Thinking of this month's theme, I realized both faith and writing are indelibly imprinted on every area of my life. I process life through my writing. I better understand my faith by writing. Faith directs my life decisions, and faith leaves its fingerprints all over my writing, even when I am not trying to write for a Christian audience.
So I have to wonder, could I convincingly write a character who holds different beliefs than me? Or would my worldview still show like smudges on glass? I don't want to write characters who are stereotypical. I want to write, and read, characters who are real, diverse people who act on what they believe.
I have heard the best way to tell a counterfeit bill from the real thing is by knowing the real deal. I believe I can succeed in writing about other worldviews in my characters by knowing my own beliefs. When I know how deeply my own faith influences my daily decisions, I am better able to see what decisions would be made based on different thoughts.
For example, this might be something as simple as taking out the garbage. Do they recycle? Or compost? If my own beliefs can influence what I do with garbage, another's belief system would likely be involved in their choice, too.
The post I originally wrote to explore this theme shows how both faith and writing are more than skin-deep in me, but I decided it was a post better suited to my personal blog instead of this Inscribe Writer's blog. If you want to read about how indelibly writing and faith colour my life, read my post on my home blog, Phosphorescent.
I am also interested in your thoughts on how you feel your writing can show other beliefs than your own. What research do you do to understand another's viewpoint? Comment on this post to discuss how you write to break down stereotypes and make your characters come alive.
Marnie writes from northern British Columbia, where she lives, works, and ministers with her husband.
