Everything
has now fallen into place. I know why I write!
Have
you ever had the experience of a friend, relative, stranger
or enemy asking you a question you didn't know how to
answer, or making a wisecrack for which you didn't have
a good comeback until three days later?
That happened
to Mel and me at a booksigning a couple of days ago. This
woman came to our table holding a copy of our book, and
asked, "Why do you call it inspirational fiction?"
I should have allowed one of our publisher's staff members
to answer the question, since I actually wasn't the one
who came up with that description, and that staff member
would probably have had a much more effective answer.
I said, "Well, uh, we're...um, you know, Christians?
And we, uh, you know, write from our own Christian
world view? We feel God offers hope to the world, you
know? So that's kind of...well...inspiring." Honestly,
I don't always reply that poorly, but the sneer on her
face caught me off guard.
She made a big show of placing the book on the table as
if it were a piece of...um...well, you know. "There are
a lot of other things besides God that can inspire."
Then she promptly went to the other table with other writers
of inspirational fiction and did the same thing to them.
We compared notes later.
So that's why I write. Because when I'm writing a story,
no one can come to me from the pages of the book and ask
me a surprise, spur-of-the-moment question, for which
I'm ill-prepared to answer. Writing gives me time to explore
all my options and focus on the best possible reply to
a seeking heart. I have the chance, during that precious
time at the keyboard, to touch a life, maybe even to heal
a hurt, or to inspire further thought.
In real life, I'm convinced that just about everyone on
the planet is more intelligent than I am, and I don't
have the words with which to share my heart. On paper,
in my imagination, my characters are smarter than I am.
They can say and do things I'd never dream of saying or
doing. It's how I tell others about my God, about His
goodness, mercy, love for them. Writing is the voice I
don't have.
Cheryl
Hodde
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