Woa... I just realized that my 1rst year blogaversary was April 1rst. And it's already April 6th. Yep. I'm out of it. O_o
But hey; happy blogaversary to the Pen and Parchment, I guess. :D It's neat to think that it's already been a year. Where on earth did a whole year disappear to? It snuck away when I wasn't looking and I'll never be able to get it back... how tragic. Or exciting. Depends on how you look at it. ;)
And looking back, I'm happy to announce that I met some of the goals I laid down in my full profile. Even took a step beyond them. One of my goals was to get my manuscript, Song of the Daystar, on an editor's desk before Christmas.
Well, that happened.
And not only did it happen, but now I've decided to announce the other exciting news that I've been holding off on since the beginning of March: the publisher contacted me again with a revision request and an invitation to resubmit.
I said before that I wouldn't name the publisher until I heard back from him: well, now that I've heard back from him, I will tell you the company's name.
Flaming Pen Press.
Yep! Me excited!
Now, nothing is certain yet. I started rewriting the manuscript before I'd heard back from Mr. Appleton. However, when I explained this to him, he kindly invited me to send him the first 20 pages of the rewrite. A few days later he contacted me through email saying that he really liked the direction the new version was going, and told me to go ahead and finish the rewrite, then resubmit the manuscript when I'm finished. (If you head on over to the "Read an Excerpt" page, you can read the new blurb and the new first chapter of the rewrite.)
I refuse to count my chickens before they hatch... but it's hard not to feel a little giddy. :) I really don't want to assume too much, or get my hopes too high before I know anything for certain; it all feels a bit sureal and I've got a long way to go before I know for sure if Mr. Appleton's company will actually decide to publish SOTD. I guess I will leave it up to God; He's knows what He's doing. I just need to sit back and enjoy the ride... and continue writing. :D
Speaking of which, this blog post was originally going to be called "In the Slum" which is where I've been for the past couple of weeks. The Writer's Slum, that is. It's not a very fun place to be. But I just wanted to send a shout out to Mr. Wayne Thomas Batson and thank him for his awesome books: I'm almost half way through reading Sword in the Stars, Mr. Batson's latest epic achievement, and I find it very inspiring. The world in SITS is slightly reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien's world, Middle Earth - complete with histories, languages, different races, etc... - and yet it is completely different. Reading through the book, it keeps reviving old ideas I had thought near death, and suddenly I understood how I could continue my story!
So thank you, Mr. Batson.
I think I shall go write now. :D
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
My Day Feels Untitled...
Hello peoples! *waves happily as proof that she's not actually dead in the blogging world*
As most of you have probably noticed, I haven't been posting anything for a good long time. In fact, the last time I wrote anything for my blog was... let's see... *flips through blog date ledger*... March 25th. So ten days ago. I think that's definitely long enough. O_o Oh, and I haven't commented on anyone else's blog in such a long time that I can't even remember exactly how long it has been. But please don't feel like I don't love you because of it... believe me, I still read other blogs... I just never get around to posting comments anymore. Must try to remedy this; perhaps it will get better after school gets out in a another month. :)
I wish I could say, "Don't blame me for my lack of time. It's the nasty school's fault! It wasn't my idea for all of my teachers to insist that homework is more important than blogging!" But the fact is that homework is, indeed, much more important than blogging. As is writing, which still hasn't been coming very easy for me lately... (I'm trying hard not to feel discouraged).
So Homework. And I've just been negligent.
If there is one thing I'm most certainly good at, it's procrastinating. It seems like my favorite pass-time. Thus, when I sat down to do homework last night, I ended up in my word program trying to work on the rewrite of my novel... and when I found I was stuck, I ended up pulling out one of the books from my "not read yet" pile and reading the whole thing in one sitting.
Which leads me to the real reason for this post. I've decided to review the book I read last night. :D I actually have a list of other books that should be reviewed first, but I figured they could wait. (just like my homework... for now. *wince*)
So the book I read last night was called The Shifter and it is the first book in the Healing Wars series by Janice Hardy.
15-year-old Nya and her younger sister, Tali, who were orphaned during the recent war that nearly destroyed their city, both have the gift of healing. Unlike Tali, though, Nya can't harmlessly shift the pain she takes from the sick and wounded into enchanted pynvium metal. Instead, she must shift it from person to person, a dangerous talent that she keeps hidden from the ruling Baseeri and from the Healer's League where Tali is an apprentice. Scrounging to make ends meet, Nya resorts to odd jobs and the occasional theft to stay alive. When a young soldier discovers her secret and implores her to save his dying father, Nya is forced to choose between protecting herself and acknowledging her ability to save others and perhaps her entire city.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this book. Really, I did. I picked it up and simply could not put it down... which is why I stayed up until I finished reading the very last page at 4:30 in the morning.
The action of this book was fast paced and it felt real. I thought the character of Nya was well written (even though it seemed like her inner conflicting thoughts were always rather similar... family, or friends, or self; however, this was relevant to the story, so I really don't have anything else to pick at.)
I absolutely love the thought put behind the magical abilities and qualities of Nya's world. It's almost familiar... but so different that it's exotic. Much like the rest of the book: the whole thing was exotic. Some of the scenes where Nya was running from one building to the next - one part of the city to the next - reminded me vaguely of Tamora Pierce's books set in the land of Tortall... and I absolutely ADORE Tamora Pierce's books (though, as a warning to some of the younger Christian readers on this site, Mrs. Pierce's books usually do have some slightly more mature content in them... she never goes "all the way", but there are some slightly edgy moments that I've skipped over in the past.)
What threw me for a loop at first while reading The Shifter is the fact that the setting is more exotic than I'm used to reading about in fantasy books. When I hear the word "Forest", I think of soft green light and trees I'm familiar with... like Oak, Ash, Maple, Dogwood and so on... It took me a few chapters to get used to the fact that the forests in this book were more muggy and marshy rain forests with monkey's flying through the branches and colorful birds flitting here and there, than they were the forests of Illinois or Michigan. I guess one might say it was a fresh setting... one reminiscent of the setting in Arabian Nights (which I think could be used more often).
I give this book a 4 1/2 stars out of 5. All together, it really was an amazing read, and I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series, Blue Fire, now in bookstores. Right now the third book in the series, Darkfall, is being prepared for publication.
To learn more about Mrs. Hardy and her books, you can visit her blog at http://blog.janicehardy.com
As most of you have probably noticed, I haven't been posting anything for a good long time. In fact, the last time I wrote anything for my blog was... let's see... *flips through blog date ledger*... March 25th. So ten days ago. I think that's definitely long enough. O_o Oh, and I haven't commented on anyone else's blog in such a long time that I can't even remember exactly how long it has been. But please don't feel like I don't love you because of it... believe me, I still read other blogs... I just never get around to posting comments anymore. Must try to remedy this; perhaps it will get better after school gets out in a another month. :)
I wish I could say, "Don't blame me for my lack of time. It's the nasty school's fault! It wasn't my idea for all of my teachers to insist that homework is more important than blogging!" But the fact is that homework is, indeed, much more important than blogging. As is writing, which still hasn't been coming very easy for me lately... (I'm trying hard not to feel discouraged).
So Homework. And I've just been negligent.
If there is one thing I'm most certainly good at, it's procrastinating. It seems like my favorite pass-time. Thus, when I sat down to do homework last night, I ended up in my word program trying to work on the rewrite of my novel... and when I found I was stuck, I ended up pulling out one of the books from my "not read yet" pile and reading the whole thing in one sitting.
Which leads me to the real reason for this post. I've decided to review the book I read last night. :D I actually have a list of other books that should be reviewed first, but I figured they could wait. (just like my homework... for now. *wince*)
15-year-old Nya and her younger sister, Tali, who were orphaned during the recent war that nearly destroyed their city, both have the gift of healing. Unlike Tali, though, Nya can't harmlessly shift the pain she takes from the sick and wounded into enchanted pynvium metal. Instead, she must shift it from person to person, a dangerous talent that she keeps hidden from the ruling Baseeri and from the Healer's League where Tali is an apprentice. Scrounging to make ends meet, Nya resorts to odd jobs and the occasional theft to stay alive. When a young soldier discovers her secret and implores her to save his dying father, Nya is forced to choose between protecting herself and acknowledging her ability to save others and perhaps her entire city.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this book. Really, I did. I picked it up and simply could not put it down... which is why I stayed up until I finished reading the very last page at 4:30 in the morning.
The action of this book was fast paced and it felt real. I thought the character of Nya was well written (even though it seemed like her inner conflicting thoughts were always rather similar... family, or friends, or self; however, this was relevant to the story, so I really don't have anything else to pick at.)
I absolutely love the thought put behind the magical abilities and qualities of Nya's world. It's almost familiar... but so different that it's exotic. Much like the rest of the book: the whole thing was exotic. Some of the scenes where Nya was running from one building to the next - one part of the city to the next - reminded me vaguely of Tamora Pierce's books set in the land of Tortall... and I absolutely ADORE Tamora Pierce's books (though, as a warning to some of the younger Christian readers on this site, Mrs. Pierce's books usually do have some slightly more mature content in them... she never goes "all the way", but there are some slightly edgy moments that I've skipped over in the past.)
What threw me for a loop at first while reading The Shifter is the fact that the setting is more exotic than I'm used to reading about in fantasy books. When I hear the word "Forest", I think of soft green light and trees I'm familiar with... like Oak, Ash, Maple, Dogwood and so on... It took me a few chapters to get used to the fact that the forests in this book were more muggy and marshy rain forests with monkey's flying through the branches and colorful birds flitting here and there, than they were the forests of Illinois or Michigan. I guess one might say it was a fresh setting... one reminiscent of the setting in Arabian Nights (which I think could be used more often).
I give this book a 4 1/2 stars out of 5. All together, it really was an amazing read, and I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series, Blue Fire, now in bookstores. Right now the third book in the series, Darkfall, is being prepared for publication.
To learn more about Mrs. Hardy and her books, you can visit her blog at http://blog.janicehardy.com
Friday, March 25, 2011
The News of the Week :D
Well, this is long overdue, but I've finally decided to share some good news with all of my bloggy friends out there. :DMr. Scott Appleton, founder and owner of Flaming Pen Press, and author of the book "Swords of the Six" will be coming to the Peoria Illinios area April 14th, 15th, and 16th. :D
Thursday, April 14th Mr. Appleton will be signing books at Hoerr's Berean Bookstore on Sheridan Road from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. He will also be attending the Apache Home School Convention taking place on Friday, April 15th, and Saturday, April 16th at the Peoria Civic Center.
I hope that some of you will be able to attend. :D I don't know how many of my followers actually live in Illinios, but I am certainly looking forward to meeting Mr. Appleton in person. I will be posting updates in the future and will definitely blog about the event when it is over.
Hope to see some of you there!!! ^_^
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Some Fun Christmas Music in March. :D
Hello,
I know I haven't posted anything in a while. Actually, I've been downright neglectful. :( Which is why I decided to do something random and share some of the fun stuff I discovered today while procrastinating! haha!
Today I was doing jazz research (which wasn't technically procrastinating, since the research was for a class. :P) when I stumbled across this awesome Men's A Capella group called "Straight No Chaser" after Thelonius Monk himself. The group is absolutely amazing, and My favorite songs are these two Christmas ones. :) So good!
I know I haven't posted anything in a while. Actually, I've been downright neglectful. :( Which is why I decided to do something random and share some of the fun stuff I discovered today while procrastinating! haha!
Today I was doing jazz research (which wasn't technically procrastinating, since the research was for a class. :P) when I stumbled across this awesome Men's A Capella group called "Straight No Chaser" after Thelonius Monk himself. The group is absolutely amazing, and My favorite songs are these two Christmas ones. :) So good!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Book Review: The Charlatan's Boy
It’s a hard way to make a living, made harder by the memory of fatter times when audiences thronged to see young Grady perform as “The Wild Man of the Feechiefen Swamp.” But what can they do? Nobody believes in feechies anymore.
When Floyd stages an elaborate plot to revive Corenwalders’ belief in the mythical swamp-dwellers known as the feechiefolk, he overshoots the mark. Floyd’s Great Feechie Scare becomes widespread panic. Eager audiences become angry mobs, and in the ensuing chaos, the Charlatan’s Boy discovers the truth that has evaded him all his life—and will change his path forever.
My thoughts: It's been a couple weeks since I finished this book, but I must say that I absolutely loved it. :D Jonathan Rogers created a world that felt very real -- so real in fact, that it's easy for a mind to slip and think that this might have happened in our own world. The swamps reminded me of the Louisiana area and New Orleans, and for some reason the plains and farming area made me think of Kentucky. Of course, the drovers are as good as or equal to our Cowboys. (which are indeed called "drovers" I believe, or "cattle drivers".)
I also loved the voice of the book. The story is told in first person POV through Grady's eyes. His speech reminded me very much of Mark Twain's stories about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. The voice is whimsical but real: very real. And down to earth, but captivating. I remember reading the first chapter online long before I had the actual book. After reading the first chapter, I was absolutely hooked and knew that I had to read the rest of the book: it's not very often that such a thing happens to me.
And the ending!!! I won't give anything away to those of you who haven't read the book yet, but there is quite a satisfying twist at the end of the book. It makes you really think over some of the earlier events. Take nothing for granted in this book: it all means something.
As far as rating goes, I give The Charlatan's Boy a 5 out of 5 star rating.
Yes, it was that good.
Adventure, fantasy, historic-type setting... it's chock full of interesting characters and the two MC's are always getting themselves into and out of difficult situations. I definitely recommend this book to any people who like to read: it will appeal to many different types of readers in many different types of genres.
(this book was provided to me through Waterbrook Multnomaj press, a devision of Random House. I was not required to give a positive review: the views represented in this blog entry are entirely my own.)
Friday, March 11, 2011
Mock Cover Art Fun!!! :D
Have you ever hit a low point in your writing life, where you feel like you just can't type another word? That's where I was a few days ago. Then, as I was browsing through the blogs I follow, I came across a post in which the writer had put up a mock cover design for the book she was working on. It wasn't that bad, either: sure, it was only a photo that she had put text over, but knowing her type of writing, it really fit. She said working on the cover design helped her focus when she felt like she couldn't write anymore. The next time she hit a writing low, she said all she had to do was look at the cover art and her urge to write perked up again.
So I decided to try the same thing, and for the past 3 days whenever I could find time away from life and schoolwork, I've been working on this cover design for "Song of the Daystar". Now that it's finished, I am really, really happy with the outcome. In fact, to be quite honest, I wouldn't mind for this piece to be the REAL cover art for SOTD... with, perhaps, a few tweaks here and there. (Whenever the book get's published, that is). Here's a picture of my finished work; tell me what you think:
Most of this was done with photo manipulation, but there was A LOT of painting involved too. The sphere is (of course) the Daystar itself. This piece is actually from a scene that is in the middle of the book, where Curron (my MC) first touches the Daystar and suddenly the stone comes to life with power, and Curron has a vision of the Creation. Birds, deer, and water are all mentioned in the scene, so I wanted to try to depict that in the cover art as well.
The scene in the stone is pretty much all photo manipulation with the deer, the birds, and the water all coming from different photos that I worked into the background with GIMP. It took me a while to get the color just right for the scene in the stone, but I worked in three different layers and finally got it the way I wanted it: the bottom layer was set to normal, the second layer up was set to burn, and the next layer up was set to normal, and then put at 40.0 opacity.
The hands were done slightly different. They started as a photo manipulation of a free stock image I got of the internet, but then I decided to paint over them entirely because I liked the painted look much better than the photo cropped look. So basically the hands were all re-painted using GIMP. It was difficult to get them to look just right, and I've never been very good at painting hands, but I think they turned out pretty good. Especially with the hight lights coming off of the Title letters, and the slight purple shading (yes, I'm gloating just a little bit, but I really am proud of this accomplishment... the picture turned out way better than I expected it to. ^_^ ).
So anyway, please let me know what you think of it. I'm so excited! Now I feel like I need to go write!!!!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Writing God into Christian Fiction
"Christian Fiction"
Now those are two loaded words. Before we go any farther, let's take those two words apart, shall we?
Christain:
1. believer in Jesus Christ as savior: somebody whose religion is Christianity
adj
1. christianity from teachings of Jesus Christ: based on or relating to a belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Messiah, and acceptance of his teachings, contained in the Gospels
2. relating to Christianity: relating to Christianity, or belonging to or maintained by a Christian organization, especially a church, Christian theology, or a Christian school.
Fiction:
Any form of narrative which deals, in part or in whole, with events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary and invented by its author(s).
And if you combine the two definitions you get this:
Christian Fiction is categorized as any fictitious novel, story, or poem that expounds and illustrates a Christian world view in its plot, its characters, or both, or which deals with Christian themes in a positive way.
So now that we know what Christian Fiction is, the question I will then be addressing is how to incorporate such values into fiction in a way that displays aspects of God without feeling "preachy".
The first thing a Christian writer must realize when approaching such a subject, is that we humans, in our rather limited understanding of the spiritual realm, are essentially incapable of portraying all of the vast and glorious facets that make up God. It is quite simply impossible for us. In understanding this, we must also understand and admit to ourselves that in order to portray any part of our own knowledge of who God is to us personally in a realistic and believable fashion, we must give up any fantasies we have of portraying ALL of what God is in any way. This rule applies to ANY setting, not just fictitious ones.
Why do I say this? Because it is the truth. We can't even begin to fathom or comprehend all that God is. He is far to great and powerful, wise and merciful, gracious, kind, fatherly, stern, awesome and mighty for our puny human minds to handle. He wants to be near us, but even in our quite time with God each morning, when we hear His still small voice whispering in our ears, He only reveals a small portion of all He really is to us or we would be so overwhelmed with His glory that we wouldn't be able to handle it!
So then. After we understand this, then we must turn to the act of deciding what aspect of God we want to expound on, whether it be a moral, a proverb, a parable, a psalm, or even just an event from the Bible. Of course, none of us will ever end up writing the same story or idea the same way. For example I'd like to take a look at Donita K. Paul's "Dragon Keeper" series vs. my own novel "Song of the Daystar." (Not a very good comparison, I'm sure, as Mrs. Paul has been writing far longer than I have, but still.)
For this example we are going to start by compare figures/characters that, on the whole, represent God in some form or fashion.
In Mrs. Paul's books, "The God Figure" (as it is often referred to) is called Paladin. Mrs. Paul's MCs usually end up meeting Paladin in person at some point or another, so he is most definitely a living, breathing, physical part of the books. He also affects the characters in a more direct way. Having characters who experience physical contact with the God figure of a story usually stimulates a more "mortal" connection to said figure, including memories of actual physical encounters, direct emotional stimulus, and of course face to face encounters and conversations. There is also the element of the five senses that can be brought into play. Mrs. Paul's MC, Kale, meets Paladin on occasion and recalls her encounters with him several times throughout the books and several times she wishes that he could be with her during a crisis so that he could hold her hand and tell her what she needs to do. She also remembers the love and compassion exuding from his being. It's very touching, and portrays Jesus in a way that sort of makes me think of a hero... a noble knight who will ride out on horseback (or dragonback :D) to do battle with the enemy in order to protect his people, but who will also step back in some situations and encourage a person to make a decision and learn things on their own. In essence, Mrs. Paul portrays God as approachable and loving, gracious, but protective of his people and fierce in the face of evil; all wonderful aspects of our all powerful, all amazing Heavenly Father!
In SOTD, the God figure is portrayed a bit differently. For one thing, there really isn't so much a physical connection between God and my characters as there is a spiritual one that grows more over a period of time. In my book, my God Figure is called Anahdor, and the story revolves more around believing in what is unseen and how the spiritual can effect the natural. Of course, a person might not pick up on this connection if they were just reading the book -- unless, of course, I told them about the connection first. :D My book is also about discovering how God works in a life, and it's about personal and spiritual revelation over the course of the story within and without of the church. One main focus is the story of the cross (though told slightly different to fit the world in SOTD). However, a major difference between my book and other books I've read that use the Easter story is the fact that, while the reader and my MC end up witnessing key points of the crucification and what that symbolizes, the event is witnessed in a slightly different manner than I think most readers are used to... (though I guess I could be wrong on that point). In essence, I am trying to portray God as powerful in the everyday and portray the point that he cares for everyone of us, and has a calling for each of us, even when we think we aren't worth the trouble or the effort. He loves us all and He can work through even the least of us to help bring other people into His kingdom.
(Well, that's what I hope comes across, anyway. lol!)
Now, if we were to compare either of those ideas about God to the God figure in Wayne Thomas Batson's trilogy, "The Door Within", we would note that the High King in Mr. Batson's books also made a great sacrifice for his people, much like the story of the Jesus' crucification. In Mr. Batson's books, we don't actually see the High King except once or twice when his presence is revealed and becomes almost overwhelmingly powerful (similar to different places in my book), but we do have characters that have interacted with the High King before he sacrificed himself for his people... so we also have that physical connection and memorable element of Mrs. Paul's books.
And then we have books that depict God as an animal: Aslan in Narnia, Ruyah in Tebron, Albino in SOTS....
I guess the important thing to remember when trying to write God into Christian fiction is to first look at your outlook on God. I know that sounds all sinister and impersonal, but it really is something to think about. Analyze what you know of God and what He has shown you in your spiritual walk with Him. Is there one point that shows up in your story more than others? What is that point? What does it represent to you, and then what does it represent to your characters?
As far as my writing goes, I've found that I can't leave God out of the book entirely... He seeps in, even when I'm not expecting it. And anything I write that doesn't somehow, in some small way expound on one of his many amazing facets doesn't last very long... the story sort of falls apart in the middle and I loose interest. It is very true.
However, the spiritual elements of my successful stories are sometimes so subtle that I have to go in and analyze what these aspects are, how they relate to each other, and how they relate to my characters just so I can keep track of them. Doing this also helps me get a better grasp on where my story is going and how certain events tie in with other events at a later date. And never forget that it's always interesting to explore a different aspect of God than you have explored before... Take Nickolas from "The God Hater" for example... The whole point of "The God Hater" was (in my opinion) to explore what it must have been like for God to literally give up a part of himself to be killed in sacrifice for the people he created and loved.
So don't be afraid to ask yourself questions, and then ask God a few as well. Pray about it. Analyze what you know already and what you are learning in your daily walk of life. If you do that and apply it to your writing, then you may discover that writing God into Christian fiction in a personal and graceful manner isn't nearly as hard as you might have thought.
Now those are two loaded words. Before we go any farther, let's take those two words apart, shall we?
Christain:
1. believer in Jesus Christ as savior: somebody whose religion is Christianity
adj
1. christianity from teachings of Jesus Christ: based on or relating to a belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Messiah, and acceptance of his teachings, contained in the Gospels
2. relating to Christianity: relating to Christianity, or belonging to or maintained by a Christian organization, especially a church, Christian theology, or a Christian school.
Fiction:
Any form of narrative which deals, in part or in whole, with events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary and invented by its author(s).
And if you combine the two definitions you get this:
Christian Fiction is categorized as any fictitious novel, story, or poem that expounds and illustrates a Christian world view in its plot, its characters, or both, or which deals with Christian themes in a positive way.
So now that we know what Christian Fiction is, the question I will then be addressing is how to incorporate such values into fiction in a way that displays aspects of God without feeling "preachy".
The first thing a Christian writer must realize when approaching such a subject, is that we humans, in our rather limited understanding of the spiritual realm, are essentially incapable of portraying all of the vast and glorious facets that make up God. It is quite simply impossible for us. In understanding this, we must also understand and admit to ourselves that in order to portray any part of our own knowledge of who God is to us personally in a realistic and believable fashion, we must give up any fantasies we have of portraying ALL of what God is in any way. This rule applies to ANY setting, not just fictitious ones.
Why do I say this? Because it is the truth. We can't even begin to fathom or comprehend all that God is. He is far to great and powerful, wise and merciful, gracious, kind, fatherly, stern, awesome and mighty for our puny human minds to handle. He wants to be near us, but even in our quite time with God each morning, when we hear His still small voice whispering in our ears, He only reveals a small portion of all He really is to us or we would be so overwhelmed with His glory that we wouldn't be able to handle it!
So then. After we understand this, then we must turn to the act of deciding what aspect of God we want to expound on, whether it be a moral, a proverb, a parable, a psalm, or even just an event from the Bible. Of course, none of us will ever end up writing the same story or idea the same way. For example I'd like to take a look at Donita K. Paul's "Dragon Keeper" series vs. my own novel "Song of the Daystar." (Not a very good comparison, I'm sure, as Mrs. Paul has been writing far longer than I have, but still.)
For this example we are going to start by compare figures/characters that, on the whole, represent God in some form or fashion.
In Mrs. Paul's books, "The God Figure" (as it is often referred to) is called Paladin. Mrs. Paul's MCs usually end up meeting Paladin in person at some point or another, so he is most definitely a living, breathing, physical part of the books. He also affects the characters in a more direct way. Having characters who experience physical contact with the God figure of a story usually stimulates a more "mortal" connection to said figure, including memories of actual physical encounters, direct emotional stimulus, and of course face to face encounters and conversations. There is also the element of the five senses that can be brought into play. Mrs. Paul's MC, Kale, meets Paladin on occasion and recalls her encounters with him several times throughout the books and several times she wishes that he could be with her during a crisis so that he could hold her hand and tell her what she needs to do. She also remembers the love and compassion exuding from his being. It's very touching, and portrays Jesus in a way that sort of makes me think of a hero... a noble knight who will ride out on horseback (or dragonback :D) to do battle with the enemy in order to protect his people, but who will also step back in some situations and encourage a person to make a decision and learn things on their own. In essence, Mrs. Paul portrays God as approachable and loving, gracious, but protective of his people and fierce in the face of evil; all wonderful aspects of our all powerful, all amazing Heavenly Father!
In SOTD, the God figure is portrayed a bit differently. For one thing, there really isn't so much a physical connection between God and my characters as there is a spiritual one that grows more over a period of time. In my book, my God Figure is called Anahdor, and the story revolves more around believing in what is unseen and how the spiritual can effect the natural. Of course, a person might not pick up on this connection if they were just reading the book -- unless, of course, I told them about the connection first. :D My book is also about discovering how God works in a life, and it's about personal and spiritual revelation over the course of the story within and without of the church. One main focus is the story of the cross (though told slightly different to fit the world in SOTD). However, a major difference between my book and other books I've read that use the Easter story is the fact that, while the reader and my MC end up witnessing key points of the crucification and what that symbolizes, the event is witnessed in a slightly different manner than I think most readers are used to... (though I guess I could be wrong on that point). In essence, I am trying to portray God as powerful in the everyday and portray the point that he cares for everyone of us, and has a calling for each of us, even when we think we aren't worth the trouble or the effort. He loves us all and He can work through even the least of us to help bring other people into His kingdom.
(Well, that's what I hope comes across, anyway. lol!)
Now, if we were to compare either of those ideas about God to the God figure in Wayne Thomas Batson's trilogy, "The Door Within", we would note that the High King in Mr. Batson's books also made a great sacrifice for his people, much like the story of the Jesus' crucification. In Mr. Batson's books, we don't actually see the High King except once or twice when his presence is revealed and becomes almost overwhelmingly powerful (similar to different places in my book), but we do have characters that have interacted with the High King before he sacrificed himself for his people... so we also have that physical connection and memorable element of Mrs. Paul's books.
And then we have books that depict God as an animal: Aslan in Narnia, Ruyah in Tebron, Albino in SOTS....
I guess the important thing to remember when trying to write God into Christian fiction is to first look at your outlook on God. I know that sounds all sinister and impersonal, but it really is something to think about. Analyze what you know of God and what He has shown you in your spiritual walk with Him. Is there one point that shows up in your story more than others? What is that point? What does it represent to you, and then what does it represent to your characters?
As far as my writing goes, I've found that I can't leave God out of the book entirely... He seeps in, even when I'm not expecting it. And anything I write that doesn't somehow, in some small way expound on one of his many amazing facets doesn't last very long... the story sort of falls apart in the middle and I loose interest. It is very true.
However, the spiritual elements of my successful stories are sometimes so subtle that I have to go in and analyze what these aspects are, how they relate to each other, and how they relate to my characters just so I can keep track of them. Doing this also helps me get a better grasp on where my story is going and how certain events tie in with other events at a later date. And never forget that it's always interesting to explore a different aspect of God than you have explored before... Take Nickolas from "The God Hater" for example... The whole point of "The God Hater" was (in my opinion) to explore what it must have been like for God to literally give up a part of himself to be killed in sacrifice for the people he created and loved.
So don't be afraid to ask yourself questions, and then ask God a few as well. Pray about it. Analyze what you know already and what you are learning in your daily walk of life. If you do that and apply it to your writing, then you may discover that writing God into Christian fiction in a personal and graceful manner isn't nearly as hard as you might have thought.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
On the Controversies of Religion
Eck! My history class is providing me with all sorts of controversial blogging material. Today we were discussing "The Great Awakening" and my teacher decided once again to instigate a class conversation on religion. It was very interesting to hear her outlook on religion compared to the class' outlook. We talked about the evangelical movement that grew in the south, and how it was that rural people were much more religious because they were less educated, where as people in the towns and colonies, being more educated, were open to the movement of ideas that were introduced. In essence, the Christians were supposedly averse to any type of change.
Ok, first of all, I wonder what her definition of "religion" is. And for that matter, I wonder what most of the class' definition is. Does anyone ever stop to think that perhaps it wasn't that Christians were opposed to change as it was they were opposed to the "types" of change… I mean, look what "change" has done to this world! We are now considering lesbian and gay marriage, a health reform, and now I've heard tell that here in my home state of Illinois, the public schools are fighting in government to be able to come into homeschoolers' houses to "approve" the curriculum! That completely goes against the very reason for Homeschooling… to GET AWAY from the public school systems! And then you have the economy… Sheesh! If you ask me, the type of change that has been instigated in this world from without church boundries has only worked to destroy the world.
In any case, this is my outlook on the definition of religion:
Religion is considered to be any sort of sever belief that has to do with a god or gods, or any other type of spiritual being, that might rule over a life or nature, etc… This all inclusive word would then include the Muslim beliefs, the Buddhist beliefs, witchcraft, and yes… even (sadly) Christianity and all of its denominations. Yet, if one were to think about it, superstition is a type of religion too, disbelief is a type of religion in its own way, and yes… even Atheism is a type of religion in the fact that it is a severe belief in NOT believing in ANY religion.
Do you see how hypocritical it is to try to single out Christianity in a debate on religion and use it as an example of hypocrisy? *shakes head sadly* And unfortunately, one small voice in a sea of controversial voices tends to get drowned out by the other noise.
Well, I'm putting this one out for debate: What do you guys have to say on the matter?
Monday, February 28, 2011
Writing Tag on "Eldrei"
Well, I haven't really written a blog post in ages, but the other day I was flipping through the other blogs that I follow and I found this tag on Eldra's blog. She tagged all of her followers who were brave enough to try to answer all the questions on this immense tag, so I'm going to do something similar. :D If you follow me, and if you haven't already done this tag, then consider yourself officially tagged!
1. What’s your word count?
31,752
2. How long until you finish?
Eh… It’s difficult to say. The rough draft was well over 100k, and as far as this rewrite is going… well, let’s say I took the beginning back to an earlier date in the novel’s timeline… so having to write up to where I started the original story is definitely taking some time. Knowing that YA novels usually level out somewhere just under 100k, I’d like to say I’m close to about 1/3 of the way done, but knowing what I still have planned for this novel, I’d say the book is more like 1/4 done… maybe…
31,752
2. How long until you finish?
Eh… It’s difficult to say. The rough draft was well over 100k, and as far as this rewrite is going… well, let’s say I took the beginning back to an earlier date in the novel’s timeline… so having to write up to where I started the original story is definitely taking some time. Knowing that YA novels usually level out somewhere just under 100k, I’d like to say I’m close to about 1/3 of the way done, but knowing what I still have planned for this novel, I’d say the book is more like 1/4 done… maybe…
3. If you have finished, how long did it take you?
I’m not finished with the rewrite and because of other projects I have to deal with right now, I don’t know how long it will be before I finish. However, I think the RD took me somewhere around 2-3 years to complete at leisure… maybe 4 but I can’t remember anymore. I started writing Eldrei about a week after I turned 16.
4. Do you have an outline?
Not for the RD, and for the rewrite? Well, I consider my RD the outline for my rewrite. J
I’m not finished with the rewrite and because of other projects I have to deal with right now, I don’t know how long it will be before I finish. However, I think the RD took me somewhere around 2-3 years to complete at leisure… maybe 4 but I can’t remember anymore. I started writing Eldrei about a week after I turned 16.
4. Do you have an outline?
Not for the RD, and for the rewrite? Well, I consider my RD the outline for my rewrite. J
5. Do you have a plot?
Yes. Or at least I think I do. There aren’t many people who’ve read what I have of the story, but the plot makes sense in MY head.
6. How many words do you typically write a day?
That really depends on time and my schedule right now. Typically I might get out somewhere between 500 to 1k on a good day. On a bad day I’m lucky to get out 100 to 300 words. I would love to be able to write more than that a day, but my schedule just doesn’t allow it. L
7. What was your greatest word count in one day?
I wrote over 10,000 words one day last summer, thanks to my mother. Lol! She told me she didn’t want to see me come out of my room until I’d completed SOTD. Well, I didn’t finish, exactly, but I got pretty far. It’s hard not to, with 10k. :D
8. What was your least impressive word count in one day?
10… I think. One day. Unless you count all the days I don’t write at all, and then the answer is 0.
9. What inspired you to write?
It’s funny, because I was finishing up reading LOTR for the third time in a row when suddenly I thought “I can do this!” and I got out of bed and went to my computer. I had an old 95 compaque from my dad at the time. And I started writing. However, what seems even funnier was the fact that even though I had been reading LOTR which is what initially started my writing, a major point in the story was inspired from a small piece of info in Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. It’s such a very major point that it’s been there from the very start of the story and there’s no way I’ll ever consider taking it out. :D
From then on, however, the story took on a life of its own.
Before that particular night, I was trying to write a sequel (a very lame and amateur sequel) to LOTR, and before that I wrote mostly poetry with a few short stories thrown in for good measure.
10. Does your novel/story have a theme song?
You know, I never really thought of giving my novel a theme song. If I were to choose, though, I would have to say that it would be “May it Be” from Celtic Women or perhaps “Caislean Oir” by Clannad. Maybe the “Love Theme from Barry Lyndon” by the Chieftans in some places… It’s sort of hard to give Eldrei a specific theme song as I can see different songs fit it in different places.
11. Assign each of your major characters a theme song.
Hmmm… I’ve never really thought about whether my characters would have theme songs or not…
You know, I think I’ll pass this one. I can imagine giving an entire story or plot a theme song, but it just doesn’t hit me right to give my characters theme songs… not sure why.
12. Which character is most like you?
Tibain. That was easy. I mean, I guess you could say that both he and Arien are equally important to the story, but Tibain is definitely the most like me…
13. Which character would you most likely be friends with?
Oh, I could probably be friend with any of my three major characters… but probably Tibain once again. I could definitely be friends with Arien, but if you want the truth, she reminds me a lot of one of my younger sisters and while we get along most of the time, sometimes our personalities clash severely.
14. Do you have a Gary-Stu or Mary Sue character?
I sure hope not!!!
15. Who is your favorite character in your novel?
It used to be that I would have said Tibain, but lately I’ve been messing around in Dakore’s POV, and I’ve discovered that he’s a lot more complicated than I used to think. :D
16. Have your characters ever done something completely unexpected?
Oh yes.
17. Have you based any of your novel directly on personal experiences?
I don’t think so, but I would say that some of what’s in my novel is definitely attributed in some way to my real life.
18. Do you believe in plot bunnies?
Yes. They like to hop in and out of my brain at the most inopportune moments…
19. Is there magic in your novel/story?
Not as in spells… least not for the good guys. I can’t remember what the RD had for the bad guys…
The good guys don’t use spells or anything like that, but my MC’s are gifted, and my “Fae” or “Elvish” characters use a type of “magic” (if you want to call it that) that has to do with singing. There’s a long and very very complicatedly thought process and reasoning behind this… I may post it someday… but right now it would take up way too much time and space.
20. Are any holidays celebrated in your novel/story?
Hmmm… you know, I’ve never even thought about it.
21. Does anyone die?
Yes. Of course. And not just bad guys… :D
22. How many cups of coffee/tea have you consumed during your writing experience?
Lol! Way too many to count! :D I am officially addicted to coffee… especially if it’s iced coffee with whipped cream on top (although I’m sure that’s insanely bad for me)… and as for tea… well, once I get started, there is no stopping me for a good long time!
23. What is the latest you have stayed up writing?
Oh I think I managed once to about 7:00 am one time… I don’t think I’ve ever beat that time while writing before, but once it was 10:00 am before I fell asleep after reading all night. Thankfully it was a Saturday so I was allowed to sleep in. :D
Oh I think I managed once to about 7:00 am one time… I don’t think I’ve ever beat that time while writing before, but once it was 10:00 am before I fell asleep after reading all night. Thankfully it was a Saturday so I was allowed to sleep in. :D
24. What is the best line?
Gosh… That’s a really hard one. I have some favorites, but I wouldn’t say any of them are “the best” line of the whole story…
25. What is the worst line?
Probably the last one I wrote off the top of my head because then it’s most likely not edited yet. :D
26. Have you dreamed about your novel/story or its characters?
Oh yeah, several times. But unfortunately it doesn’t usually help me get my characters out of situations…
27. Does your novel rely heavily on allegory?
No.
28. Summarize your novel/story in under fifteen words.
Star Siblings must be returned to their thrones before their arch-enemy succeeds in destroying them.
29. Do you love all your characters?
No. Some of them I like, but actually I wouldn’t say I “love” any of them completely… (I know that sounds bad…) It’s just that I like to hurt them all so much and make so many bad things happen to them that “loving” them can be hard in contrast with my evil writer’s side. Lol!
30. Have you done something sadistic or cruel to your characters specifically to increase your word count?
Oh yeah. Read above post. ;)
Oh yeah. Read above post. ;)
31. What was the last thing your main character ate?
Fish, I think. Or maybe some other sort of dried meat… but I can’t remember.
32. Describe your main character in three words.
Honorable. Complicated. Underestimated.
33. What would your antagonist dress up as for Halloween?
Shoot! Why would you need to dress up if you were already the biggest, baddest, scariest evil thing to ever exist?!
34. Does anyone in your story go to a place of worship?
Um… the “elvish” characters… yes, if I remember correctly.
35. How many romantic relationships take place in your novel/story?
None.
36. Are there any explosions in your novel/story?
Maybe… do you count a dragon blowing up things with his fire-breath? Oh wait, there was one other time… yes. But that’s in the second book so… well, unless you count the dragon there are no explosions in the first book. :D
37. Is there an apocalypse in your novel/story?
Hmmm… I don’t think so…
38. Does your novel take place in a post-apocalyptic world?
No.
39. Are there zombies, vampires or werewolves in your novel/story?
No. Never. Not gonna happen. And I don’t think you can count my “satan takes over his own demon” scene… which is really scary and actually freaked me out when I wrote it. I will probably cut it, but I haven’t decided yet. It's really really creepy. *shivers*
Weird mixed evil creatures? Yeah, I have a few of those…
40. Are there witches, wizards or mythological creatures/figures in your novel/story?
Yes… I have gryphons, dragons, centaurs, nymphs, unicorns, “elves” (although I don’t think they are going to be called that in the story), dwarves, phoenixes, fauns, sprites, and fairies… but no witches or wizards.
41. Is anyone reincarnated?
Eh… no. There is a surprise planned for the last book… and don’t worry, a totally valid, well thought through reason that doesn’t go against any of my Christian beliefs. But I don’t believe in reincarnation, so none of that.
42. Is anyone physically ailed?
Well, every time I hurt a character, they are physically ailed… they usually get better at some point in time… I think… maybe… hehe!
43. Is anyone mentally ill?
Uh, no. At least, one of my characters thinks he may be going mentally ill at the beginning of the book, but he’s not and it all gets worked out. :D
44. Does anyone have swine flu?
What?!
45. Who has pets in your novel and what are they?
No pets. Not really… Not in the real sense of the word. I don’t know if you can call a warrior unicorn a “pet” even if it was your constant guide for the first part of the story, and you can’t call a sprite a “pet” unless you want some mischief worked when you aren’t looking. :)
46. Are there angels, demons, or any religious references/figures in your novel/story?
Yes.
47. How about political figures? Are there political figures in my book?
Yes… the story has political figures and such, but the story is more centered around a more, eh… I guess you would call it “spiritual” aspect.
48. Is there incessant drinking?
No. Not in this book. In one of my other books there is some, but my MC’s never drink much if they drink at all, and then only wine for the purpose of it being a fantasy book. They never get drunk. And the person who does get drunk in my other book is a total butt. (if you’ll excuse my saying so… HE IS THOUGH!)
49. Are there board games? If so, which ones?
Hmm… no, but now I might think of putting something in… maybe… it would be an interesting concept to try and create…
50. Are there any dream sequences?
Only every other page. Ok, maybe not that much, but dreams and visions play a HUGE roll in this story. HUGE.
51. Is there humor?
In some cases I sure hope so…
52. Is there tragedy?
Yes.
53. Does anyone have a temper tantrum?
No hissy-fits. Frustrated arguments, yes, but not trantrums.
54. How many characters end up single at the end of your novel/story?
And the end of this particular book they are all single. My characters aren't married at the end of this trilogy either -- at least they aren't to this point. At the end of this series, however, I’m thinking about maybe planning a very special wedding… but that's around 9 books away. :)
55. Is anyone in your novel/story adopted?
Eh… no. Not in this one… but they do have a guardian who isn’t their parents, and it is true that they don’t exactly know their parents… but they aren’t really adopted either…
56. Does anyone in your novel/story wear glasses?
Not that I can think of…
57. Has your novel/story provided insight about your life?
Uhhh. . . I think in some cases, yes.
58. Your personality?
Sometimes. Most of the time it shows up in Tibain.
59. Has your novel/story inspired anyone?
I have no idea. Not many people have read the rewritten version of it, and I don’t show the RD to ANYONE.
60. How many people have asked to read your novel/story?
A few. Three or four maybe…
61. Have you drawn any of your characters?
I’ve tried, years ago. They never came out right. I might try again someday, but I’m not sure…
62. Has anyone drawn your characters for you?
Yes. My dad painted a picture of my Dragon for me once on a T-shirt, although I'd sketched out the original. My dad was an airbrush artist before he had his stroke, and we used to travel the US because majore Mobile Home industries would ask him to come and paint their rigs at rallies they held. My dragon turned out awesome!
63. Does anyone vomit in your novel/story?
Yes…
64. Does anyone bleed in your novel/story?
Of course. Gallons and gallons of the stuff…
65. Do any of your characters watch TV?
TV? Never heard of it. ;)
55. Is anyone in your novel/story adopted?
Eh… no. Not in this one… but they do have a guardian who isn’t their parents, and it is true that they don’t exactly know their parents… but they aren’t really adopted either…
56. Does anyone in your novel/story wear glasses?
Not that I can think of…
57. Has your novel/story provided insight about your life?
Uhhh. . . I think in some cases, yes.
58. Your personality?
Sometimes. Most of the time it shows up in Tibain.
59. Has your novel/story inspired anyone?
I have no idea. Not many people have read the rewritten version of it, and I don’t show the RD to ANYONE.
60. How many people have asked to read your novel/story?
A few. Three or four maybe…
61. Have you drawn any of your characters?
I’ve tried, years ago. They never came out right. I might try again someday, but I’m not sure…
62. Has anyone drawn your characters for you?
Yes. My dad painted a picture of my Dragon for me once on a T-shirt, although I'd sketched out the original. My dad was an airbrush artist before he had his stroke, and we used to travel the US because majore Mobile Home industries would ask him to come and paint their rigs at rallies they held. My dragon turned out awesome!
63. Does anyone vomit in your novel/story?
Yes…
64. Does anyone bleed in your novel/story?
Of course. Gallons and gallons of the stuff…
65. Do any of your characters watch TV?
TV? Never heard of it. ;)
66. What size shoe does your main character wear?
Lol! Never thought to ask him. He probably wouldn’t tell me anyway… shoot, he probably doesn’t even know!
67. Do any of the characters in your novel/story use a computer?
No.
68. How would you react if your novel/story was erased entirely?
That almost happened once. I was devastated. Thankfully it didn’t happen, but I stayed locked in my room for a week trying to figure out how to get the story back, and when I finally did, it had to be entirely reformatted by hand before it was even readable. I cried a lot, and I might have screamed in anguish some too, but I don’t remember for sure…
69. Did you cry at killing off any of your characters?
No. I tried to write the scene so that I DID cry, but it just didn’t happen. Maybe it will in the rewrite, but who knows…
70. Did you cheer when killing off one of your characters?
No. Not even my evil characters (minions, mostly), and I’ve killed off plenty of those. I think I’d start to be scared for my soul if I cheered when a character died.
71. What advice would you give to a fellow writer?
Find someone who loves writing as much as you. Talk to them; brainstorm with them. Then write, write, write. And when you aren’t writing, read, read, read. Seriously. Research comes in many forms, even if you’re just reading for pleasure. You learn things every day that pertain in one way or another to something you may end up writing about, so don’t take anything for granted… (except maybe math… I have no idea when I will ever use that awful, detestable subject. :D)
No. I tried to write the scene so that I DID cry, but it just didn’t happen. Maybe it will in the rewrite, but who knows…
70. Did you cheer when killing off one of your characters?
No. Not even my evil characters (minions, mostly), and I’ve killed off plenty of those. I think I’d start to be scared for my soul if I cheered when a character died.
71. What advice would you give to a fellow writer?
Find someone who loves writing as much as you. Talk to them; brainstorm with them. Then write, write, write. And when you aren’t writing, read, read, read. Seriously. Research comes in many forms, even if you’re just reading for pleasure. You learn things every day that pertain in one way or another to something you may end up writing about, so don’t take anything for granted… (except maybe math… I have no idea when I will ever use that awful, detestable subject. :D)
72. Describe your ending in three words.
Just three? You have got to be kidding, right? Oh… You’re not? Well it was worth a shot…
Siblings return home…
That just sounds boring… :P
73. Are there any love triangles, squares, hexagons, etc.?
No.
74. On a scale of 1-10 (1 being the least stressful, 10 being the most) how does your stress rank?
It’s different all the time depending on what I’m thinking about. Right now it’s probably rated at a 5-8 because I have a test tomorrow and I have to catch up on some of the homework. And since I know that at this very moment I am procrastinationg, my stress gets racketed up. However, some days it might not even register at all…
75. Was it worth it?
I sure hope so.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The God Hater: CSFF blog tour
Well, it' the second day in the blog tour already. I promised myself that this time I would hit all three days, but *shrug* guess you can't win them all. Anyway, I finished reading "The God Hater" several weeks ago and was I ever impressed! When I first heard of the book, I wasn't sure if I should even try to read it: I mean, take a look at that title... should a Christian really read a book that is about someone who hated God? But then I read the synopsis... and since I have proved several times over that I am no good at summing up this book in front of my friends, I'm just going to give you the synopsis I read. :D
A cranky, atheist philosophy professor loves to shred incoming freshmen of their faith. He is chosen by a group of scientists to create a philosophy for a computer-generated world exactly like ours.
Much to his frustration every model introduced from Darwinism, to Existentialism, to Eastern beliefs fails. The only way to preserve the computer world is to introduce laws from outside their system through a Law Giver. Of course this goes against everything he believes and he hates it. But even this doesn't completely work because the citizens of that world become legalists and completely miss the spirit behind the Law.
The only way to save them is to create a computer character like himself to personally explain it. He does. So now there are two of him—the one in our world and the one in the computer world.
Unfortunately, a rival has introduced a virus into the computer world. Things grow worse until the professor in that computer world sees the only way to save his world is to personally absorb the virus and the penalty for breaking the Law. Of course it's clear to all, including our real world professor, that this act of selfless love has become a complete reenactment of the Gospel. It is the only possible choice to save the computer world and, as he finally understands, our own.
Much to his frustration every model introduced from Darwinism, to Existentialism, to Eastern beliefs fails. The only way to preserve the computer world is to introduce laws from outside their system through a Law Giver. Of course this goes against everything he believes and he hates it. But even this doesn't completely work because the citizens of that world become legalists and completely miss the spirit behind the Law.
The only way to save them is to create a computer character like himself to personally explain it. He does. So now there are two of him—the one in our world and the one in the computer world.
Unfortunately, a rival has introduced a virus into the computer world. Things grow worse until the professor in that computer world sees the only way to save his world is to personally absorb the virus and the penalty for breaking the Law. Of course it's clear to all, including our real world professor, that this act of selfless love has become a complete reenactment of the Gospel. It is the only possible choice to save the computer world and, as he finally understands, our own.
Now if that doesn't pique your interests, I'm not sure what will. It sure grabbed hold of mine, and refused to let them go!
Pros:
This book was well written with a very believable storyline. The message was very good, and noticeable, but never preachy. Instead of the message being like someone in your face telling you what's right and what's wrong, and why you should be a certain way, Bill Myers actually wrote the message so that it came through by the character discovering the truth behind God's sacrifice for himself. To me, this felt unique. I mean, it's hard to write something and put a message into a book like this so subtly that each time the message surfaces while reading it, it's like a new revelation all on its own. I was impressed.
Besides this, however, the book had a solid plot and kept me engaged the entire time. I had a hard time putting it down. It also had a good balance between action plot, theology, and philosophy... all interesting subjects. Nicholas, the MC, is a Philosophy professor and what I found most interesting was that much of his outlook on the religion in general made a strange kind of sense... it was both interesting and terrifying because it made me realize just how easy it is for some people to ignore Christ on the pretenses built up by their own minds, how easy it is even for todays Christians to steal themselves against God's truths if they really really wanted to. It made me, as a Christian, realize that I have to build myself up in Christ with his word and with prayer if I want to stay true to him and not fall to the lies of the world, even though they seem to make sense.
Cons:
Actually, I didn't have any problems with this book whatsoever. I had a friend tell me that she wasn't quite satisfied with the ending, but for me the ending work just perfectly... actually sent chills down my spine, but in a good way.
With all that said, this is my verdict:
Great message; Great book. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone... seriously. If you haven't read it yet, READ IT. You won't regret it. 5 out of 5 stars.
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