How important is it?

 

Out of the all the novels you can buy today—just today—what makes yours important? What will separate yours from the sea of selections and make it a choice for anyone to buy when it becomes available? Are there trustworthy answers to these questions plaguing novelists today?

 

“Important” is a scary word for evaluating fiction. Some might view it as pretentious. I don’t. I think it’s a real consideration for anyone who writes stories. If you’re going to sit in front of a white screen or plant yourself with pens or pencils and some kind of writing paper for indeterminable hours, yeah, I think “important” is a definite word to examine. Writing takes dedicated time, and that time is mighty precious and hard to come by for some. Others have the time but those words can come at a steep price with commitment to the project in the forefront of every decision to use time in creation.

 

It might be an easier question to ask, “How important is your novel to you?” This forces an honest evaluation because it requires a look at how much time is devoted to it along with other variables. Would you—or could you—pay to have the entire manuscript professionally edited? Would you—or do you—allow a critique group or a writers’ group that “gets” you and that you trust read your work? How do these options rate in your “importance” scale?

 

Don’t we all hope our work is important? Aah, I just want to entertain people, you say. I just want to write a good story, you echo. I can’t really elevate my work to “important”, you think.

 

Do you consider that your writing is important to God? If this is what He has for you to do, isn’t it important that you do it?

 

How important is it anyway?

 

 

Father, you’re the most important. Help me to do what you have for me to do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Comments

[BK Jackson]

It is hard to relate to "important" in the context of others. If no novels were ever again available, we'd all survive anyway. Or if an author said to me "It's really important that my novel get into the hands of readers," I would find that terribly pretentious.

So to me, the only way of measuring importance is by what it means to the writer--for the reasons you mention--investing the time and resources to make it the best it can be.

What we write is important to God (since we know the command that all we do is to be done for His glory). And perhaps there are people who are told, in some fashion or another, to write some specific story--I personally have never experienced that that I can recall. To that end, I can only say that God wants me to use my writing because I couldn't have survived the major stressor of trying to combine writing and the day job without His help. And even when I want to quit, He keeps bringing it back.

[Nicole]

"If no novels were ever again available, we'd all survive anyway." This sounds like a premise for a fantasy novel, Brenda. ;) I know I'd have to write my own to survive.

And, yeah, your writing and those of us who know God has mandated that we write: it's important. Somehow. Some way.

Good thoughts, B.

[BK Jackson]

LOL! Actually, the fantasy novel would be about the writer who was able to write book after book with rediculous ease--million sellers every one--until--GASP! The Black Moment--they get tired of life being so easy....

[Brenda Anderson]

Oh boy, looking at "important" from a worldly point of view, if we could nail down what's "important" for readers to read that would solve all our writing & marketing problems, wouldn't it? If we could discover the magic key to "important," sales wouldn't be an issue.

But, I think "important" is based more on, are we writing what God calls us to write. Does He intend our books to reach the masses or just one? If that book makes a change in one person's life, isn't that "important?"

[Nicole]

I know, Bren, it kind of raises more questions than answers. And I'm with you on the God-purpose ideal. It's sometimes difficult to dig in and accept that God's ways are not our ways. That sometimes includes our definitions of "important" and "successful". At least for me. Good thoughts, and I agree.

Whoa! What a BLACK MOMENT indeed, huh? ;)