I don’t remember exactly when but, sometime this year, I began work on The Highway to Freedom, what I visualized as being a sort of multi-generational spiritual saga. I never finished it.
I also obtained a new twelve-string guitar this year. The one with the Jesus/Love sticker broke its neck when Nathan accidentally knocked it over. Since I couldn’t find that label again, I replaced that with a decal that contained the Greek version of Ichthus, an acrostic which stands for ‘Jesus Christ Son of God Savior’.
JANUARY
I begin a short novel called Quest of the Silver Virgin based on the musical I wrote. I don't finish it.
13, 20, 22 - 27 JANUARY
Saturday, Saturday, Monday - Saturday
I produce, direct, and perform in four other gospel concerts.
5 FEBRUARY
Monday
During my search for an agent for my novel, Quest of the Silver Virgin, Bella Pomer returns my letter with a note saying she doesn’t handle science fiction.
Looking back, now, I realize that I oftentimes started a novel and then tried to find an agent for it, and when I didn’t, I gave up on it. Most of the agents, of course, indicated they preferred to read completed novels—not chapters, works-in-progress, or unfinished books. From my point of view, I wanted someone to take an interest in order to give me the impetus to actually finish one. Judging from some of my later efforts, that probably wouldn’t have happened.
22 MARCH
Thursday
I begin working on The Huntress [an embryonic version of what will later become known first as Kunoichi, and then White Painted Woman], and try to interest the Calgary Sun newspaper in a weekly series about my prototype who will eventually become ‘Lady Carlinea’. I also inform them that I will write under the alias, ‘Lord Michael Sheehan Wellington’.
Obviously, I still had problems with my identity as a person and writer. ‘Lord Michael Sheehan Wellington’—a pseudonym I wanted to use to ‘lend credence’ to the adventures of ‘Lady Carlinea’. I also know that, at the time, I still thought ‘Woodhead’ unsuitable as an author name, let alone a singing one, so I tried to find a more appealing moniker.
The Calgary Sun later replies that the series would probably not suit the ‘community newspaper’ image they want to maintain.
SPRING
I start up The Wellspring, another company for the promotion of Christian writers and performers, but once again, like the others, it folds after a couple of months.
I successfully complete a Living in Christ correspondence course with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Lori and Perry [a.k.a. New Wine & Roses] express interest in using my song, Man in the Glory, for an upcoming album they want to produce [Sail on Home], but eventually they decide not to use it.
Although I never learned the reason why they didn’t use it, I suspect they didn’t want the hassle of paying me royalties, which I totally understand.
APRIL
I submit an idea for a novel called The Chronicles of Armageddon to Doubleday Publishing, but it's rejected.
I try to raise $5000 to pay for, produce, and record an LP entitled Crucified Rose [and then re-named Crucified with Christ]. This doesn’t happen.
If I had been able to go ahead with the Crucified with Christ LP, I had planned to have a photo taken with me on a cross to use for the cover superimposed over my profile.
So many of my projects always seemed to require a lot of money [that I never had] to be able to produce / create them.
We begin to attend the Calgary Foursquare Gospel Church, pastored by Grady Williams.
On reflection, I think I was looking for a home church where membership in it didn’t mean I had to accept a set of dogmatic tenets. I never did find one, so I reluctantly accepted the rules of whatever church I attended so I could participate. I suppose I was deceiving myself more than anyone else—I couldn’t be true to what I believed.
I consider applying for a job at Campus Crusade for Christ, but that never materializes.
A design I create for a Foothills Bookstore sale brochure brings complaints of 'sexism' and 'male chauvinism' from some of the Lutheran clergy. Thankfully, the bookstore managers see nothing wrong with my design, but they do ask me to keep future brochures ‘plain’.
11 MAY
Friday
I sing at a Stampede City Fellowship banquet.
18 - 20 MAY
Friday - Sunday
I sing at the 3rd Annual Gospel Music Festival in Rosebud, Alberta.
Through Foothills Bookstore—now re-named Concord Canada—I design and print the cover for This Land Is Our Land, a novel by Magda Hendrickson.
We begin attending New Life Church in Ogden.
Again, still looking for an identity, I begin to use ‘Michael Sean Tiernan’ as a pseudonym for my singing.
JUNE / JULY
I conceive of an epic entertainment industry novel called Cinema—and then change the name to The New Mogul—which I want to be a look behind the scenes of a modern-day studio-system motion picture production company and the people involved in it.
30 JUNE
Saturday
Heart Records rejects my song submissions to them.
17 AUGUST
Friday
I sing at the Hillhurst United Church coffee house.
FALL
Lana and I take some introductory drawing/painting classes.
We both really enjoyed these classes and wished we could have continued but, again, we just didn’t have the necessary finances to do so. We still have the paintings we completed.
Lana Woodhead - African Sunset
Michael Woodhead - Nude With Siamese Cats
24 - 29 SEPTEMBER
Monday - Saturday
We attend the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts seminar.
Quite honestly, although I found much of the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts teachings reasonable, I also determined there was too much ‘legalism’ involved—i.e., they expected followers to adhere to various rules and regulations without question, the very thing I had a problem with regarding some churches and organizations.
OCTOBER
I try to form a comic book company, CharismaGraphics, a division of Charisma Christian Comics, and create a half-drawn cover for a superhero comic, Phoenix—The Girl Who Came Back from the Dead. I never finish it.
17 OCTOBER
Wednesday
In preparation for my friend, Ray, recording two of my songs [Cherie and I Just Gotta Tell You ], I join C.A.P.A.C. [Composers, Authors & Publishers Association of Canada Ltd]
25 OCTOBER
Thursday
We receive notice that our rent will be raised to $138.00 a month for our three-bedroom townhouse.
NOVEMBER
Concord Canada moves from its current location in the northeast to another one in the northwest. The employees end up doing most of the heavy lifting and setting up in the new store.
23 NOVEMBER
Friday
Along with Love's Revival, a country gospel group, I sing at a concert at New Life Church.
DECEMBER
Ray releases Cherie b/w I Just Gotta Tell You on PFOB Records.
3 DECEMBER
Monday
I apply for a job at the Southern Alberta Opera Association, but they choose another suitable applicant.
I apply to the Calgary Board of Education for the position of ‘Darkroom Technician’, but they choose another suitable applicant.
5 DECEMBER
Wednesday
I graciously receive a letter of recommendation for my ministry from First Baptist Church even though I previously indicated my dissatisfaction with performing at the coffee house because the audiences no longer seemed to be interested in listening to the singers. I—and others—had now become more like Christian ‘background’ or ‘elevator’ music.
