The truth behind the fiction...

So if you’re new to this conversation we’re talking about a writing contest I’ve entered. But what I don’t think most of you realize is that this whole thing is way more than just a contest.

In reality God is dragging me kicking and screaming into the world of fiction writing. For the past year and a half we’ve had the following conversation about 2-3 times a day:

God: Write the book.

Me: Nope. Writing a book is a dumb idea.

God: Really?

Me: Let’s say I do manage to find the time to wrangle 100,000 words into a somewhat coherent plot. Trying to break into the YA lit industry is next to impossible. Everyone knows that.

God: Tell me I can’t use you to publish a work of fiction. Tell. Me. I. Can’t.

Me: Ugh.  I hate it when You say that.

God: I know. Write the book and I’ll stop saying it.

Me: (eye roll)

The reality of the situation is that God has been pursuing me with elements of fiction for longer than I’d like to admit. Every single day something random jumps out at me and begs to be worked into a plotline. Yesterday it was a piece of string on the kitchen floor. Today it was the goofy faces my daughters were making at dinner.

My family and I have taken to discussing plot ideas around the dinner table on a regular basis. Plot ideas for books I don’t want to write.

I have pages and pages of notes on character ideas, setting ideas and the like that are all waiting for me to turn them into something intelligible.  I like to pretend these pages don’t really exist. But they do.

I have characters that follow me around and whisper in my ear. They beg and plead, “we have a story to tell the world, and we want you to hear it first. Won’t you please listen for a moment?”

I’ve often wondered if this is what it feels like to be crazy. To be followed by invisible people who don’t realize they aren’t real.

And I secretly wish that someone would tell me my work is horrible so I have ammunition for this dumb argument I’m having with God about the book I don’t want to write, and the books that will surely come after it. But no one will tell me that. So I’m left to argue with God by myself.

So what’s really happening here is that God has pushed me (completely against my will) to the brink of a life changing doorway. The doorway to something bigger than myself.

But in order to pull this off, I need your votes. Because that’s the way the game is played this time around.

So if you believe in a God who does crazy things (like pursue people with fictional characters) I need your vote.

If you believe in a God who says Tell Me I Can’t. I need your vote.

And if you can’t find it in your heart to vote for me and my crazy schemes, will you please, please pray that God would tell these dad-gummed characters to leave me alone already. Because He’s sort of ignoring my pleas.

Thanks. Here’s the link again. Read my submission, I'm #2, but my  friend Suzanne is #7 and you should vote for her too. There's still time to get your votes in for both of us, so hop to it already...

Or the email address that you can also send a vote to: thequestfortruthbooks (a) gmail (dot) com