1/11/12

Wrote Myself Into a Corner

On Monday, I wrote myself into a corner.

I shouldn't have been writing anything that big, plot-wise. Blame the synopsis. I put a lovely line in my synopsis that wasn't quite technically in the book - but should have been - so I had to go and actually put it in the book. Which I did.

And promptly wrote myself into a corner.

It wasn't a new corner. It's one I've been battling since, well, not Day 1. But for a while. And, really, it all boils down to whether or not this is a book telling about God or a book showing God. Which are two very different things.

I am very much a showing God person. That's why I adore Ted Dekker's books, because he's not there to get his characters saved, he's there to inspire the reader to fall more in love with Jesus. {Which he does. And beautifully.} That's why I'm not particularly addicted to other Christian fiction. {I do read, some. And I do enjoy, some.}

So I wrote myself out of a corner. There is no conversion scene. {As of now.} {Which brings me to an entirely different argument: Should I write a sequel? And will this scene be in it? But that's another post.} This is a Christian book, because God is very real to me and I cannot leave Him out of my books. But who said Christian books had to have conversion scenes?

And isn't showing more powerful than telling any day of the week? And that's what I want, in the end. The most powerful way to tell this story. The most powerful way to write God's love.

As you may be able to tell, I'm still working out some kinks. But that's okay. It's okay to work out the kinks. It would be much, much worse to query while the story was still...kinked.

What about you? Have you ever written yourself into a corner?

3 comments:

AimeeLSalter said...

*Sigh* Yes. I just had to drop a manuscript at 70,000 words because it just stopped working all the sudden. Crit partners are helping me find the fix, but it's going to be A LOT of work...

So I say again: *Sigh*

(And I say HEAR HEAR! to no conversion scene if it isn't organic. God gets honored by your heart in the writing, not the tick box of 'christian' tags)

Anonymous said...

Yep. It happens. But sometimes, like you said, it shows a flaw in the work that needs fixing and can bring us that much closer to the, "Yes." I, too, am a Christian and most of the time I include the journey to be with God in my books. I don't "preach," just "show" what the character goes through. It's nice to meet a fellow writer who does the same.

Anonymous said...

Yep. It happens. But sometimes, like you said, it shows a flaw in the work that needs fixing and can bring us that much closer to the, "Yes." I, too, am a Christian and most of the time I include the journey to be with God in my books. I don't "preach," just "show" what the character goes through. It's nice to meet a fellow writer who does the same.