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| woman reading* |
Last time, we talked about our passion and how that relates
with our writing voice. This week, let’s talk about how to write our message
into our fiction.
Proceed with Caution
Our passion for the message can drive us, but it can also
get us into trouble. (Zeal makes for great preachers, but it can turn off
readers.)
If, when we're writing fiction, we put too much of a slant
into our fiction and we lose our focus on the fact that fiction should be
entertaining first and foremost, we might lose readership. And as we know here
at Seriously Write, it's all about the reader. Sometimes we're so passionate
about our message that we begin to preach at our audience. And there's really
no room for that, except in sermon
writing. wink)
Surprised by the
Message
So how do we find the balance between including our message and
overdoing it? That's a great question. So far in my fiction projects, I’ve
found that I stumble upon my message depending on the story I’m writing. In
fact, if I have an agenda beforehand and try to include a specific message, the
story sometimes resists coming together. But when I’ve just continued to write
(I’m more SOTP than plotter), other related ideas come through than what I had
originally intended, including a solid message.
Perhaps the best way to figure out how to share our message
in our writing is to consider what not to do. Here’s a list of tips for
including your message in your fiction writing:
- Avoid preaching. :) We’ve covered that one.
- Don’t lose sight of the fact that fiction must be geared toward entertainment first.
- Be subtle. Let the message come through the story. Some have called this “organic writing” because the story lends itself toward a message. Letting the message come through the story helps avoid that contrived feeling (in this context)
- Don’t be afraid to change themes/messages as the story unfolds. It’s possible God’s trying to teach you something as you’re writing that particular manuscript and that message, that lesson, will come through—if it’s fitting, and if we let it.
- (Related to #4 above) Let God lead. Purposeful storytelling was His idea. He can help us with ours if we let Him.
How about You?
So, what about you? What have you found that works in
regards to intentionally including your message without alienating your reader?
Write on, friends!
~~~~~
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| Her Nerdy Cowboy |
Whoever heard of a bookish cowboy? When Logan
McDaniel’s brother-in-law dies, he steps in to help his beloved sister run her
ranch. But what does a city boy know of herding cattle? Claire Langley loved
her cousin. After he dies, she agrees to serve as a temporary nanny for two
heartbroken children.
Claire and Logan find they share a love of books, and
Claire can’t resist the nerdy uncle who is great with children, and who reads
to her of pirate romance. Claire’s ailing mother needs her in Seattle. Can she
break away? And if she does, can there ever be a future for Logan and her?
~~~~~
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| Annette M. Irby |
Annette M. Irby has three published books and
runs her own freelance editing business, AMI Editing.
See her page here on Seriously Write for more information.
Photo credit: “Young Woman
Reading” by nuchylee at freedigitalphotos.net
