leave you with a thought. Leave you with a desire to explore the question further. I hope I manage to achieve that. Because for me, that is where the real measure of success lies. Fear is not pleasant, but often fear is the force that drives us to dive deep.

 

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Anger, Aggression, AND Horror #ASMSG #MFLouie

598764_10151496384241057_826733573_nJust the other day I was driving down the road, you know the scene. It’s early, tons of traffic, you’re rushing out the door trying not to be late to work. You just want to make that insanely difficult left turn off your street and onto the busy road. But then suddenly, some moron cuts you off. That same moron then proceeds to chat on her phone oblivious to what she just did. In that moment, I want to ram her rear end. Cause her head to snap back against the seat so she comes up looking dazed and confused. I imagine her losing control and smashing into some telephone pole. Car in flames… Do I sound angry? Of course I was angry. But not angry enough to wish her harm.

We live in a world where anger has had an impact on people’s lives. People have lost their life because they encountered someone who couldn’t control their anger. I’ve seen people beaten and bruised and in some cases even hospitalized just because someone didn’t know how to suppress said anger.

It’s somewhat sad really. Anger is such an easy emotion to lose control of. But anger isn’t always bad. I was angry on 9/11 as many were. I was angry when my brother died. I was angry when some idiot NBA owner made a racial comment. I was angry when my Sooners lost to the Longhorns. I get angry. We all do. But it’s learning how to control, and finding a way to release anger in a positive way that makes a difference.

There are some that try Yoga, others run or workout. For me, well I’m an evangelical Christian, and therefore I pray. Whatever you choose one must learn that anger must find a way to exit.

Now- I’m not Dr. Phil by any means (And I’m not sure I would want to be). But that’s the basis of my New Novella coming out- “My Friend Louie.”

My Friend Louie is the story of a Bi-Polar fifteen year old boy and his baseball bat. It’s the story of a boy that was bullied, saw everything in his life fall apart, and finally- Just snapped. But the question remains. When life crashes down around you. When you do things that cause you not to recognize yourself in the mirror. When you reach the point to where you feel that no one cares- Is there a Hope?

For me the answer is clear. What about for you dear reader…?

“My Friend Louie” – June 17th

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