When Faith Meets Fiction: How I Weave Spirituality Into My Stories
Writing With Purpose
Weaving spirituality into my stories starts before I type one word. It starts with my purpose for writing, the story, and the message that I am trying to convey to you, the reader.
I spoke a bit about this in my blog on how to choose your writing purpose. I believe that writing is spiritual, and my writing is an act of obedience to the Lord.
The Beginning of My Journey
My writing journey restarted when I heard God tell me to write a book in June of 2024. I tell the story in Place as Muse: How Aruba Shapes My Fiction.
Because of that, I feel my entire journey has been led by spirituality. The premise of the story, the characters, and the setting were all divinely inspired.
The Truth About My Calling
Trust me. There are times when I want to take credit. But I can’t. I am in no position to boast or to brag about how skilled I am or how I have mastered craft. The truth is that I am unqualified for the task that God has given me, and that is why He has given it to me—to show me and others the need for Him.
He has guided me through my writing journey. He has been patient with me, even when I’ve set Him aside. “I got this, partner! I got this!” has run through my mind a couple of times as I was drafting my story, and He always manages to show me that I actually do not. He’s such a kidder :).
Divine Guidance Along the Way
At every turn, He has put people in my path that will send me in the right direction. He’s provided the circumstances for every word on the page to be written. He’s manipulated time and timelines on my behalf.
I wrote my first draft in six weeks, after estimating with all of my project management and time management expertise that the earliest I was going to have it done was six months. Won’t He do it! Whether you realize it or not, my work only exists because of Him.
Prayer as My Writing Ritual
When it comes to my writing rituals, I have mentioned before in (insert blog link) that my only ritual is to pray. Life is full of distractions, things that wrap our emotions up in a bind so that we cannot see or think clearly.
Because writing is such an emotional task, we have to ensure that we have clarity, and that’s where prayer comes in for me. Granted, there are times that words do not come out. I do not know what to say, but my soul cries out, and He knows what I need at that moment. Time in meditation with Him allows me to see my characters clearly and connect with the story in a way that sometimes I do not understand. That’s how I know it’s Him.
Moments of Revelation
I sit in my office practicing questions that I may receive from an agent or a publisher, and I have an epiphany or a deeper understanding of what I have written. (And yes, I do practice my Oprah Book Club interview like it’s already scheduled! Staying ready!) He’s been ministering to me as I hope the story speaks to you.
Characters Rooted in Faith
Lastly, I build my characters through the people that God has blessed me to know and to love. My characters are rooted in authentic points of view, inspired by their truths, their lives, and the lessons that He shared with them along the way. He even guides me through how they all intersect—their character arcs, whether they are dynamic or flat. I take my cue from Him in all aspects.
A Tapestry of Divine Inspiration
The threads that hold my story together are a tapestry of divine inspiration. My hope is that it turns out to be what it was meant to be. I was just the loom He spun His will through.
