7 Quick Takes: Troublemakers

1.

It’s the end of the Catholic Writer’s Conference Online, and I had a reader here take me to task for not publicizing it enough.  (“Conference? What conference?”).  So I’m going to fix that.

2.

The thing is this:  A year ago, Mike Hays and I were making trouble at Sarah Reinhard’s otherwise very civilized blogging workshop.  We were saying things like, “And the CWG ought to have a blog!  And Mike will pray once a week! And Jen is willing to help! Because she always volunteers for things, even though she has no time, but this time she really thinks she should!”

3.

And someone took us up on it.  Ann Lewis presented me with a newborn blog, and said, “Here you go, find writers.”   Mike’s led prayers over at CWG every week since.  He rocks.

4.

So anyway, what you need to know is that if you’re a Catholic writer, you really ought to check out the Catholic Writers Guild.  And if you’re a Christian writer of any flavor, join us all through April for 30K for Christ.  There’s a 30K for Christ forum for CWG members, and non-members are encouraged to check-in at the blog with progress reports, or join in via Twitter following top-secret instructions Sarah Reinhard’s going to decode and make public by Sunday.

Meanwhile, you should steal this stylish 30K Logo so that everyone knows you aren’t just writing stuff, you’re on a mission:

5.

Allie Hathaway’s a Catholic writer.  Pray for her.  Thanks.

6.

Of the 7,000 cool things I learned at the online conference, my favorite is this:

Sr. Marie Paul Curley is Jim Curley’s sister.  That’s why she looks so happy in her profile pics on her blog.  If you weren’t already reading her blog, now’s the time to start.

And in news culled from that blog: Act One is accepting applications for the coming year?  Yes? Still open?  I don’t see a deadline.

But I do see this: A casting call for ex-Christians, disaffected Christians, and people who just don’t do organized religion:

SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS APRIL 4, 2012. Project is unpaid, but participants will receive copy, credit, and reimbursement for production-related costs.

ABOUT YOU LOST ME

With You Lost Me, Barna Group researcher David Kinnaman shows why younger Christians are leaving the church and rethinking their faith. Through research and statistics, Kinnaman shows how pastors, church leaders and parents have failed to equip young people and how this has serious consequences. Those disconnected from the church are not statistics, says Kinnaman — they are people with real stories. You Lost Me, in part, is a challenge to the church to slow down and listen to those who consider themselves outsiders.

FYI for those who rightly worry about these things, Act One has made it’s mark as an outspoken criticism of the sugary 3rd-rate rah-rah-rah team brand of inane Christian programming.  So this looks promising.

7.

And now I’m going to Aldi. Wait!  No I’m not! The kids made a list . . . and we all forgot! The truck’s in the shop!  Ack.  Leaky hose.  It’ll be home soon I hope.  Good thing our idea of “out of groceries” involves still owning large amounts of food.

And tomorrow: Taxes.  I’d better get a head start since I’ll have to do grocery run tomorrow. Do you know what my #1 writing rule is?  If you can’t write as clearly as the IRS, you should be fired.

7.5

Whoa!  What’s with the website redesign at IRS??? Ack.  It’s colorful. Bright.  Cheesy photos of satisfied customers.  NOOOOOO!  I want my boring soothing, orderly accountant-blue back.  Nooooooo!

 

Have a great weekend.