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.