Inspiration for a Writer’s Heart #3 — Essential Elements of a Writer’s Life

Fiction writers constantly consider the elements that comprise their craft: plot, characters, setting, theme, voice, and so on. These are important focuses to maintain in order to produce quality work.

As fiction authors who write from a Christian worldview, I would suggest that we also continually think of the components of our lives, the realities that make us who we are.

Sometimes I allow my life to become stagnant. I neglect relationships because they interfere with my writing time. I avoid conflict for the same reason, as well as the fact that it crowds my mind. I hide from daily events in order to pursue my work—or to soothe my inner introvert.

But I’m often reminded, by what I see around me and what I hear in church or from Christian friends, that if I draw back from life, I will have nothing of worth or conviction to share through my stories.

No matter who we are, we will experience uneven roads on our respective journeys. Writing is living out our thoughts, dreams, fears and observances through our characters, in a particular setting, with a specific goal. It requires input.

So let’s not stop living in order to write. Let’s live the life God has graciously given us, and pay forward by sharing our experiences or conclusions or even questions with others who are walking alongside us. I think that’s part of our privilege and responsibility as writers who are Christian.