Friday, November 1, 2013

Why I Write

What makes you do what you do? Was there some trigger in your childhood? Or do you perhaps have a learned passion--something you didn't expect to like? Do you even know why you love what you do?

I've been writing since I was a child, but I couldn't tell you why I started. It happened. I wrote, and I never stopped.

Perhaps sometimes the real question is, regardless of why we begin something, why do we continue it?

Recently I was reminded of one of the reasons I write. In attempts to get more familiar with the contemporary YA market in Christian books, I started doing some reading on my Kindle. In the process, I ran across the book Tournaments, Cocoa, and One Wrong Move by Nancy Rue.

I didn't entirely agree with the way God's Word was treated in this book. In one place I thought the Bible translation/paraphrase being used was completely wrong as it almost inferred incorrectly that Christ wasn't God (though I have to believe it was an unintentional error).

But other than that ... this book was a take-your-breath-away-it's-so-real picture of a teen girl looking for what really matters in life. It struck a chord in me so strongly that it stayed on my mind even when I wasn't reading it. I felt at the end I had been on the main character's difficult journey, and I was moved to tears by a realization of the things that really matter in life, loving God and people.

That, my friends, is the goal for my writing. I don't want to write a book that just excites readers or gains me popularity. I want to write books that encourage today's teens to go to their knees before God and want more of Him.

So think about it. Why do you do what you do?

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