Who's the Boss?

Inspiration: "An inspiring influence: any stimulus to creative thought or action."

Writing fiction is all about inspiration. Novelists are inspired as to subject, theme, characterization, and every other aspect of the creative process when it comes to producing a novel---as is true with any other artist of any other art form. As novelists, we create something out of nothing, and that something usually begins as a zygote of an idea that gestates into a finished product. That takes inspiration, and lots of it.

We tend to think of inspiration as some nebulous thing that strikes when all perfect conditions converge, and that our creative forces are at its mercy, that we're hamstrung to proceed and produce without it. In a way, that's true. I've been "inspired" to write certain novels, and to write certain passages within those novels, and you have too. It feels wonderful when inspiration does its thing, and I for one give credit where credit is due---which means to say, not myself. But inspiration is sort of like a nudge that gets you going. It will not, and will never, take you by the hand and walk you through the process from start to finish.

Ayn Rand, in The Art of Fiction, says this about inspiration: "What is colloquially called 'inspiration' ---namely, that you write without full knowledge of why you write as you do, yet it comes out well---is actually the subconscious summing-up of the premises and intentions you have set yourself. All writers have to rely on inspiration. But you have to know where it comes from, why it happens, and how to make it happen to you." Did you get that last phrase, how to make it happen to you? That implies that we're not at the mercy of inspiration; rather it's something we can rein in and manage. (As an aside, Ms. Rand also said, "In regards to precision of language, I think I myself am the best writer today." To which I wrote in the margin, "Hmm." But more power to her.)

That may not be good news to the person who lacks the motivation to complete a project, because there goes the excuse for not getting to the finish line. But for those of us who are serious about our craft, who have the wherewithal to roll up our sleeves and get 'er done, in the inspired language of my son-in-law Justin, it means we can and should control the process. We can plant our behinds wherever it is we choose to write, and get to work, anytime, for any length of time, and be happy with our accomplishments.

For me, and probably for you too, inspiration is most necessary at the inception of a novel, at that place where story is just the cell of an idea with unlimited potential. Once that story gets off the ground and I get into the story world, craft, skill and experience take over, and I'm in charge. I don't have to wait for inspired thought and language to drop into my head ... I go after them with all the tools I possess. Ms. Rand says, "I have written many scenes which I did not plan in advance, beyond a general definition that 'this scene will accomplish such and such a purpose'---yet when I came to them, they wrote themselves." So have I. She does not mean, nor do I, that she was the conduit of some other creative force, as if someone or something were dictating to her; rather that she utilized the tools and skills we've been talking about to write an inspired scene.

Writing a novel is a daunting challenge. That was true of the first novel I wrote, and has been just as true of every novel I've written since. It takes great determination and steady work, and cannot depend on "inspiration" for every word that's written. The inspiration is the nudge as I said before, but then the writer takes over from there. The key is to consider that you as a writer are inspired to write, and that the idea of your writing is inspired; but you, the writer, wield that inspiration, and not the other way around. When you sit at your desk to work, do so with the knowledge and confidence that the goal you set is achievable, and that you're in charge of the outcome. As with any skill, the more you exercise it the better you'll become. So write, write, write. Whether you feel inspired or not. Because the accomplishment itself may be just the inspiration you need.

What is True and Right

First things first! We'd like to wish our bonnie Bonnie a very happy birthday! Hope it's the best ever!

I especially like the chapter in Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird that Patti wrote about on Monday, "The Moral Point of View." Anne -- I love that we're on a first-name basis with her on this blog -- stated, "You need to put yourself at [the] center [of your stories], you and what you believe to be true or right. The core ethical concepts in which you most passionately believe are the language in which you are writing ... Telling these truths is your job" (pg. 103).

Ayn Rand, in The Art of Fiction, concurs. In the chapter, "How to Develop a Plot Ability," she writes: "You must start with the abstract idea of a conflict, but thereafter your own values (emphasis mine) and your personal imagination will be a reliable dramatic selector ... do not censor yourself or check yourself against your moral code. Simply tap your emotions; you can judge later whether they are right or wrong" (pg. 58).

Those quotes spoke to me on two levels: the micro and the macro. In the micro, I thought about some of the issues I've written about in my individual novels, all from the perspective of my moral center. For it's impossible for me to separate what I write from what I believe. I can write about characters who are my polar opposites, and about situations I hope never to find myself in. What I can't do is condone a type of morality that I don't believe in.

Anne Lamott says, "I'm not suggesting that you want to be an author who tells a story in order to teach a moral ... but we feel morally certain of some things ... and we need to communicate these things" (pg. 104). I completely agree. No one wants to read fiction that's written with a heavy hand, and I'm no exception. As I wrote in my previous NM post, Paying Attention to Detail, the novel I just finished reading was "nothing more than a treatise on the author's pet issues." I don't enjoy that any more than most readers. No matter how intense or deep the plot, I still read fiction for pleasure.

The key, then, is how we address our moral certainties in our writing. I think this is something Christian authors in particular struggle with, because we do believe so passionately in our values. We understand the implications of sharing truth from Scripture. But what we need to remember is that the blank page onto which we pour our words is not our bully pulpit.

Consider the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee didn't beat her readers over the head with the moral issues plaguing the South. She simply told a story -- an excellent story -- and let the story speak for itself.

So, does "writing what I believe to be true or right" apply to not only the ethics of what I write, but to the style and genre of what I write as well? I believe it does. It's what I mean by the macro. If a writer of CBA fiction based her writing choices on what sells best in CBA, her selection would be ... ahem ... somewhat limited. That's a topic the six of us discuss among ourselves, because, alas, none of us writes in those best-selling genres. All I can say about that is, DANG! Seriously -- oh, wait, that was seriously. Bottom line is we each have to write what we "believe to be true or right."

As I've mentioned before, I just finished a novel that took two years to write, and I have no idea if a publisher will ever pick it up. But it's a story I had to write, and I don't regret one minute of those two years. The few who have read it have said some remarkable things about it, and one way or another it will see the light of day.

A few days ago I received an email from a woman who won Lying on Sunday in a drawing. She liked it well enough that she ordered and read Every Good & Perfect Gift. This is what this woman -- who is battling pancreatic cancer -- wrote to me: "I saw my own health situation in Gabby and DeeDee. I have bent pages and written down passages for recall. The way you handled this illness between friends inspired me and broke my heart at the same time ... Suffice it to say this novel hit several notes just beautifully. My theme of late has been tears ... for pain, sorrow, grief, and the occasional pity party. People call me strong and admire how I am handling my cancer. I'm not, but He is. Thank you again, Sharon."

As you can imagine, I shed a few tears of my own after reading her words. Hitting notes with my readers is the exact reason I write, and the exact reason I write what I write. It's what is true and right for me. And comments like this are what keep me going.

How have you found what is true and right for you as a writer? How does that affect your work?