Heading to an Undisclosed Location

This Saturday I’m getting on a plane and heading to an undisclosed location to make huge progress (hopefully) on writing my book. I’m not telling you where I’m going for two reasons: 1) You might live near there and be tempted to ask me to lunch, and 2) I might like you and be tempted to say "yes." Just can’t risk losing focus from writing.

I’m a little nervous about this trip for several reasons…

• I’ve never written a book by myself. (I thought about asking Tony to join me in the hotel just to keep me company, but he would have made some excuse about wanting to be with Emily.) I love to write, but this will be a new venture for me.
• Even though I’m an introvert, I think it will be very strange to be by myself for seven days straight. Just me and my laptop. Writing. Hour after hour. Day after day. I will be connected by phone to my comrades and family so I can "come up for air" at various times through the day and have someone to talk to.
• What if I can’t get in the writing zone? And for me, there definitely is a writing zone. Sometimes writing comes very easy, and sometimes it is like childbirth (cause I would know). I need a clear head to get in the zone, which is one of the primary reasons I’m going away. Just imagine trying to write at my house with my wife in the next room. (Uh, okay, don’t imagine that). Just trust me, it’s distracting!
• I’m on a deadline. It was self-imposed. Now that I’ve entered an agreement with a publisher, it is no longer myself that I’m accountable to. Yikes!

The topic is leveraging pop culture in the local church. You can help me. I’m looking for books, magazine articles, thesis papers, manuscripts from messages you’ve preached–anything that will help as a resource in writing this book.

Ideas? Leave them as comments below.