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Why Writest Thou? – Book of Names 2

CorustheChampionIn yesterday’s post I touched on Dean Briggs’ personal reasons for writing The Book of Names (and its sequel, Corus the Champion, due out July 2009). I started reading the first few chapters of Corus last night and was struck by the poem that begins the book:

What if sorrow was a doorway,

And memory, a gate?

What if we never passed through?

What worlds would go unfound?

The truth is, of course, that sorrow is a doorway. We’re never the same after passing through it. Literature dwells much on sorrow and the way it changes us; fantastic literature is no exception. The best stories have a bittersweet edge. They’re real, because the author has gone into this new world, willingly or unwillingly, and finally embraced it enough to share it with us. Writers write because they are changed.

CSFF’s Valerie Comer has been posting some great stuff on why Dean Briggs writes: you can read her posts here and here. And rest assured she’s not just making it up: she asked him :).

I asked my own readers some time ago why they write (you can still answer the question here; apparently I deleted all the old answers in my unfortunate war on spam). I’d like to ask the question again, with a bit of a different focus: what events have inspired you to write? If you write because you are changed, what are the elements of life that have changed you?

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8 responses to “Why Writest Thou? – Book of Names 2”

  1. January CSFF Top Blogger Poll « A Christian Worldview of Fiction

    […] ??? Rachel Starr Thomson […]

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  2. Elisabeth #3 Avatar
    Elisabeth #3

    When I was about eight years old, I wanted to write books because I wanted to be like C.S.Lewis. I guess that’s where my writing passion started! Now I write mainly because I have great stories that I love to develop and think about, and I find a exciting satisfaction in reading the words I wrote. I also write because I often can’t get enough of, or the kind of, fiction that I love to read (and that’s annoying!). Your novel Taerith scores pretty high on my standard for fiction!

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  3. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    Wow – the reason why D. Barkley Briggs wrote / writes is … wow! I can’t seem to find words that won’t trivilise the reason. But it moves me, deeply. Thank you for sharing it, too.

    As to why I write …

    I can’t remember if I answered this question before – or what I said, if I did! As Elisabeth said, I’m not sure if this is a question “I’ve completely answered for myself yet.” I keep trying to answer it and each tme I answer it in a slightly different way, although I guess the fundementals are unchanging. And varied! 🙂 I write becuase I believe G-d has given me the ability to do so and asked me to use the ability for Him – to bring Him glory by pointing the hearts of my readers to HIM. I write because … because it’s a part of who I am, after years and years of writing stories and more stories and yet more stories. (As well as poems, prayers, articles, letters, diaries …) I write because I love it – the imaginative, creative process. I write, too, because – in the words of C.S. Lewis to Tolkien – “There is too little of what we really like in stories. I am afraid we shall have to try and write some ourselves.” And – honestly! – I write because of “my readers” … my parents and my sisters and a few (close, special, honoured!) of my friends enjoy my stories / books.

    Rachel, you said: “The truth is, of course, that sorrow is a doorway. We’re never the same after passing through it. Literature dwells much on sorrow and the way it changes us; fantastic literature is no exception. The best stories have a bittersweet edge. They’re real, because the author has gone into this new world, willingly or unwillingly, and finally embraced it enough to share it with us. Writers write because they are changed.”

    YES.

    I can relate to this! I haven’t suffered as much as D. Barkley Briggs, but the reason HE wrote / writes moved me deeply because I can relate to it, somewhat. Some of the deepest hurts and greatest losses of my life have found their way into my writing. It’s hard for me to be objective (and I don’t want to sound arrogant! 🙂 ), but I THINK I can say that they’ve added a depth and a richness to my writing – a depth and a richness that wouldn’t be there if I hadn’t hurt or lossed. For me, this is one way in which God brings “beauty from ashes.” But beauty comes, as you say, when a writer has not just “experienced” the hurts and losses God has allowed into their lives, but accepted and embraced them – stopped denying them or God’s goodness and love in allowing them into their lives, but allowed the hurts and losses to change and soften their hearts and submitted to God … choosing to believe, again, that He works ALL things together for good. THEN God comes in a new, dynamic way. And beauty comes, too.

    That’s my experience, anyway. I don’t think I’ve ever put it into words, though. I don’t want to experience hurts and losses for the sake of my writing, but it’s awesome how God doesn’t waste them, but uses them for my writing!

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  4. Brandon Barr Avatar
    Brandon Barr

    I find one of the heaviest impetuses to write comes from seeing so much confusion in the lives of teenagers and young adults. So many are enmeshed in the world and rendered largely ineffective as Christians.

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  5. Elisabeth Avatar
    Elisabeth

    Well, I don’t actually write fantasy, though I think I may have scribbled some when I was younger. But ‘why do we write?’ is a really interesting question, and one I don’t know if I’ve completely answered for myself yet. I’ve always had an active imagination for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been writing down the stories I create for almost as long. I’ve always enjoyed a good story and liked to create them as well as reading them. Lately I get the feeling sometimes that I like to use my characters as a way of expressing what emotions or thoughts I’m experiencing.

    And then a large part, I’m sure, is just for the fun of it! I recently read a quote by an author (I think her name was Toni Morrison) who said “I wrote my first novel because I wanted to read it.” I feel like that too! Re-reading old unfinished manuscripts is always fun, and I imagine it will be even more so to read a finished one if I ever get it.

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  6. children’s book reviews, author interviews, and publishing news » Blog Archive » Berkley Briggs ~ The Book of Names Blog Tour

    […] characters here, and discusses mixing Christianity with myth here. Chawna had some reservations. Rachel looks at motivation. Fred gives a balanced review telling us what he likes and what he doesn’t. Phyllis gives a […]

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  7. Valerie Avatar
    Valerie

    Thanks for the Link Love! I found Dean Briggs’ answer interesting, too. I’m sure writing this novel (this series) has been therapeutic for him, but can you imagine the boys, knowing they are starring in a fantasy adventure novel? It gives their voice real merit.

    What inspires ME to write, though? Thankfully, nothing as weighty as Mr. Briggs’ answer. There are stories and worlds that are born in me that cannot come out unless I express them. Specifically, one of my current WIPs, Tempest, is in response to some of the issues with the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints and their practice of polygamy. (I live near one of the hotbeds, so I hear a LOT about it.) This novel is giving me opportunity to put some characters into a similar situation (but not FLDS) in a fantasy world and explore some of the repercussions.

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  8. CSFF Blog Tour – The Book of Names, Part 1 « A Christian Worldview of Fiction

    […] list) ?? Steve Rice ? Crista Richey Alice M. Roelke ?? Chawna Schroeder James Somers ?? Rachel Starr Thomson ? Steve Trower Speculative Faith Jason Waguespac ?? Fred Warren […]

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