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Last week I picked up the latest novel from my favorite non-Christian suspense writer and promptly inhaled it. Didn't hurt that I was up in the middle of the night coughing, so could read while waiting for the medicine to kick in.
When I finished the book, I was left with an I don't know how else to say it but hopeless feeling.
There wasn't any sense of ah, the world is a bit better now. Justice has prevailed. The good guys won.
Instead, the book and characters were so complicated, the motivations so dark, that it ended with me quite frankly down.
What an eye opener as I get ready to work on my proposal chapters. I don't want to write books that leave people dejected at the end. Yes, the world is a dirty, gritty place. Yes, our books can go there. But my books (I hope) will always end with the hope that even when we don't understand we serve a God who does. The hope that He can make a way where there seems to be no way. The hope that on Calvary Christ defeated darkness forever. And the hope that justice can prevail over even the darkest moments in our lives.
So sense, I'm here in part to introduce you to writers who do those last things, leave a comment about how God has prevailed in your life -- it can be short -- and I'll pull some to get a book that's filled with hope and light.
5 comments:
I'm a happily ever after girl and want to finish a book with a sense of fulfillment, too. Even if I'm not reading a romance, I still want a satisfying (to me) ending.
I spoke with a friend recently who said she isn't very religious, but reads Christian fiction because it gives her hope. We don't know who our words will touch, so I'm striving to be the best possible messenger for the One who gives me the words.
I've seen several Christian books that I didn't think gave much hope either. I get the impression that many Christian writers don't believe that Christianity has much of a chance of making the world a better place. Hope seems to be that somehow the protagist isn't dead yet.
The Bible tells us that justice will always prevail, even if it might take years and we never seen the end result. A good book (in my opinion) should follow along those same lines. What's a good ending without giving some closure that God is in control. Even if everything isn't a bed a roses, shouldn't there be enough closure to let the reader feel at peace to leave the characters?
As far as God prevailing in my life, my sister has been in the hospital two times in her short ten years, both times have been extremely critical. But because of those experiences, a world has been opened to my family about natural medicince, not weird voo doo, but God's miracles He has placed all around us to heal us.
Great post- thank you!
Such a great point, Lisa. People are looking for hope. In my next to come book -- A Promise Born, my editor challenged me that my heroine, who became a Christian during the book -- a first for me -- didn't have enough hope after that. Life is still hard, but we should have hope.
And Timothy, I think you're right. Sometimes even as Christian writers, we forget to insure hope is part of our stories. This book I read, really reinforced the importance of that to me.
I am like you with the books, I want something that will lift me up and not leave me down there is enough sorry in this world without reading about it. I read to get away from the cares of this world and let it take me some place else. I really get inot the charthers.
May God Bless
mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net
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