I enjoy stories. I love to hear them and love to tell them both, through writing and conversation. I wrote a lot of short stories in elementary school, and wanted to become an author of some sort. In middle school I found out I could be funny when writing, and wrote mostly for the sake of making my friends laugh. Needless to say, much of it – or rather all of it – was terribly inappropriate, which exponentially increased through high school. Going into college I still wanted to be a writer, but I heard through the grapevine that your average author just doesn’t make the dolla dolla bills, so I decided to major in something more practical – journalism.
(Side note: It was eventually brought to my attention, that apparently journalists don’t make the dough either, and that’s when I said screw this, I want to make the big bucks, so I changed my major to Religious Studies.)
Well, over the years I realized that all I wanted to do was to reflect the glory of God’s blessings back to him. So whenever I write nowadays I always want to maximize the skills that God has given me, while aligning myself with truth. And that is also the standard I have set for other’s creativity. Whether it be films, books, or music, I will always be intrigued by things that are skillfully made and take full advantage of their medium as they glorify God. I believe that art and entertainment fall on two extremes: they are either masterfully and creatively made, but are lacking in any substantial spiritual content, or there is such content, but is made so generically and uninspired that many dismiss it without a second thought. (Sorry Christian pop-music, it’s just never gonna work out between us.) And so that has been my goal, and the dream of becoming an author has never left me. That is until I finished “The Brothers Karamazov” by the great Fyodor Dostoevsky.
This is a novel that I’m pretty sure every novelist, Christian or not, wishes they could write. Even if they could write a story that was half as great, they would be creating something monumental. The story centers on a set of brothers who have essentially been abandoned by their wicked father, who has forsaken his paternal role as to pursue more carnal desires. The main character is Aloysha, the noblest of all the brothers. He is a Christ-like figure, revered (albeit at times mockingly) but not necessarily respected by those around him. Dostoevsky does a masterful job placing the reader in the middle of the family interactions. Tragedy strikes, and we are thrown into a nightmarish but realistic world of human depravity. What makes this book so amazing is FD’s ability to capture the inner workings and psychology of the sinner and the saint, a world that is both full of despair and continual hope, and the way that we as fallen creatures can only be redeemed by the grace and mercy of Christ.
If I had the skill, my desire would be to write in such a way where it would not only glorify God, but also have literary merit. And I (did) desire that because I just hadn’t come across many works that had done both effectively… they are few and far between. But I believe that Dostoevsky has set that standard, I need not try any longer, for all other works do (and will) simply pale in comparison…
(*sigh) Yeah I know… except for the Bible.
DISAGREE. I personally believe that the best novels are yet to be written-and you just might be the author of such a book(s). if you have the desire to write and/or become an author, then nothing should stop you. Think about it: God created you, which means your love for stories comes from Him! Looking at creation, it's easy to see you were designed by THE Designer! If you can continue to love God, pursue wisdom and excellence and soak in His presence, then I think you can tap into His creativity and write books that will blow people's minds.
ReplyDeleteKeep that passion and motivation for stories and writing! If you're self-motivated, you'll lose it; but God had a deep, never-ending desire to pursue people and He uses us to do His work. I believe you can write...so do it!