 |
| C. Kevin Thompson |
I recently read an article about the movie Gosnell. It seems Hollywood—and the theater companies who are married to the driving forces behind Hollywood—have an issue when someone makes a movie about the truth…especially when the writers shine a light into the darkness and expose the ugliness of sin. And if that exposure tackles a political hot potato, then look out!
If you’re not familiar with the story of Kermit Gosnell, all you have to do is Google it. It’s a sad and sickening commentary on the nature of humankind and how man justifies sin (cf. Genesis 6:5; Proverbs 6:18; Matthew 15:18-19).
But this blog isn’t about Gosnell. It’s about the world in which a person like Kermit Gosnell could prosper to the tune of two million dollars a year during the height of his heinous medical practice. It’s about a world wherein writers, like the ones who crafted the screenplay for the movie that recently hit theaters, could be blackballed and run out of theaters, even though the movie grossed earnings beyond expectations, placing it in the top twelve during its opening weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.
We live in enemy territory, you and me. As we are routinely reminded, by both our pastors’ sermons and the daily news, this world we live, work, and play in is not our home. Our home is being prepared (John 14:2). Our home is yet to come. So, we should not be surprised when our writings get rejected, receive poor reviews, or simply rub people the wrong way. It should also not surprise us when the venues through which our craft is offered start to challenge what we have written on the pages of our manuscript.
A fellow author told me a story recently wherein the publisher kept “rewriting” the manuscript and sending it back to the author for approval because it contained too much “Christianese.” This is the flip side of this coin I discuss today. We should not be surprised if publishers—who are not overtly Christian at their core—want to “tone down” the Christian rhetoric of our carefully crafted sentences. They are trying to sell books in a world that is growing darker by the day. They are trying to expand and reach a readership that is not as interested in spiritual things as we are. In essence, it’s about money and bottom lines and avoiding unemployment.
So, where do we go from here?
Well, we can write Christian titles that preach to the choir. Ones that have a little suspense. Have a little romance. Have a little mystery. Have a little Christmas. And sell them to Christian publishers who choose to play it financially safe. But the problem is, that readership is dwindling (I’ve read reviews where readers are bemoaning the formulaic style of writing that has taken over the romantic suspense genre; they are vowing to stop purchasing such titles).
Dwindling opportunities for writers are also evidenced by the smaller and smaller windows Christian publishers have open these days. All one has to do is look at young adult fiction for an example of what I’m talking about. It seemed that was all anybody wanted a few years ago as they tried to ride the Harry Potter and Twilight bandwagons. Now, when you attend a Christian writer’s conference, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a publisher who wants to even look at YA.
So, what’s an author to do? Keep writing. Continue to develop wholesome stories. Stories can exemplify truth without being blatantly snooty about it. Biblical truth can be woven into a story without taking on the form of a sledgehammer. They can be realistic without being grotesque or sappy. But they can’t be written if you don’t keep writing. They can’t be published if you don’t keep submitting them for consideration.
So, what are you waiting for? The writers of the movie Gosnell are assuredly discouraged by what’s occurring, even though I’m sure they knew this might happen. However, I wonder how many people, who have seen the movie so far, will have their lives changed for eternity because these folks took a chance?
Will you “chance it,” too?
 |
| 30 Days Hath Revenge |
A Clandestine Mission.
A Cryptic Message.
A Chaste Promise.
Blake Meyer dreamed of a peaceful end to a dutiful career with the FBI. Married now, his life was taking him in a new direction—a desk job. He would be an analyst. Ride it out until retirement. Be safe so he could enjoy his grandchildren someday.
But when a notable member of the IRA is murdered in a London flat, Blake’s secretive past propels him into the middle of a vindictive, international scheme so hellish and horrific, it will take everything Blake possesses—all of it—to save the United States from the most diabolical terrorist attack to date.
C. KEVIN THOMPSON is a
husband, a father, a grandfather, and a kid at heart. Often referred to as
“crazy” by his grandchildren, it’s only because he is. He’s a writer. Need he
say more?
The first three books of his Blake Meyer Thriller series are
out! Book 1, 30 Days Hath Revenge; Book 2, Triple Time; and Book 3, The
Tide of Times, are now available! Book 4, When the Clock Strikes Fourteen is coming soon! Also, the second
edition of his award-winning debut novel, The
Serpent’s Grasp, is now available!
Kevin is a huge fan of the TV series 24, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, NCIS, and Criminal Minds,
loves anything to do with Star Trek,
and is a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, too. It’s quite elementary, actually.
Website: www.ckevinthompson.com/
Kevin’s Writer’s Blog: www.ckevinthompson.blogspot.com/
Facebook: C. Kevin Thompson –
Author Fan Page
Twitter: @CKevinThompson
Goodreads: C.
Kevin Thompson
BookBub: C. Kevin
Thompson
