Fun with Fiction by Steph Beth Nickel

 

I am in the process of writing a YA speculative fiction book, Rule and Reign. One of the characters my critique partner particularly likes in a young boy who is always running wherever he goes.

Below is the scene in which he's introduced. I hope you enjoy it!

After traveling almost as far as my old room, I’m still so focused on convincing myself that I have every right to explore the castle that I nearly fail to sidestep a young boy, no more than seven sun-cycles old, who comes dashing around the corner and almost collides with me. He pulls up short and his jaw drops. 

“I’m so sorry, Your Highness. I… I… Please don’t tell my ma. She’s always scolding me fer running in the halls. But then, she scolds me fer being late.” He exhales loudly and looks away. “I don’t understand.” He’s rocking back and forth. I doubt he’s used to standing still for any more than a few measures.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Todd, Your Highness.”

I smile widely. “It sounds a lot like my father’s name. His name was Trad.”

“Oh, I know.” He bounces up and down. “He was my hero. He was strong and brave and kind.” More quietly he adds, “And he never told Ma when he found me running through the halls.”

I laugh. Todd’s head snaps up. “You laughed. Ma says royals don’t do that—no one ’cept Prince Trad.” 

“It will be our secret. Okay?”

Todd nods his head vigorously. 

“So, Todd, where were you off to just now?”

“Ma said I could go t’ the stables. My best friend works there. He just cleans up after the horses, but sometimes, he gets to watch the soldiers train if he does an extra good job.”

“The stables, huh? Would you mind if I came along?”

The boy puts his still-chubby hands on his hips. “Princess, this is yer castle. The stable and horses are yers too. You can go anywhere ya want.”

“Well, Todd, I guess you’re right. Then, it’s off to the stables we go.”

“And you won’t tell my ma I was running?”

“If you won’t tell my grandmother I was laughing.”

“That’s easy. The Council Lead doesn’t know I ’xist.”

I sigh. That’s probably true. “Now, let’s go see some horses.”

“I don’t s’pose you want to run. Do you?” he adds, eyes wide.

I shake my head. “It’s probably best if the Princess of Betria isn’t seen running in the halls.”

He shrugs and sighs. “I guess.”

Fiction's First Purpose - Bonnie Way

In my creative nonfiction class this semester, one of our assignments is to prepare a book proposal.  We are supposed to research and pick a publisher, write a sample chapter, and outline our theoretical book—table of contents, back cover copy, who we are writing for, and why they'd want to read this.  As a writer, I find this a very useful exercise.  I also find it very daunting.  Over and over again, I find myself wondering, "Who would want to read about me?"

That question doesn't bother me when I'm writing fiction.  I have written a series of young adult fantasy novels (unpublished so far) and am currently working on a historical novel.  I've never stopped to ask why I'm writing any of these stories.  As a teenager, I simply wrote what I wanted to read.  As a voracious reader and a more experienced writer, I've continued to write what I would want to read.

When I sit down to read, I grab a novel.  I want a story to pull me in, to make me forget my everyday life, and even to teach me a little bit.  I like novels such as Kim Edwards' The Memory Keeper's Daughter, which tells a page-turning story while also challenging me as a reader to think about how I view children with Down's Syndrome.  Or books like The Offering by Angela Hunt, which explores a current issue while drawing me into a character's life so I sympathize with her dilemma.

Stories are powerful.  They have the ability to slip under a reader's defenses, to reach a person in ways that a sermon or article or nonfiction book never can.  That is not to say that story must have a purpose or an ulterior goal.  While I enjoy novels that challenge me, I also read them first and foremost for the story.  If the story is too preachy, then I as a reader will tune out the message.  So I believe that fiction's first (mandatory) purpose is to entertain; it's second (optional) purpose is to educate.

A Priestly Business - by Marcia Janson

Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you think about it, reading fiction is kind of odd.  We voluntarily suspend disbelief and allow our minds to become part of an alternate reality. For a few hours, we jump into life events in another place and time while embracing the worldview of characters who may be very different from us.  It’s an escape from the present moment that is kind of like an island stopover between the lands of waking and dreaming. Even though our intellectual minds are in control of the whole process, there is a sense in which our imaginations open us to a dream world where fantasy and reality intersect.

When we close the book, we must re-focus on our own lives, but something has changed. The remnants of the novel’s events or atmosphere tend to linger on, affecting our mood and even our outlook on life. Good fiction quite often inspires a sense of unrest in our minds, as we try to come to terms with a new understanding of human existence. That’s usually a good thing, but how it affects us depends on what types of characters the author has created and what philosophy of life drives their attitudes and behaviour.

We may come away from some novels feeling just terrible. A certain dark cynicism or fear tries to creep in, pushing Godly hope into the background. Alternatively, it is wonderful if the writer has, in some subtle way, woven God threads into the fabric of the story. Even a tiny spark of redemptive love or surprising joy in the midst of despair can make the human spirit sing.

Gore Vidal once made an intriguing comment: 

“Writing fiction has become a priestly business in countries that have lost their faith.”  

There’s a lot of truth in that. In Canada, it seems that the majority of people consider spirituality to be a side issue.The general cultural message is, “Follow whatever god you wish, but don’t bring your faith into the public square.”  

Outside the walls of the Church, not many people read Bibles or buy Christian novels and magazines. As Gore Vidal’s remark implies, that does not mean that people aren’t looking for answers to the deep questions of life. The world of fiction - that island stopover between waking and dreaming - is a place where the heart and intellect can enter into and live a story together. There is spiritual hunger out there and Christian fiction writers in particular have an opportunity to provide a small oasis where people can sample a little taste of God’s banquet. 

 
If there's a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet,
then you must write it.  ~Toni Morrison
 

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Photo credit

Woman with candle - http://www.flickr.com/photos/glassified_seconds/7648000958/

A Reason To Write - Shirley S. Tye

I enjoy writing fiction because my imagination is free to soar wherever and explore things, places, and events I may never encounter. It’s wonderful entertainment and a stress relief for me and sometimes readers are also entertained.

But Christian fictional stories are also excellent ways to teach life lessons. Jesus used simple short stories called parables to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. Since 2004, I’ve used my imagination to create scenarios to demonstrate life lessons. I read the stories to various audiences as “Aunt Shirley” in an animated manner. Sometimes I use props and/or get the audience’s participation.

When God gives me a topic, the story often flows quickly onto the paper. The stories are short and uncomplicated. They certainly are not bits of literary genius yet they get the message across.

As I read the stories, I wonder if the story is good or if anyone cares to even hear them. But to my surprise, the stories have always been well received and sometimes someone in the audience informs me that they felt the lesson was meant just for them. God has many ways of reaching people; even through my little stories. He’s amazing!

Some of the stories are written as humorous letters addressed to “Aunt Shirley” penned by her imaginary niece Mary-Lyn who is married to Stanley, a loveable but clumsy fellow. People have laughed heartily over the antics of those two characters and I enjoy dreaming up the crazy wild adventures. If a lesson wasn’t learned, then at least, people had a good laugh. And we know the value of laughter – “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” Proverbs 17:22 KJV.

Whether people learn something from the stories or just have a good belly laugh, they are encouraged. And that is the main purpose of my stories; encouragement. God has called me to be an encourager.

What a Funeral Director Taught Me About Writing by Pamela Mytroen

            At a recent interview a funeral director shared five principles for dealing with his clients. They may also work for instilling life into writing:

            1). “Get to know your client,” said the funeral director. Who is a writer’s client? It’s his ideal reader. What issues are your readers facing in their generation?  If you understand their felt needs, you may target your writing more accurately.

            2). Be a good listener.  The funeral director said, “At first let the families talk. Just listen.” This applies well to writing. In fiction, draw up character charts and then have a conversation with your characters. Get to know them. In non-fiction, listen to your interviewees. Find out what makes their heart skip a beat. The more you know them, the better you can represent them on paper.  

            3). It’s all about the details. Certainly in non-fiction this rings true. If you misspell their name or contact info they may never trust you again. If they don’t want certain information in the paper, respect that, even if you think it is less of a story. In fiction the details include a well-drawn character, a fully-realized problem, and a visualized setting. Some novels begin with the details and others start with action. Either way, details are like the clothes on a skeleton: they bring a character to life. (Well, maybe not in the funeral business...)

            4). Acknowledge the heart-beat. The funeral director mentioned that the trend is swinging towards no funeral service. But he feels that everybody, no matter how insignificant or demoralized, deserves acknowledgement that they lived and breathed. In fiction, this rings true for all characters including the villain. If he or she is always portrayed as evil through and through, the common reader can’t relate. All villains have something humane about them and this is what causes us to wonder if they will carry through with their evil plot or not. That seed of humaneness keeps us turning the pages. In non-fiction, it’s that emotion that keeps the reader interested also. Whether the article is about an event or a business interview, it can be boring and dry unless some honest emotion is revealed.  Who wants to read about how to invest and how to build equity? But, if the article highlights one person’s financial journey, their joys, doubts, and victories, the reader is much more likely to stick around. 

     5). "Sometimes you just have to leave the room" The funeral director mentioned that sometimes the family gets distracted with long buried hurt and anger instead of moving ahead with the funeral plans. Do you ever feel that your writing project is stuck and is not moving forward? This funeral director tells his clients that he has some work to do in another room and that he will be back in 15-20 minutes. This is good advice for the writer too. Take a mental or physical break from your writing. When you return to your work you may feel refreshed and see things in a new perspective.

This funeral director seemed to know a lot about infusing life into writing. Try following his advice and people may end up dying to read your stuff.

Fairy Tales and Fiction - by Marcia Janson

 "Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality.  It’s a way of understanding it."  ~ Lloyd Alexander

I get a real kick out of reading fiction, particularly mystery novels. I read on the couch, in bed, on the bus or train, in restaurants or on a bench by the ocean. My body is parked in one place, but my mind enters into another realm where people are different from me and yet the same. I get to experience exotic cultures and landscapes and contemplate issues I may not choose to dwell upon in my own day-to-day life. A good storyteller has a way of nudging past surface thoughts and instilling something at a deeper level.

I remember when I was six and just learning to read. Our grade one teacher introduced us to the standard curriculum readers of the day and, once I’d got the hang of it, I would zip through them quickly and look for something more interesting to read. My mother had two ancient fairy tale books, a remnant of her own childhood. I’d noticed these large tomes sitting on the bookshelf, so one day I pulled one out to have a look and was hooked. The stories were populated with ogres, fairies, castles and dark forests – pretty edgy for a six year old and possibly the stuff of a few nightmares. Nevertheless, they opened my mind to a world beyond the vanilla-bland adventures of Dick and Jane and resonated with me in an indefinable way.

Looking back, I think the graphic depictions of good versus evil within those fairy tales hinted at something I’d sensed in the world around me. Although there was much to enjoy in life, I had intuited that all was not right with the world. Many years later, when I became a Christian, those vague intuitions finally made perfect sense. There really is another reality beyond the mundane physical world and there is an “ogre” in the dark places of the forest. Thank God there is a strong and pure hero who sweeps in and fights for us, vanquishing the nasties and overcoming evil with good.

Those fairy tales I used to read never once mentioned God or devils or Jesus Christ, but they did communicate grand truths. They refused to gloss over how things really are and may, in fact, have whetted my appetite for the greatest story ever told. That’s what I’d like to do with my own fiction writing. Wouldn’t it be grand to stimulate a desire in people to see beyond the physical realm? To create a word melody that attunes to a chord vibrating deep in the human spirit? I’m not sure how to do that, but I’ve decided to pick up my pen and get started, trusting that as I commit my writing to God, he will direct my steps.

Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way. ~ E. L. Doctorow

http://marcia-rolling.blogspot.ca/
http://thinkingcatcato.wordpress.com/

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Photo credits: Fairy Tale book-http://www.flickr.com/photos/clotho98/5572544048/
Forest path-http://www.flickr.com/photos/_belial/409842297/