Hard Choices

On the wall above my desk is a tack strip bearing note cards with writing tips I've collected. There are only a few, considering how many I actually employ when I sit down to write. But these represent the ones that I've had to learn, to intentionally think about on a regular basis.

     One of them is from Philip Gerard's Writing a Book that Makes a Difference. I wrote down this passage without noting the context, which I've since forgotten: "... choices are rarely completely clear, and even doing the right thing can bring about unfortunate and unforeseen consequences." In writing I have applied this observation to thinking about my characters' life conflicts and layering them with realistic complexity.

     Recently it has struck me that the reason this principle works in fiction is because it is a true observation of real life. We Christians are taught to believe that right and wrong choices are usually black and white. And some of them are. But it seems to me that as I've grown older, the number of life choices that fall into gray areas has only increased. Some choices are less clear, and sometimes doing the right thing doesn't always lead to ideal results. 

     When I'm writing fiction, this truth makes for interesting drama. In life, it leads to a lot of heartache that can be soothed only faith in a loving and merciful God. How many times have you done "the right thing" only to face an undesirable fallout? How do you work through it?

What's the problem with paranormal?

Since the release of Kiss, I've encountered a handful of people--reviewers, interviewers, readers--who have said they don't like the paranormal element of the story. Some seem simply surprised by it, some more deeply offended. This information has come to me indirectly rather than face-to-face, so I can't always find out the reason for the objection. One reader did tell me personally that she thought stealing memories from another person by kissing them was demonic.

Demonic is a strong word for a device I intended to be merely symbolic. But it raises a question I'm hoping some of you might help me with: What's wrong with stories that employ paranormal devices? Some readers don't like the genre on the grounds of personal preference. I get this. There are fiction categories and authors I don't read for the same reason. But I'm more perplexed by moral objections to the exploration of paranormal possibilities. What's that all about? (I'm genuinely asking.)

Kiss is considered a "Christian book." Define that as you will. But it leads me to ask: Do people object to the paranormal because it is perceived as unChristian? The definition of paranormal is "not scientifically explainable," in which case one could argue that the Christian faith is founded on something "paranormal." Do people object because the paranormal is perceived as unbiblical? Then what can we make of the angels and demons that appear in Scripture, all of the miracles and prophecies, and Jesus' transfiguration and resurrection? Also, there's a story Jesus told that I consider paranormal, not to mention dark: It's about a rich man who goes to hell and a beggar who goes to heaven, and a long-dead Abraham telling the man in hell why he won't send any spirits of the dead to warn his family of hell's reality. That's in Luke 16.

Is it because many books, films, and TV shows that feature the paranormal tend to focus on the dark side of the unknown? Does that mean a Christian writer can't touch it? Does misuse of a device preclude it from ever being employed constructively again?

So these questions are rattling around in my head, because the stories I write are going to have paranormal elements in them. The intersection between the physical and spiritual worlds is what captures my heart and my imagination, both symbolically and literally. I can't avoid it.

But maybe understanding the objections will open some new ideas for me. So shout out or sound off. I'm ready to hear.