Author Of The Month: Guest Blog by Sharon Hinck!

For Readers who also are Writers....
Writing Fiction with Glimpses of God’s Grace
by Sharon Hinck



Readers are hungry for stories of spiritual depth—for characters who grapple with questions of meaning and heroism and courage. But we can’t create novels of spiritual depth if we aren’t letting God continue to shape and enliven our walk with Him.



Madeleine L’Engle said that fiction is revelatory. In other words, it reveals things about the author the author might not be aware of. We can’t hide when we write fiction.


If we have a vibrant relationship with God, it will saturate the pages.



So how can we grow spiritually in order to also deepen impact of our writing? How can we not only create characters on the page, but let God shape our character as well?



The great news is that God is amazing at multitasking. He can use the very act (and struggle) of writing to stretch us and draw us closer to Him. As writers, we face battles with discouragement, fear, perfectionism, envy, pride, self-absorption and many other temptations. These challenges reveal the areas we are far from Christ-like. And they provide the wonderful opportunity to respond with repentance, and to allow God to transform us a little more each day. As He does that, He will also transform our stories.



Some authors use themes of faith to form a subtle undercurrent with little direct reference to the Christian life; some authors fill their stories with clear direct messages of Christian issues. For me, the faith journey is the most interesting part of life, so the faith journey of my characters is an integral focus of all my novels. But no matter which approach you take to writing, the writing can be enriched by your inner growth and closer reliance on Christ.



So as you sit down to work each day and sharpen your pencil, boot up your computer, dog-ear your books on writing craft, and sift through critique notes—take a few extra moments to ask God to reveal Himself, so that your stories, in turn, will naturally reveal glimpses of His grace.