Nate Fleming's Blog, page 44
April 2, 2014
A Word from Rich
“A faith that moves mountains is a faith that expands horizons, it does not bring us into a smaller world full of easy answers, but into a larger one where there is room for wonder.” ― Rich Mullins
April 1, 2014
March 31, 2014
Dreamworks Animation to make Thimblerig’s Ark Film? I’m BUSTING!
I thought I couldn’t get any more excited than I did last week, when my post What’s Wrong with Christian Filmmaking went viral. It was an amazing few days, with over 90,000 people having visited my blog in a little under a week, and the article being reposted by actor Kevin Sorbo (Hercules, God is Dead) as well as writer Jefferson Bethke (Jesus > Religion). What I didn’t realize when it was going nuts, was just how nuts it was going to get.
On Sunday afternoon (China time), I received an email from a man named Alex Boese, who said he was a producer at Dreamworks. Apparently, with the renewed focus on faith-based films brought about by films like Son of God, Noah, God is Dead, and the upcoming Exodus, my article had made the rounds in Hollywood until someone on Facebook shared it with him. Boese wrote that he read the blog and appreciated what I’d written, but as he was reading, the cover of Thimblerig’s Ark caught his eye. It’s featured pretty prominently on my blog, and it doesn’t surprise me, as the cover was a fantastic job by seventeen year old up-and-coming artist, Burton Booz. Intrigued by the cover, Boese went ahead and downloaded the book out of curiosity. Here is what Boese said in his email:
I asked April, my eleven year old daughter, to give the book a glance, since she is often my barometer for what kids will like and not like. This was around 7 PM on Thursday night. When my wife went to get her ready for bed at 8:30, she was so deep into the story that my daughter didn’t hear my wife telling her to brush her teeth. We let her keep reading, and by 9:30, she’d read the whole book. She ran downstairs and asked if I could give her the second book. You should have seen the sad look on her face when I told her there wasn’t a second book yet! At that point, I knew I’d found something!
Friday morning, Boese took Thimblerig’s Ark up the chain of command at Dreamworks, until it landed on the desk of none other than Jeffrey Katzenberg himself that afternoon. That’s right – on Friday, March 28 – the day Noah was released in the US – the CEO of Dreamworks Animation was given a copy of my own version of the ark story, and Boese wrote that Katzenberg “absolutely loved it”!!!
Yes, you read that correctly. Jeffrey Katzenberg – who has been responsible for Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and lots more - loved Thimblerig’s Ark.
I’m busting here. BUSTING!
It’s all a bit of a whirlwind to me, and I don’t claim to understand everything that’s going on at this point, but if I’m reading this correctly, then it seems like Dreamworks – through this Mr. Boese – has made first contact in an attempt to negotiate some sort of deal for the rights for my first novel. With the apparently success of Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, it seems like the world’s most famous floating zoo is no longer seen as a hazardous film investment, and Aronofsky’s film was definitely not family fare! I’m currently trying to find a good entertainment lawyer to help make sure I do things correctly, and I’ve made a few contacts with a law firm based out of Hollywood called the Iocus, Blague, & Witz Entertainment Group, but we’ll see where it goes.
I wonder if Katzenberg will talk his good friend Mr. Spielberg into directing it? The way things have been going lately, I actually wouldn’t be surprised.
I’ve put up a copy of Boese’s email on an image hosting website, and you can read in detail by clicking here. Meanwhile, we’re scheduled to have a Skype conference at 2:00 PM Los Angeles time, which will be about 5:00 AM tomorrow morning for me.
COULD THIS GET ANY MORE CRAZY?!?
Oh, and by the way… since it appears most people don’t click links…
Your Love Never Fails
If Thimblerig’s Ark were adapted into a movie, I would want this song on the soundtrack. It perfectly captures the theme of the story.
Romans 8:28:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Psalm 136:1-3:
Praise the Lord! He is good.
God’s love never fails.
Praise the God of all gods.
God’s love never fails.
Praise the Lord of lords.
God’s love never fails.
March 30, 2014
March 29, 2014
Thimblerig’s Ark Free Download!
Thimblerig’s Ark is free for download this weekend! A middle grade novel that blends the fantasy of C.S. Lewis with Genesis account to tell a compelling story of redemption!
“All in all, a great romp. Quirky characters set up a gentle tale with a solid message behind it. Ideal audience would be 8-12.”
From Goodreads reviewer, Mark Lingane
Go get the book for free this weekend!
Thanks!
Nate Fleming
March 28, 2014
What’s Wrong with Christian Filmmaking, Episode II
Let me start off this post with a confession. My original post was not meant for mass consumption. It was written to the thirty or forty people who usually visit my blog – mostly friends and family. What I’ve experienced over the past few days has made me feel a mixture of emotions – delight, amazement, fear, humility, surprise… and I could go on listing emotions, because it’s been a roller coaster for me and my family.
You see, I’m not a guru, not by any stretch of the imagination. I haven’t made anything artistic that 99.9% of the people who visited this blog have seen. I’m actually typical. Extremely typical. Mind-numbingly typical. I do think of myself as a fellow artist, but more often then not, I am fellow audience.
Maybe God chose my article to spark a renewed conversation about Christians and the arts because of my normalcy? After all, I don’t have a following or a platform. I just have my first novel, and the reason I created this blog was to try and shill my novel. Last night a friend suggested that perhaps God even led me to write my book so that I would write the article, so that the conversation would be sparked. If so, then I’m even more amazed!
I’ve been most stunned in by the comments supporting the thesis of the article. I don’t say this because they were agreeing with me, but because it thrilled me to see that there so many folks out there attempting to be faithful to God through their art, who were encouraged by my words. Of course, I knew these people were out there, as I’ve had the pleasure to encounter so many creative Christians over the years, through Act One, Christians in Theatre Arts, and in different walks of my daily life. But I was still very encouraged to read all the comments about all the different creative things going on by the multitude of artists who are out there in the church.
If you are such an artist, and since I have been granted a platform for this time, I have a few things I’d like to say to you. Just remember, I’m no ancient wise man sitting on a mountaintop; these are words from a fellow pilgrim.
1) Do not be artists in isolation.
Artists tend to be introverts, and much of art is a solitary endeavor. However, if you are a writer, a painter, a dancer, a filmmaker, or any other form of artist, and you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you need to make sure you are in fellowship with other believers. Actually, this isn’t optional, as we’re commanded all throughout the Bible to be in fellowship. The most famous example of this is Hebrews 10:25, but you can click here to see one hundred verses on the importance of fellowship. I don’t know about you, but I tend to commit my darkest, most heinous sins when I’m alone. I’m also the most convinced that my wrong thinking is right when I’m alone. So, if you are not regularly meeting with other believers for whatever reason, allow me to quote Bob Newhart: STOP IT! Suck it up, find a gathering of Biblically-based Christians, and start gathering with them.
And that should only be the beginning. It’s quite easy to simply slip in to a church, give a good listen to the singing and the preaching, and then slip out, but that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about being vulnerable, transparent, and honest with your brothers and sisters. Open yourself to other believers from different walks of life. I contend that if you are an artist, you need this. Especially if you are an artist who is trying to take risks - you need this.
2) Guard your artistic heart.
I am a proud introvert, and I am exhausted by the idea of gathering with others. When I do, it carries me far outside of my comfort zone and then I find that I long for alone time so that i can recharge. The problem is - as I said above, if I am going to sin, it will happen when I’m alone. For example, the probability that I’m going look at pornography on the internet goes up exponentially when my family has all gone to bed and I’m alone sitting at my computer. And what’s to keep me from doing it? I mean, it’s there. It’s free. It’s instant gratification.
And the best part?
Nobody will ever know.
That’s not exactly true, though, is it? Someone very, very important does know. Someone knows every little thing I’ve ever done that I knew I shouldn’t have done, but I decided to do it anyway. He knows.
Do you know who I’m talking about?
I’m talking about myself.
I know.
I am fully aware – at all times – of my capability and propensity to sin. And that knowledge is a gift. It’s a gift because if I know that the danger is there, then I can be proactively building up defenses against the danger. It’s a danger for multiple reasons, but as artists we need realize this: your continual unrepentant sin will affect your art.
What defenses do I – as a Christian – have against sin and temptation? I want to list three basic defenses.
a) Scripture. Psalm 119 tells us that God’s word is like a light shining on the path in front of us. This isn’t metaphor (at least, not only metaphor). When we’re in the Word, we are much more aware of the temptations around us, and we’re much more aware of our inability to fight the temptations on our own. Why is it that we can quote our favorite films, but we have trouble memorizing Scripture?
b) Prayer. Even when you’re alone, you aren’t alone. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that the temptation we’re facing is not uncommon, and that God is with us as we’re being tempted. So don’t waste the opportunity of having one on one time with the one who created everything! Also, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us that prayer should be something we’re doing around the clock. It keeps our focus on Him, and keeps our focus off of the thing that is tempting us.
c) The conviction of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26, Jesus tells his disciples that the Father is sending an Advocate to teach us and remind us of the things Jesus taught. But you have to be willing to listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice! And you have to commit to obey, even when it really grates against your desire to express yourself.
3) If you don’t hate the dark side, you probably shouldn’t be going there.
In the preface of The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis said, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” I would say this also applies to things other than devils.
As you consider portraying darkness or sin in your art, you need to examine yourself to see how that darkness or sin grips you. If it fascinates you – no matter what it is – you need to avoid it. And you must be honest with yourself, which is why my first point is so vital! Without fellowship and accountability, you can slide down the slippery slope without even realizing you are on a slippery slope, and then find yourself enthralled by the very thing you formerly detested.
How many stories are there about Christians who have had their lives ruined because of sexual sin, and how many of those Christians started out honestly hating the thing that ended up being their downfall? Every believing artist should seek open, mature, biblical accountability to help keep this from happening.
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I still contend that the church needs to give her artists the freedom to explore the human story – the good, the bad, and the ugly – but we artists need to make certain that we don’t set out on that expedition alone, unguarded, and unhealthy.
Blessings,
Nate
Thimblerig’s Ark Free Promotion Date Change
The date for the free download of Thimblerig’s Ark has been moved back a day – to Saturday, March 29.
Thanks for supporting Thimblerig’s Ark!
March 26, 2014
Did My Blog Really Just Go Viral?
My mouth is continually hanging wide open. This blog typically averages about 25 hits a day. And in the past twenty four hours, I’ve gotten over 40,000 visits. All because of my innocently posted article, “What’s Wrong with Christian Filmmaking?“. My mind has officially been blown wide open by all the people who have come here and read my words.
I want to use this mind-blown opportunity to set aside the topic that interested so many people – just for a moment – and testify to the goodness of God.
It’s kind of long, for which I hope you’ll forgive me, because of the whole mind-blown thing. Here goes:
I finished writing Thimblerig’s Ark in December, and immediately started trying to find literary representation. At the same time, I was planning on leaving my teaching job in China to return with my family to the U.S. after fifteen years living overseas, to fulfill my dream of teaching theater in a small Christian university.
Get the picture? At the same time I was submitting Thimblerig’s Ark to literary agents, I was also submitting my CV to university hiring committees, and contemplating a major life move for my family of five.
Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment.
If I lived on Bizarro world, I would have been in heaven, because every day held a rejection from either a literary agent or a hiring committee. But I don’t live on Bizarro world, and and so it was just plain depressing. Darned depressing. Absolutely and unequivocally depressing. Rejection from an agent! Rejection from a university! Rejection! Rejection! Rejection! Depressing!
After a few weeks of enduring this, and asking God every day to show me clearly what I needed to do, an attractive transfer option came open to a cleaner and less polluted Chinese city where I would be teaching subjects I would enjoy to high school students, including theater. My wife and I believed that God was in the offer, and so we took it.
Days later, I had a long conversation with Andrew Derham, an author friend who has self-published his crime novels, and that conversation gave me the courage to choose the same route for Thimblerig’s Ark. It wasn’t an easy decision because most authors would certainly prefer the stability and safety of an agent and a publisher to going it on their own, but I felt like it was the correct – and the risky – decision.
With both next year’s job choice and the question of self-publishing behind me, I began to work on getting the word out about Thimblerig’s Ark. I was tweeting, blogging, Facebooking, Goodreading, youtubing; anything I could do to try and get people to notice my little book, but it was like trying to sell a ticket stub at the Super Bowl. Nobody was interested.
The whole enterprise started to become depressing again. But I continued praying, asking God to show me what I needed to do.
And then yesterday, I read Gospelspam’s review of God’s Not Dead and was inspired to sit down and write the article in question. After writing and rewriting until it said what I wanted it to say, I threw it onto Facebook and then promptly forgot about it, thinking I’d get the typical twenty or thirty hits.
Out of nowhere, people began visiting my little blog. It started as a trickle – just a few dozen visits at first, then it became hundreds, then thousands, and over the course of the day I saw that number grow into the tens of thousands.
And just like that, the name “Thimblerig” had gotten exposure like I could have never bought, planned, or imagined.
If that’s not God at work, then what is?
I don’t have a clue what it means, for me or for Thimblerig’s Ark, but I honestly feel like I can’t waste an opportunity that He has given me. Therefore, I ask you to please allow me to end this post with a shameless plug, and I hope it will not drive you away. I’m proud of my book, and I’m so incredibly grateful that God has opened a door that I couldn’t have opened if I had the strength of Samson.
THIMBLERIG’S ARK
You already know about Noah. Just wait until you read the animal’s story.
Thimblerig’s Ark is Nate’s big debut. Inspired by an Irish pub song about why the unicorn missed out on Noah’s Ark, Thimblerig’s Ark is a Narnian-style fantasy novel that looks at how the animals all made it there in the first place, focusing on a con-artist groundhog named Thimblerig.
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If that little blurb sounds like something interesting to you, just click here, and you’ll be whisked away to Amazon, where you can check out the book. I would really appreciate the support, and if you’d help spread the word. Especially with Noah’s Ark on people’s minds right now, thanks to the big epic film.
To conclude, I’m working on a second part to my earlier article, where I unpack some of the issues and thoughts that were raised with the comments many of you left here. I’m humbled and honored by the kind words I’ve read, and especially blown away by the substantial numbers of kindred spirits that are evidenced in these comments.
I look forward to continuing the conversation.
Sola Dei Gloria!
Nate
