Tell It Slant by Connie Inglis

I am currently working on finishing a course through Athabasca University called Writing Creative Non-fiction. The textbook for this course is called, Tell It Slant by Brenda Miller and Suzanne Paola. I would recommend it for anyone interested in developing their creative non-fiction writing skills. The chapters are informative and include excellent writing exercises. Also included is an anthology of essays. Needless to say, I am learning a lot. I don't know if my essays will ever turn into a book; I would like them to but I leave that up to God and His perfect timing in what He wants me to do with my writing.

I don't have a "usual" genre since I still feel like a babe in my writing. I must say, however, that poetry is probably my favourite genre, including song lyrics, and it has been the genre I've been dabbling in the longest. Reading good poetry is like getting a little slice of heaven on earth. And when I write a poem that I know is Spirit-inspired I feel the same.

For a few years now my children have asked me to write down the stories of our lives, which have been anything but typical. We have worked overseas with Wycliffe Bible Translators for most of the last 30 years and have moved more than 20 times in that time. See. Not typical. So I started thinking about how to do that in a creative way and when I came across this online course, I decided that this was what I needed to jump start my memoir writing.

I am almost finished the course and while I do enjoy getting the memories down on paper, I don't always enjoy the process. That's mostly because I have to follow specific writing prompts which I have found stifling at times. However, these prompts have been forcing me out of my comfort zone which is always a good thing because I am being stretched. Plus, it teaches me to give it all to God and rely more on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance.

I guess I am discovering that I have a LOT of stories bottled up in my head that I need to share, specifically with my children but also my extended family. They have all been reading my essays and have been very encouraging to me. And I am continuously reminded that God is good and faithful and loves my stories too.

The following excerpt is from one assignment entitled, "At the Trail's End." This event happened when we lived on a little island in the southern Philippines called Ramos Island (you probably won't find it on a map because it was only 8 km in diameter). No roads. No electricity except for the solar panels on our roof. Our only contact with the outside world was on a 2-way radio that we used once a day to check in with our center. To say the Molbog people were poor is an understatement--they basically survived from one day to the next. One day a lady came to our hut asking for medical help for a little girl who had fallen out of the sling she was in while her mother was burning a field. I grabbed our medical kit and followed her to a hut I had never been to before.

That's the background to this excerpt:

We zigged and zagged to the trail’s end and finally arrived at a crude, one-room hut. “Help me, God. Help me give hope,” I whispered as I risked the rickety steps. There, on a low table in the centre of that one room lay the little girl. A group of adults sat cross-legged around her. The emotion in their faces surprised me, one of shame more than sadness. Nevertheless, I greeted each one out of respect and turned to the girl—a malnourished five-year-old. Most of her right side was burned, her thigh and arm the most serious with second-degree burns. Except for remnants of gray ash, her face was untouched for which I was thankful. She was awake and looked at me with fearful red eyes. I responded with a slight smile, forcing down my own feelings of inadequacy. I can help this one little girl, give her hope. I asked for some water and pulled out my soap and bag of clean cotton cloths. I worked slowly and gently, knowing I was causing pain but that I had to do this right to prevent infection. Then I gently wrapped gauze around her thin, delicate foot, leg and arm. The room remained silent. I knew no words of comfort other than, “I’m sorry” but the words seemed inappropriate.

As I worked I remembered a comment an acquaintance back in Canada had made: “There are at least 500 million poor people in the world. What is the point of even trying to help?”

I looked at the child before me. As she fought back tears I saw her strength of will. It was a strength that I had witnessed in the Molbog people since our arrival—a testament to their desire to survive in a destitute world. And then it hit me. I could not help the 500 million poor in the world but I could help one. And so, turning to the one laying before me, I offered her my hand, my cursory medical understanding and my surrender to be in it with them. This could be the bridge to cross the great cultural divide.

Our Christian Heritage Inspires Story by Sharon Espeseth

The art of Christian fiction began with the parables Jesus used to instruct his disciples, followers, and even those who were skeptical or opposed to his teaching. These stories of the woman who lost her coin, the story of the sower, the lost sheep, the talents, the mustard seed, the wise and foolish virgins, and many others have stood the test of time. We read these vignettes in our Bibles and in devotional books. Ministers of the gospel and inspirational speakers expand on the lessons in these "simple" stories.

A parable, according to Gage Canadian Dictionary, is a short, simple story used to teach some truth or moral lesson." The lexicon goes on to refer to the parables of Jesus as one example of a parable. Christ's stories are short and pointed, but not, in my opinion, always easy to grasp. Some readers even wonder if the parables were used to hide the truth.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus begins his story with "Listen!" He then reminds us how the seed, or his words, might be picked up by birds, fall on rocky soil, be scorched by mid-day sun, choked out by thorns, or fall on fertile soil. Christ ends by saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Jesus knows that not all of us will listen with the right heart. Not all of us will learn the lessons he gives. Not all of us will make the changes in our lives that true listening requires.

I love Christ's stories, although I admit that The Prodigal Son tests my sense of fairness, when really I know it demonstrates the Father's unconditional love. I enjoy reading fiction in general, including the good writing of Christians like Francine Rivers, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, John Grisham and lesser known works that are well-written by our own crew at InScribe. As much as I appreciate a novel by Marcia Laycock or Linda Hall, when it comes to writing fiction, I am out of my comfort zone. Either I have no imagination or I just don't know where to begin.

Instead I lean toward creative non-fiction. This genre uses fictional methods, like imagery, figures of speech, and dialogue to help readers feel like they are observing the action or situation from a front-row seat. I try to write so my readers can feel for my characters--love them or hate them,  empathize with my characters, or watch my characters grow in their personal lives.

I want my memoirs, devotionals, and essays to ring true, just as fiction must ring true to life. For me to write fiction, I would have to try something like historical fiction. Francine Rivers for me is one of the best in this field. Naturally, I wouldn't start at her level, and I would need something real to get me started. This could be a newspaper article, a real incident, a story my great uncle told, or. . .

At this point I'm stuck, and this is not fiction! I still feel called to continue the non-fiction writing that comes more naturally for me, but to do it more faithfully and more skillfully by writing more regularly. I will occasionally try a writing exercise that is fiction-oriented and I will keep an open mind. I will read fiction, because I enjoy it and because I can learn about writing through fiction. But until I feel God encouraging me in this direction, I will leave fiction writing to the rest of you.

Prayer: May God continue to direct and inspire us in our writing and use our words to bless, comfort, and help others.