Joab, the Bible's Greatest Killer


Abstract:
I've been thinking about writing a serialized story of Joab, only setting it in a mythic gangster-ruled city. Sort of like a cross between Gormenghast and 1930's Chicago.

(Picture found here.)

Body:
I've been thinking about writing a serialized story of Joab, only setting it in a mythic gangster-ruled city. Sort of like a cross between Gormenghast and 1930's Chicago.

(Picture found here.)

Joab is one of my favorite minor characters in the Bible. His story is full of intrigue, double-entendres, double-dealings, outright lying, disingenuous motives, and violence. Every time I read 2 Samuel, I think, "this would make an awesome gangster movie." I imagine Joab as a circumspect assassin, someone who would be very reflective and insightful, but who would often lie to himself about his own motives. I think Joab is a character who doesn't realize how angry he truly is. I also love the way David and Joab interact. Both are clearly capable of violence, political cunning, and self-deception. I think they are more alike than different. Yet the poet "wins" against the pragmatist. Joab and David are dopplegangers, but they aren't true opposites - more like two sides of the same coin.

I'm not sure how I would do it yet. I have probably 3 or 4 chapters of a book written that use this concept, but the problem is I cannot get motivated to sit down and write unless I have an audience in mind. So far, the writing feels disjointed, switching between first and third person. And my intended audience keeps shifting. Church people are generally too prudish to appreciate the story. I think the ideal audience would be those who appreciate epic Biblical themes in secular culture. There's a lot in the story about grace and law, revenge and redemption. Frankly, there is more in it than I can pull off.

I thought I could serialize the story in blog format. I might try to cover server costs with google adsense and other such stuff, maybe even get the spousal unit or some friends to do some illustrations. The money aspect isn't that big a deal, it's just that I'm already paying for three or four domains and hosting plans. This one is just a hobby, and a way to get thoughts out "on paper" in a semi-public way.

I'm not that great at writing fiction, but I do sometimes feel this story clawing at my insides, wanting to get out.

Any thoughts, suggestions, recommendations?

Posted: Fri - November 11, 2005 at 12:59 PM           |

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