(picture from Pixabay)
Happy Easter to everyone. However you celebrate it (or maybe you don't, that's fine too). This is a sign of how I celebrate it. I don't judge you if you celebrate differently. I'm a little weird that way, I believe everyone has to find their own way and spiritual journey that feels true to them.
Yes, I am a follower of Christ's teachings. No, I don't flaunt it or push it down anyone's throats.
Anyway, that's not what I'm going to talk about. You're not here for religion, this is a writing blog! Just in case you were worried I was here to preach or tell you to convert. I'm not. I was raised in a family with a father who very much shoved faith down everyone's throats and I saw how ineffective that is. I prefer to live by example and if someone's curious they can approach me.
So what does this have to do with writing?
Well, have you seen what I write? I'm not exactly writing Christian fiction. It's quite the opposite. You should've seen those around me when they realized I write demons (though they're different than religious demons). In fact, I'm very often asked why I'm wasting my talent and not writing Christian fiction instead.
Here's the deal. I've been in the abyss even though I was raised to be in the light. I know when you're down there in the depths of depression and suicidal thoughts and feeling mired down by thoughts of worthlessness it's very hard to accept happy bright messages of joy and peace that make you feel guilty for feeling what you do. I don't want you to feel guilty. You shouldn't. I was raised to think it was wrong to feel that way and that's a point of view that often comes across from people in certain faiths.
Abuse is real. Depression and suicide are real. Torture is real. Death is real. Bad things happen to good people all the time. Bad things happen to bad people. Good things happen to bad people that are unfair while good people suffer. Loss is real. Grief is real. Rape is real.
I write the darkness to give those living in it hope. You can make it through, see? My characters will show you. Sometimes reading about someone suffering worse than you is what you need to get out. Sometimes all you need is a flashlight, not a floodlight.
Every life is precious. Yes, even yours. You are important. This world needs you. I'm not trying to get a religious sneaky message across. In fact, I actually avoid any mention of it in my books. They're fantasy in made up worlds. Religions of the real world don't exist. But this is the message I want you to hear through my work. Hang on. Don't give up. I know it's hard, it's bad, it's dark and you're scared and feel alone.
You're not alone. I've been in the deepest darkest pits too. I've suffered. I bleed out my darkness onto the page in hopes that the light will shine through as well.
Hopefully that doesn't sound presumptuous or anything. But I'm tired of being asked why I write the darkness instead of the light. It's not my calling to write the light. It's my calling to find the ones lost in darkness and comfort them as they crawl their way out.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend. Please stay safe and hang in there.
Comments