Truth is Key

Why do we write? Sometimes we write because we have a fun idea and we want to get it down and share it with others. Sometimes we like to keep something to ourselves to enjoy on our own. Sometimes we may want to work through something, so writing is a way to get out our feelings or thoughts on the page. These are all fine reasons to write. But, I have been challenged by listening to a podcast called Story Chat with John Fornof (plugging their podcast here) about how a good story makes a difference by staying true to life.

One thing that I struggle with in writing is making my “good” guys too good. If they are human, they should struggle and hurt people and do something that is selfish sometimes. The problem is that I don’t like my favorite characters doing something that I feel is really wrong. For instance, my main character Kester is a rebel, and he makes lots of mistakes. He is trying to do what is right, but he doesn’t always have the right perspective. The problem is that to make him do something that would truly hurt someone else or to give him some nasty thoughts would make him a pretty bad character, and so I shrink away from it. However, in the real world people hurt others and are selfish when they don’t mean to. Still, it doesn’t feel good to tell the truth. I think that it comes from something inside me that I have to work through; I don’t like other people seeing my junk because it is uncomfortable, so I make my characters look like they have just a little junk, or the kind of junk that feels safe and acceptable.

But what would happen if I told my personal story through my character? What if I prayed about what God needs to reveal through me? I’m still not excited to share all my secret sins even in the guise of my main character, but what if I peeled my character back just a little bit and poured a little truth into him? What if I asked my character Kester how he is like me and what things just tempt him or trip him up again and again? Maybe it is a selfish thought that no one else sees. Maybe it is a prideful word that hurts others. Maybe it is an inappropriate thought that he tries to get rid of that just won’t go away. Those things are a little closer to home for me personally.

Okay, so if I open my character up a little more to a struggle I identify with, how do I do it without making the readers cringe or close the book in disgust? Do I really want to give away all my privacy and show people all the nasty stuff in my head? If I am speaking truthfully, not at all. That’s one of the most uncomfortable things for me to do. So, what should I do to be authentic? Well, I think one thing to do (and I’m working through this too) is to pray about it. Am I supposed to put this or that in there? Could it bring healing to someone somehow? Can God help me to do it when I feel like a scum bag to share my struggles? Do I have to dump everything into my Google docs? I don’t think that I, as a writer, have to spill all my guts. Some things are hard to write and they can also be difficult for the audience reading it. But still trying to be truthful with my own struggles in the context of the story as I am led by God makes for a good story. Truth isn’t always pretty. Sometimes it can make the reader cringe, but it may also stir something in them about who they really are.

Now, after you have spoken the tough truth with the reader, a good idea is to bring some healing truth too. Now, not all stories are meant to be inspiring stories; in reality, some are cautionary tales or something to chew on and work through. But the stories that bring us joy in the struggle are ones of truthful hope. Writers may find hope without God, but in all honesty, the most inspiring truth is from God and the hope of His love. Now, this is something I’m not quite certain about how to approach in my story. But what I think would be a good idea is to talk about the joy and hope I have found and why it is true for me through my characters. If I can make it like my own experiences, leaving in the struggles and victories, then it feels more authentic. Think of Jacob, one of the patriarchs. His story is chock full of mess-ups and stuff you might cringe at, but it doesn’t feel fake (even if it sounds more like a soap opera than anything, lol). The protagonist is not the kind of person you would readily champion as your hero. And yet, Jacob’s story is important and meaningful. He makes mistakes, but there is something in him that does want God and does know that he was wrong in certain areas. His story demonstrates God’s love and faithfulness through the dirty but real parts of his life. It points back to a God that comes into the mess and works through it.

So, tell the truth with your story––it’s a reflection of yourself after all. Chances are that you are already doing it, but maybe you could do it more. Pray about it and see what God wants to say through you. If it is appropriate, be vulnerable and struggle with what you are dealing with now. Remember that you are writing this story for others, as well as for yourself. Others will benefit from your truth because those are the stories that are meaningful and affect people for the rest of their lives.

~Evelyn Knight