The Quote That Inspired A Novel

Behind the Pages
THE PURITANS HAS BEEN by far my bestselling novel. Although I wrote it nearly twenty years ago, I still remember the quote that proved to be the inspiration for the novel’s plot— 

Drew Morgan dreamed of becoming a world-renowned knight, long after the days of knighthood had vanished. He dreamed of fame, adulation, and glory. His dream was nearly his undoing. 

The quote that inspired the story? 

Speaking to a graduating class at McGill University, Rudyard Kipling advised the graduates not to care too much for money or power or fame. He said, “Someday you will meet a man who cares for none of these things, and then you will know how poor you are.” 

The story of Drew Morgan hinges on the small English village of Edenford where he was sent to uncover an underground publisher of seditious pamphlets. If he was successful, he’d achieve his dream of fame and glory for the Crown. But in Edenford, he met a man . . . . 

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To read more about The Puritans click here

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Novels Spark Revival In USSR

Strength for the Quest
I’m sure the author wouldn’t want to hear this, but for me the most memorable part of his book was a footnote— 

The footnote told how, in the 1970s, journalist Malcolm Muggeridge was interviewing Anatoly Kuznetsov, a Russian writer who had defected to England from the USSR. Muggeridge surprised to hear that a spiritual revival was taking place in the Soviet Union. This was at a time when virtually all Christian books, including the Bible, were banned by the Communist government. But according to Kuznetsov, there was hardly a writer or artist or musician who was not exploring spiritual faith. 

What was sparking the revival? 

Kuznetsov explained that while the Russian authorities suppressed all Christian writings, they dare not suppress the works of the great Russian novelists, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, and that through their novels people were reading perfect expositions of the Christian faith, resulting in widespread spiritual revival. 

On a personal note, early in my professional career I observed how story was able to portray spiritual truth in a powerful, memorable way. People remembered the stories I told long after they forgot the lesson. It was this observation that lead me to begin writing fiction. 

I’ve staked my professional career on the fact that good fiction is life-changing fiction. 

STRENGTH FOR THE QUEST
Because Life Is More Than A Journey

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INTERESTED IN REVIVAL? For revivals in America, see my Great Awakenings novels

Click here: Great Awakenings

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The Making of C.S. Lewis

CslewisIF CHRISTIAN PUBLISHING has a patron saint, it is probably C.S. Lewis. The man is revered for both his non-fiction writing and his fiction. His Mere Christianity has been read by millions of devotional readers; his Chronicles of Narnia has thrilled millions of fiction readers; and his The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition is still used in academic study.

Years ago when I wrote Postmarked Heaven, a series of letters penned by four believers in heaven to people still living on earth, the bookstores didn’t know on which shelf to place it. The letters were devotional in nature, but they were written by fictional characters. Should the book be placed with the devotional books or in the fiction section? I said, “In a way, it’s similar to C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape Letters. On which shelf do you place it?” Their reply? “On the C.S. Lewis shelf.” 

To what does C.S. Lewis attribute his prodigious output of writing?

 

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Stories Are Sacred

Strength for the Quest
“STORIES ARE SACRED,” according to Leonard Sweet in his book, Soul Salsa.

“Storytelling is the most sacred of professions. Stories are what makes the soul healthy or ill, saved or damned. Prozac is really nothing more than a story drug that empties your mind of bad memories and allows the good life stories to take supremacy. . . . Stories are our lives’ greatest asset.” 

Sweet goes on to describe how we can choose items from our homes and ceremonies in our lives that are rooted in personal stories to strengthen our spiritual lives, not unlike the Jewish mezuzah on doorposts. He suggests you choose items to sanctify your living space with meaningful stories. 

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Heroines in Fiction

Years ago I met Sherri Wilson Johnson at a writers conference and recently she contacted me with great news — her first published novel was coming out! As we rejoiced together, we decided the debut of her novel would be a perfect opportunity to exchange blog posts — I’d write about the role of heroes in fiction for her blog and she’d write about heroines for my blog. 

A little about Sherri — besides being an inspirational romance novelist, she’s a speaker and a former homeschooling mom who loves sharing God with others, while sharing her life experiences with them.

I am honored to present Sherri Wilson Johnson to you. 

Sherri-wilson-johnson-oak-tara1Heroines in Fiction
Sherri Wilson Johnson

There are many great heroines in fiction…too many to list here. But one thing is for sure: You’ve got to have a great heroine to make a story worth reading. The last thing you want is for your heroine to park herself there on the page like a limp piece of lettuce when she is faced with a trial. Yes, there has to be hardship. She has to be up against a villain which seems almost too great to conquer.

One of my favorite fictional heroines is Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery. She is the melodramatic orphan who makes much out of nothing most of the time and gets into more trouble than most of the folks in town think she is worth. She is misunderstood and bumbles her way through most of her encounters with people. Her arch nemesis is Gilbert, who teases her, calls her carrot, and makes life miserable for her. She refuses to believe that her heart could fall for such a young man. But it does. Eventually, she rises to the top and conquers her villains and goes on to win the hearts of many.

 

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