by M.D. House @Real_HouseMD
At first blush, this doesn’t seem like such a difficult task. But when we examine the recent success of The Chosen—and all of the painstaking work which has gone into not just the cinematography but the storytelling itself—we realize the steep challenge involved in securing the sweet promise of that goal.
Such stories and their characters are well-crafted, and they seem real. We can more easily picture ourselves inside a character’s head, in their circumstance. We see our lives and the lives of others around us mirrored in the halting, difficult process of becoming better people. We also recognize anew how much assistance heaven provides, day in and day out, in our highest highs and our lowest lows.
Amid careful introspection, detailed observation, and a healthy dollop of hard work, we:
1) Model our characters after people we know who are striving to follow the Savior’s example as best they can. Not one of these people will be perfect, of course, and each will have their own set of weaknesses they are trying to overcome with God’s help.
2) Use examples of flawed but determined individuals in the scriptures. In some cases, of course, depending on what we’re writing, we can directly use individuals from the scriptures. For instance, I absolutely loved employing the Apostle Paul as a major character in the Barabbas Trilogy, though it was admittedly daunting. I wanted to get it right (or as right as I could), so I did my homework.
3) Imprint our own faith-building experiences, including successes and failures, on key characters, whether those experiences are from our present or our past (and even our hoped-for future).
Reflecting the gospel of Jesus Christ in the characters of our stories in an impactful way isn’t easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding. @Real_HouseMD #ACFWCommunity #writing Click To TweetDone diligently, honestly, and humbly, it’s a marvelous, invigorating process.
M.D. House is a recovering corporate cog. As an author, he started out writing science fiction, but became fascinated with the stories of Barabbas, Cornelius, and the Apostle Paul, among others, which has led him on an amazing and faith-affirming Christian fiction writing journey. He still writes clean, faith-based science fiction, with some fantasy coming soon as well. You can learn more about him at mdhouselive.com or find him on Facebook and Fiction Finder.