This has been a tense, but exciting, week for me. I’ve been putting the finishing touches on my first online course for writers: “I Have a Draft! Now What?” It went through beta testing in December and, other than the inevitable tech challenges, was ready for an insider’s look by President’s Day. Too bad the timing’s off for the usual President’s Day specials. But read on: There’s Blue Moon pricing in your future.
In the midst of the chaos, I received inspiration from a couple of very unlikely sources. The first two were on television—programs at opposite ends of the spectrum, from high-brow lectures to unbridled entertainment. Stay tuned for a confession.
I was binge watching Indiana Jones over the weekend. There, I said it. I have to revisit the movies from time to time because Raiders of the Lost Ark, along with Romancing the Stone, were two movies that inspired me when I first began plotting my novels. The Last Crusade was on last night. It includes one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, Indiana Jones and his father are searching for the Holy Grail. They’ve discovered where it is, but have to decipher some cryptic clues (and outwit the villains) to get to it without incident.
At a critical moment, Indy reaches a gaping chasm with no apparent way to cross. The instructions say to leap from beside the lion to reach the other side. It’s obviously too far to jump, so Indy does the unthinkable and steps out into what appears to be empty space. Surprisingly, his foot lands on a bridge made of stone that is nearly invisible because it blends in with the rock of the surrounding cliffs.
I’ve often used that image as a metaphor for my life. Many times I’ve stepped out into the abyss and had no idea where I was going to land. Now I’m facing the very exciting, and intimidating, unknown of an online business.
The next source of inspiration caught me totally off guard. I was channel surfing, waiting for one of my programs to begin. I stumbled across a history lecture by Chapel Hill professor Molly Worthen on Fundamentalism and Pentecostalism in the 20th Century. I hesitantly watched for a few minutes, excepting a scoffing characterization by the Yale-educated speaker. It was surprisingly objective and positive, so I continued to watch.
She spoke at length about the movement begun by Aimee Semple McPherson. I was familiar with the name as I’d heard my mother mention her through the years. I was in awe of how much she had been able to accomplish in a time when women were barely in the early stages of getting the vote and were certainly not welcome in the pulpits of America.
I then looked up a documentary online to find out more of her story. Canadian-born McPherson initially went to China as a missionary with her husband. After his death from malaria she remarried and began an evangelistic campaign, traveling across the country with her mother and her two children. She eventually founded a denomination, built a mega church in Los Angeles without incurring any debt, and provided substantial aid to families in need. Her church welcomed congregants of all ethnicities and social status and was even attended by Hollywood celebrities. Yes, there was scandal, and contradictory behavior, and I doubt that I would be in agreement with her doctrine, but I came away in awe of the woman’s accomplishments.
Ironically, in looking for an image to illustrate this post, I was unable to find even one picture of a woman preacher—one hundred years after McPherson blazed the trail.
The third source was an unexpected and light-hearted bonus sent straight from the heavens: snow. Always guaranteed to raise my spirits.
As I enter this next phase of my venture, I want to say thanks to all my friends, advisors, and supporters behind the scenes who provided resources, encouragement, beta testing, and critiques along the way.
The course is available for a sneak peak on the Thinkific learning platform. You can sign in for free. Click the “Make the Leap” image to access the Free Trial. The complete course will be released one lesson at a time beginning March 1.
I promised a “Blue Moon Special.” Details in the sidebar on the right.
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