There was a time when fiction was categorized in just a few main categories, the most popular being science fiction, horror, romance, and the western. Today's readers, however, have taken on more complex tastes, giving writers more freedom when writing their stories. One of the most popular "sub-genres" of fiction that authors like Karen Kingsbury and Beverly Lewis are taking advantage of, is Inspirational Fiction. Much like Stephen King's work in the eighties and nineties, authors who are writing inspirational books are flying off the shelves in record numbers.
So, what is causing the current popularity in inspirational fiction as opposed to horror or Sci Fi? Many would argue that it is a return to faith in the aftermath of recent global events like the World Trade Center attack and the Myanmar cyclone. This may very well be the case, as people struggle to make sense of events that are happening around them-they need something to give them hope. Others would say that, perhaps, the old genre favorites are simply running out of steam. After all, there is only so much to be said for werewolves or space aliens. The average reader is naturally thirsty for something different, and inspirational or Christian fiction fits the bill. Whatever the reason behind its current popularity, writing inspirational books has proved a profitable endeavor for many aspiring authors.
If you are looking for a little pick me up, or you want to delve into a book that is sure to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside; you may consider picking up a book by one of the following authors.
- Karen Kingsbury is, at the time of this writing, the number one inspirational author in the country. She has been deemed "The Queen of Christian Fiction" and her books are now a name brand: Life Changing Fiction. Her stories generally revolve around God's grace and redemption-even if her books don't always have a fairytale ending. Her most recent work is "Sunset", which is the latest installment in the popular Baxter series.
- Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen are probably names you recognize. They are the overwhelmingly successful creators of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books. On the off chance you have never heard of their work, the Chicken Soup books are collections of true and inspirational stories sent in by readers. The books cover a variety of topics; from love and romance to the death of a loved one.
- Ted Dekker draws his inspiration from the darker sides of spirituality in his book Adam. His own experiences of fear, after watching Dark Shadows, led him to reveal the true darkness that lies on the other side, and the powerful grace of God that can deliver us.
This is but a sampling of the throngs of Christian and Inspirational books and writers that are available.
Selasa, 25 Juli 2017
Rabu, 05 Juli 2017
Five Tips on How to Make Your Fictional Characters Engaging
So you've begun your novel and perhaps you've already had lots of ideas for your characters. They will probably be a composite of different people you've met in the past, or even different aspects of yourself. But how do you make them engaging? And not just the hero, but several characters? - and dare I say it, even the main antagonist or villain? Because no-one is completely good or completely bad; and for a villain to be truly convincing there must be some elements of the character which the reader can either recognise, relate to, or even empathise with - yes, even Gollum and Voldemort!
The same things that make you like people in real life are the things which make fictional characters engaging. We don't like people who are self-appointed; people who are hard and impregnable; people who are (or appear to be) boring and predictable, and people who refuse to ever freely share anything about themselves with anybody else.
To make things simpler, when I refer to "the hero" I also mean "heroine" and will use "he" although I mean both he and she.
So here's how to make your fictional characters engaging (from my own experience):
1) Your character must not be self-appointed - this means that if you want your reader to like the hero, that hero must not appoint himself to the task he ends up doing, or the quest which he ends up fulfilling. Before the hero sets out on the quest, he must have been tested, and changed; he must have died (to his default expectations of himself) and been reborn; and he only takes on the quest because he is tested again and again, and succeeds. He does not set out on the quest because he thinks he's good and big and clever enough to do it.
2) Your character needs to show vulnerability - this is vital. We cannot like people who are hard and impregnable. Even Gollum touches our hearts. He was once a warm, sensitive human being - he was destroyed by lust for the Ring - Frodo chooses to believe Gollum can be redeemed. (And actually, he can - but he ultimately chooses not to be).
3) You must explore your character inside and outside. The reader must be intrigued by the gap between what the character says of himself, and what other characters say of him - very few of us have 100% self-knowledge, and if we did, we probably wouldn't be likeable. The same principle applied to the gap between what the character says or thinks of himself, and what he actually does.
4) You must know your character's backstory - what happened before he came to enter this story? Why? How? Where? When? What is his motivation?
5) You must defeat the reader's expectations - and your own - in real life, we can never truly fathom each other. This is the joy of writing fiction, in which the author can play God. You can let the reader into the inmost hearts of your characters, if you choose. And yet, you must always defeat the reader's expectations. Defeat your own too. That's when your characters become as real as they can be, in fiction. That is where inspiration, intuion and originality lies. And that comes from the unconscious mind - as anyone who has studied the writings of Carl Jung will know.
The same things that make you like people in real life are the things which make fictional characters engaging. We don't like people who are self-appointed; people who are hard and impregnable; people who are (or appear to be) boring and predictable, and people who refuse to ever freely share anything about themselves with anybody else.
To make things simpler, when I refer to "the hero" I also mean "heroine" and will use "he" although I mean both he and she.
So here's how to make your fictional characters engaging (from my own experience):
1) Your character must not be self-appointed - this means that if you want your reader to like the hero, that hero must not appoint himself to the task he ends up doing, or the quest which he ends up fulfilling. Before the hero sets out on the quest, he must have been tested, and changed; he must have died (to his default expectations of himself) and been reborn; and he only takes on the quest because he is tested again and again, and succeeds. He does not set out on the quest because he thinks he's good and big and clever enough to do it.
2) Your character needs to show vulnerability - this is vital. We cannot like people who are hard and impregnable. Even Gollum touches our hearts. He was once a warm, sensitive human being - he was destroyed by lust for the Ring - Frodo chooses to believe Gollum can be redeemed. (And actually, he can - but he ultimately chooses not to be).
3) You must explore your character inside and outside. The reader must be intrigued by the gap between what the character says of himself, and what other characters say of him - very few of us have 100% self-knowledge, and if we did, we probably wouldn't be likeable. The same principle applied to the gap between what the character says or thinks of himself, and what he actually does.
4) You must know your character's backstory - what happened before he came to enter this story? Why? How? Where? When? What is his motivation?
5) You must defeat the reader's expectations - and your own - in real life, we can never truly fathom each other. This is the joy of writing fiction, in which the author can play God. You can let the reader into the inmost hearts of your characters, if you choose. And yet, you must always defeat the reader's expectations. Defeat your own too. That's when your characters become as real as they can be, in fiction. That is where inspiration, intuion and originality lies. And that comes from the unconscious mind - as anyone who has studied the writings of Carl Jung will know.
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