WILL YOU kindly help me?

by Terry 86 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Terry

  I've finished writing my novel (50 thousand words) about my years spent in Federal Correctional prison when I was an obedient little JW.

  The editing and rewriting stage now commences.

  I NEED YOUR HELP!

  Here is how you can help me.

  I can't know what an outside mind wants to find out concerning this experience. I can only conjure up what seems interesting to me.

  TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW about such a personal experience.

  That will give me a checklist to compare to what I've written already.

  I may have missed many little details which are very important to a reader.

  I may have neglected essential questions which must be answered in order to satisfy the mind.

  PLEASE offer me your curiousity.

  Thanking you in advance; I appreciate your taking the time to advance my novel to the finish line.

  (I wrote it as a fictional work because I could not honestly write about myself without the distance of this device.

  So, I made myself into a character with a different name.

  The identity of everyone else is non-fiction.)
• 

  drew sagan

  A few things that come to my mind.

  - What kind of arrangements does the Watchtower make for those in prison, what are their policies
  - How did your decision to be JW while in prision effect the way other inmates treated you
  - Was being a JW while in prision effective at helping you survive the experience, or did it make matters worse?
• 

  DJK

  Re: WILL YOU kindly help me?

  I thought you were going to ask me to double check my spelling.

  My question, did you attend church while you were in prison? Do they have church in prison?
• 

  Gregor

  I find the details of daily living in a 'different' invironment to be interesting.

  The food. clothes, facilities and conditions for toilet and bathing, In a cell or barracks setting? Noise? (When I was an elder I had a Bible study with a jailbird and the noise and hubbub was non-stop) Did you ever have a "panic" attack due to the claustrophobic confinement? What kind of non-JWs did you get to know.? Did you have a job? Did you ever take anybody out with a shiv? (kidding)

  Hope this helps
• 

  Nathan Natas

  I'm willing to help, and since someone has to be an asshole and ask the "indelicate" questions, it might as well be me:

  How brutal was your prison experience?

  Was the threat of homosexual rape real, or is that hollywood ("OZ") hype?

  What was the most pleasant (positive) surprise about your time spent in prison?

  What was the most shocking (negative) surprise about your time spent in prison?

  After you were released, how were you treated by the congregation? Better? Worse? No change?

  -- Nathan Natas: "Being an asshole so you don't have to."
• 

  Terry

  A few things that come to my mind.

  - What kind of arrangements does the Watchtower make for those in prison, what are their policies
  - How did your decision to be JW while in prision effect the way other inmates treated you
  - Was being a JW while in prision effective at helping you survive the experience, or did it make matters worse?

  Great questions already!

  I covered only two of the above questions in my novel and not really in depth. This is going to be a great boon to the book.

  Much obliged!
• 

  Terry

  My question, did you attend church while you were in prison? Do they have church in prison?

  Thank you. Fortunately, spellcheck will keep me honest on the technical side, but; the question you raise about church I don't think I answered too well in the book. I mentioned a Catholic chapel and the JW meetings. I neglected the overall facility provision for everybody.

  Thank you.
• 

  wings

  How isolated were you? What were your thoughts? Was there someone in your environment that challenged your beliefs? Were you righteous in the situation, or horrified by it? What did you think of others there? What were your feelings about those back home? What helped you to emotionally get through it?

  I could go on...
• 

  Terry

  I find the details of daily living in a 'different' invironment to be interesting.

  The food. clothes, facilities and conditions for toilet and bathing, In a cell or barracks setting? Noise? (When I was an elder I had a Bible study with a jailbird and the noise and hubbub was non-stop) Did you ever have a "panic" attack due to the claustrophobic confinement? What kind of non-JWs did you get to know.? Did you have a job? Did you ever take anybody out with a shiv? (kidding)

  Hope this helps

  Great questions all!

  I cover the food and clothes, but; I neglected the everyday facilities in Seagoville. I gave the most detail about County Jail. Further, I see now I need to give a much better detailed portrait of the complete daily routine.

  Confinement, oddly, was never an issue. I hadn't even thought of addressing that. What an obvious hole in my narrative!!

  I also didn't describe the jobs I had when in prison!! What an oversight!!

  As far as being attacked and the nature of how that went down; that is the central storyline! So, I did cover that one.

  Already these questions are like manna from heaven.

  Keep em' coming, boys and girls.
• 

  marsal

  While you were in prison, did you begin to doubt the Organization and their rigid legalism which caused your imprisonment?