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| Marie Wells Coutu |
Some of you may say, “I can’t NOT write.” A few (I hope it’s only a few) are looking for “fame and fortune.” Others will say, “I love telling stories,” or maybe even, “God gave me the ability to write, and I have to use it.”
None of those are bad reasons to write. Well, the fame and fortune might be considered ego-centric, not to mention unrealistic for most of us. But there’s nothing wrong with wanting to succeed and be fairly paid for your creative work, as long as that’s not your only focus.
If you are writing Christian fiction or writing fiction from a Christ-centered world view, it’s likely you have a higher goal: to give hope or encouragement to readers, to present stories of a better way to live through faith in God or to glorify God.
During the recent Christmas season, our pastor referred to the “phenomenal, incredible, ‘this changes everything!’ news” of Jesus’ birth. That’s what we write about.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing romance with a happy-ever-after ending, women’s fiction with characters who struggle in their family relationships or fantasy with characters and settings from another realm. Every plot, every conflict, in our stories mirrors the human condition and how God made a way for us to be reconciled to Him.
It’s easy to be discouraged about our writing and think that we’ll never get published never find an agent, never win a contest, or … At those times, we have to review our motivation for writing. If we have the best, most incredible stories to tell, to reflect our amazing Savior, that’s enough of a reason to keep writing and keep perfecting our craft.
So as you consider your writing goals for this year, don’t forget to remind yourself of—or reevaluate—your reasons for writing. Maybe you’ll want to put your primary reason on a card and post it where you can see it every day.
I’d love to hear from you. Why do you write? More specifically, why do you write Christian fiction?
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| About the Author |
Her debut novel, For Such a Moment, won the Books of Hope Contest. Thirsting for More, the second book in the series was a finalist in the 2016 Selah Awards Contest and a semi-finalist in the Royal Palm Literary Awards sponsored by Florida Writers Association. You can find more about Marie and her novels on her Facebook page (Author Marie Wells Coutu), at her website (MarieWellsCoutu.com), or follow her on Twitter (@mwcoutu). Marie retired after 15 years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and she and her husband now divide their time between Florida and Iowa.
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| The Secret Heart by Marie Wells Coutu |
Beautiful Shawna Moore married Hunter Wilson, the governor of Tennessee, after a whirlwind romance, only six weeks following her first husband’s death in Iraq. Now, she wonders if the governor loved her at all or only hoped to avoid a scandal.
An investigative reporter—and friend of Shawna’s—is asking questions. If he discovers the truth about Shawna’s baby, Hunter’s chances for reelection could be ruined. But keeping the secret is destroying their marriage. Will Shawna convince Hunter to choose his family and drop out of politics, or will he continue to put his career first?
The Secret Heart will be available for pre-order in mid-January. For a sneak peek, download the first chapter here.
