On Writing
I have been told on numerous occasions that everyone has at least one book milling around inside of them. This book is so crystallized in people's minds that it seems like all one would have to do to write it would be to find time, and when you put that pen to paper (or your hands on the keys) the words would simply spill out of you, as if you've been taken over by your story and are simply a conduit, a channel to bring it into existence. Until then, this story waits patiently inside, like a prom date sitting at the bottom of the stairs, pulling absentmindedly at his necktie, waiting for his date to appear and the magical night to begin, knowing that until then he's just an overdressed fellow with no place to go. As humans we have the power to create ex nihilo a thing of such beauty and passion that it cannot help but enrapture and engage an entire generation of readers.
Or something like that.
I used to like to write. As a child I would write science fiction stories, Robetech-esque space operas with a lot of action. As a child I also co-wrote "The Kidnapping at Grandma's House" with my friend Zak Pavitt, a sixty page tome in which he and I were the main characters and somehow managed to be riddled with bullets, blown up by grenades, and come out alive in each chapter. We were only nine years old, after all. What else would we possibly find interesting enough to write about?
I worshipped Stephen King, and as I grew older many of my stories were teenage-angst ridden horror stories in which the parents never seem to make it out alive. This was perhaps one of the reasons why my parents saw fit to put me in therapy. Of course, my therapist encouraged my writing; they love those "creative outlets." Why else do you think they have jigsaw puzzles in the insane asylum?
In college, I was one of the prestigious few who knew vaguely what our interests were and who didn't switch majors with every passing year. I came in as a Creative Writing major, and I would leave as a Creative Writing major. At the end of my first year I was accepted in the Creative Writing program and my path was fixed. And then something happened.
I got saved. I became a Christian.
Not that this is a bad thing. Far from it. I became a child of God, accepted in the Beloved...but I couldn't figure out what to write. I had seen the face of Christian fiction, and I quickly ran the other way in horror. I'm not talking about the Chronicles of Narnia, which some people would call quasi-Christian rather than overtly Christian. I'm talking about what you'd find in the CBD Catalog under "fiction." So immediately, as a Christian and as a writer, I was faced with a huge dilemma:
Do I want to write fiction that takes place exclusively in Pennsylvania in the 1600's in small Amish communities? Do I write "fiction" that is really just under-glamorized romance? Should I write fiction as a Christian, for a Christian, for non-Christians? Should I write dark, depressing fiction about the futility and hopelessness inherent in a life without God? If I were to write Christian fiction, should I include the good and the bad in the Christian experience, warts and all? What is my focus in writing fiction? To foster repentance, encouragement, and devotion, or merely entertainment and emotional highs?
Such was my dilemma.
To make a long story short, because I was still in college, and still in the Creative Writing program, I had to continue to pump out stories. Necessity was laid upon me. And so I did, rather haltingly and forcefully. To this day, having been out of college for three years, I still struggle with the place of my writing in my Christian walk.
And so I need help from you all.
I've posted some of my writing on the sidebar, at the bottom of all the other stuff. If you have time, read through a few stories. Some are funny, some are serious. I've noticed that in most of my stories nothing much happens; rather, it's about small revelations, God letting us know that He is with us.
Are these stories effective? If you don't have time to read them, please at least answer me these: what is the place of fiction in the Christian life? Must it be overtly Christian to be truly Christian?And so on...
P.S. I'm not sure if I posted the writing correctly, so let me know if the links don't work...
posted by Team Kerbel @ 8:56 AM
17 Comments:
Nope. The links don't appear to be working. My suggestion would be to upload them the same way you would upload pictures, then grab the links and put them in the sidebar.
Ok Mike, I think I've figured this out. I had to make them public instead of private (which actually only changed one letter of the path). So, try it again and let me know. By the way, they're PDF files so they might take just a few seconds to show up.
Yours are good questions, questions I've asked myself as a Christian and a writer. Here's the answer I found for myself:
www.smokemeat.blogspot.com
(Start with Chapter 1, or it won't make any sense at all.)
hmm. just because you are a Christian, and also a writer, does your writing have to be Christian writing? i mean it is fiction after all. why can't you just write stories to write stories?
Look at Borges, he had Christian ideas but he even wrote a work of fiction in which he pretended to support Nazi ideas...
Your writing doesn't have to have shit to do with your fiction unless it really fits.
Passion is the root of greatness. JR Tolken? If you find a passion to write something then I imagine you would write something great. Non-fiction is easier to get published then fiction. Maybe you should write a book about children?
Jerome
Writing is work. It might be true that everyone has a book inside, but not everyone has the power, time, patience and talent to put that book on paper in a form that others will want to read it.
To think otherwise would be to think that everyone has a painting inside of for that matter the plans for a perfect house.
Writing is a craft that requires practice.
Your have a strong writing voice and you construct effective sentences that communicate well. That's a great start.
I question why you can't check your own links by opening your page and clicking on them yourself.
It's your career.
You have real potential, don't hand over your future to the answers of others. As with God the answers lie within you.
smiles,
md-Liz
I read a ton of fiction and none of it (besides C.S.Lewis) is from a Christian perspective. Sometimes, Stephen King has Christian themes or undertones but for the most part, Christian fiction is not up to par with non-Christian fiction.
It's the same way with music--in my opinion. There are a handful of Christian bands that could honestly compete, as far as talent goes, in a secular market.
My encouragement for you:
The Christian fiction forum needs a Few Good Writers.
I would applaud and support your efforts should you choose to venture down that path.
PLEASE don't go into Christian non fiction. That genre is saturated enough as it is.
Nobody needs another perspective on birth control or parenting.
Write Fiction!
The greatest writing explores the darker side of human nature. Forget about the Christian perspective- write from a human perspective. The Christian part will come naturally if it is embedded in your subconscience, but don't try to force it.
Writers like Dostoevsky and Tolstoy were very religious people, but their stories were not overtly Christian. Dostoevsky's Grand Inquistor chapter is an example.
Whoa, Simon. I just read "Pilgrims". Very moving, intense, beautiful. The last scene, where their broken hearts are being healed is very stirring. God has given you a gift. Bless others with it.
As for Christian or non-Christian, I agree with the above Daedulus.
Excellent work glorifies God. He made Creation and called it "good", and He didn't feel the need to write scriptures on the trees and flowers. The beauty of it spoke for Him.
You have a desire to create because you're made in His image and He's creative. Follow His example and create beautiful things because this brings glory to Him.
I wish I could relate to the feeling of having "a story in my heart", as you do. I'd love to write a great novel, but have no story. Tell the stories that you have, if they're "Christian" or not. As long as they're good, they'll bring glory to God, just as a hillside of wildflowers brings glory to Him.
I know that sounds dippy, but it's true. Have you ever listened to music that makes your heart swell with that hurt that Lewis called our "lifelong nostalgia"? Or watched a great runner? Anything well done is "good".
I keep forgetting to bring you the Schaeffer book, "Addicted to Mediocrity". I think it'll help you sort some of this out. Hey! Thursday night bible study is starting again this week. I'll bring it there.
You know your first paragraph is so true. But sometimes, that time for the book to channel out never comes this lifetime, and it has to wait another. I hope my book is written within my lifetime.
Dr. Fil
BA~~49
I have a novel in me that's been able come out for thirteen chapters. I hope to have it done before the end of the year.
Hi Simon,
I'm so glad you posted some of your writing. I haven't read all of it but I'm in the process. I'm already very impressed at your skillz though.
I muddled through the same questions when I started writing. I wanted to write stories like CS Lewis, full of Christian meaning and truths - the result wasn't pretty. It was paralysing trying to write meaningful stories. I constantly was second-guessing everything: "So if he represents Jesus then he can't pick his nose, can he? And if this is supposed to represent sin then the charachters shouldn't enjoy it, should they?" You get the idea. I was trying to be a prophet when all I really wanted to do was write a story. It was intimidating, say the least. And I couldn't write more than a chapter before burning out.
I finally said, "That's it! I'm writing a story that doesn't mean anything!" One where the characters didn't represent Christ and The Church or whatever. One that didn't illustrate the battle between God and man in a swordfight. And all of a sudden I was able to finish a story. I wrote the first draft of my novel in a month. And writing was fun.
Interestingly enough the story ended up having more meaning by itself without me trying to cram symbolism into every paragraph. And that I think is the key.
Every good story means something and tells us something by virtue of itself. In fact, the worst books seem to be those that are written simply to make a point rather than tell a story. I'd say just write what you want: Fantasy, Horror, Mysteries, Historical or whatever and what you believe will appear. The creation proclaims the glory of God without ever saying his name. A good story can proclaim the glory of God in the same way.
By the way, when are you and Allison going to come over for dinner?
Thanks everybody for the deep insight. I really feel like you've all helped me to understand in a more concrete way the role of fiction in the Christian life and specifically in my own.
To me, it was always a struggle with these simple ideas: was it "Christian fiction" or "Christian" fiction or Christian "fiction"? Each one has their own unique intricacies. Writing is a craft and an art, which again, fosters unique challenges. Is it more "religious" and "God-honoring" for Rembrandt to paint a scene of the crucifixion or a scene of flowers?
I think you all would say that they are both a spiritual act of worship, and both have significance.
You'd probably all get bored with me responding to each of your comments individually, so I will simply say: you have excited in me a new passion for writing fiction. I have always struggled with these ideas, and I feel that now I can simply lay aside my agendas and write a meaningful story.
Levi--dinner soon. I mean it. I can't wait to see your finished house and drool over your cool Imac some more.
Let me encourage you to read "Roaring Lambs" by Bob Briner. In fact, email me, and I will personally mail you a free copy of the book (I have a few extras lying around.)
This is a must-read for any Christian in the entertainment industry, and he will help you answer precisely those questions you are asking.
Grace and Peace,
PastorJon
Hey, you have a great blog
I have a women site.
If you're interested come and check it out.
I remember the "Kidnapping at Grandma's House" series vividly; it was one of the things that inspired me to write fervently as well, especially long fiction. I always remembered it as a hundred vignettes; in fact I remember my brother gloating that it had reached a hundred vignettes, which remains about my starting point for considering that I've started anything. I remember it was on that weird spiral legal bound book, with a single line in the middle of it. I don't know what it was originally for; it must have been my mother's, from when she was a lawyer. He also did some illustrations for it, that are probably in a box somewhere deep in my closet. I remember one of the illustrations was just a long winding road...anyway, that's funny to think about.
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