Thursday, November 02, 2006

Peculiar...

Asking for advice about what you should write is a little like asking for help getting dressed. I can tell you what I think looks good, but you have to wear it. And as every fashion victim knows, very few people look good in everything. Chances are that you have been writing or trying to write in one particular form all your life. There are very few writers who, by switching genres, say from novels to plays, suddenly achieve great results and conclude that they have been working in the wrong mode all along. But in my experience, a writer gravitates toward a certain form or genre because, like a well-made jacket, it suits him.

--Betsy Lerner, The Forest for the Trees, p. 15

Tricia’s Thoughts:

I’m peculiar in the writing world. I write both fiction and non-fiction books, also throwing in articles and children’s books for fun. As I ponder this, I consider how all these various projects tie together. Whether a fictional story or a parenting book for young mothers, there is one theme that runs throughout: realizing who we can be in Christ.

My own life was transformed when, seventeen and pregnant, I gave my life over to God. Though life was still difficult, inside God was showing me what I could be through Him. It’s a message that somehow weaves its way into every word I write. So, while on the outside it may seem that my writing has no connection, on the inside I know that I’m sharing a message that God indeed transforms lives, taking us to a higher place in Him that we’ve never dreamed existed.

What about you? What message, what medium, do you gravitate toward?

3 Comments:

Blogger Katie Hart - Pinterest Manager said...

I tend to like to keep my options open. But I also enjoy defining myself (and quite enjoyed the recent Writers' View discussion on branding).

I gravitate toward fiction, and I see the theme of quests popping up quite a bit in my writing - quests for healing, for purpose. But by reading your post, I saw how another passion of mine is reflected through my writing - connections. Even my reviewing is about connecting books with people who will love them.

5:11 PM  
Blogger Tricia Goyer said...

That's awesome, Katie. Thanks so much for sharing! I'm eager to see how God will continue to grow you in these different areas.

10:05 PM  
Blogger Jim Thompson said...

Ever noticed how a quest for identity consumes people in their formative years? My younger daughter always wanted to know what I thought about clothes she tried on. The unasked question was not, "How does this look on me?" but, "Does this complement who I am?" At that point in her life she needed an astute observer to gage how well the attire matched who she was. Now, her identity is established, first as a child of God, then as a wife, mother, worship leader, friend, and last of all, my daughter. But she still likes to know how things look on her.

Artists--writers included--progress through a similar process of establishing their identity, trying on various genres and styles until something matches who they are. Trouble is, I never did like shopping.

10:55 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home