Things are heating up in the political arena in the USA and it’s getting ugly on social media. There are rants thrown (temper tantrums?) about the bias of FOX, CNN, MSNBC, should Christians vote for a Mormon? should there be another 4 years of careless spending? There are links to news stories, with facts and photos. I get it, people are worried. The USA has a right to be worried. There is much that needs to be fixed and I think almost everyone would agree on that. But we can’t agree on how to do it and that’s the issue. So back to my question when is it OK to say what you think is right? If I use my blog, which is about home in my heart to tell you what happens in November will affect my home, and if that conflicts with your belief, would you stop reading my blog? If I post something on facebook, would you unfriend me? Do writer’s have a the same responsibility to speak out as Hollywood stars if we don’t agree with them? or if we do? Kristen Lamb, author of We Are Not Alone, has an article on her blog today that says this better than I can. As a writer–not well known, I don’t feel I can take a chance at alienating anyone who might want to read my books, so the only belief I will speak about on my blog is this: I believe Jesus Christ is my Savior and Lord. I will not be quiet about that.
Thanks so much, Diana, for letting me appear on your blog. You have a lovely place here, and I always enjoy your posts.
Liv! I’m glad you’re here. We’re taking a class together with Kristen Lamb and it was suggested we try having guest posters. Liv is my first guest. Liv, tell me about this speculative fiction you write.
I call myself a writer of speculative fiction, because it sounds kind of cool and classy. And also maybe a little pretentious, depending on your point of view. It’s more tasteful sounding, anyway, than saying I write paranormal romance. Which I do, but I also write paranormal family drama and paranormal mystery, and, well, I’ll bet you can pick up the consistent theme. Most of my work has a supernatural angle that allows me to deal with harsher truths than I otherwise could. The fantasy aspect makes it clear that all the crap I throw at my characters couldn’t be happening in real life. Another theme that runs through my work is faith. I deal with faith in God, in all its variations, and the belief that good will have out over evil. None of my stories could be labeled Christian Fiction, but many of my characters are religious. Their faith is worked into their character sketches and woven through the plot. It’s just that it’s not central to the plot or to the climax of the work.
My paranormal family drama, Only The Lonely, tells the story of Molly, a single mom who’s battling with her ex-husband and with the demon who gave her the mother-of-all hickeys. She has an unexpected ally in Cass, a pixie who gets assigned to help her through her trials. Molly is a good Catholic girl. Her kids go to a Catholic high school, she fights with them about going to church, and she agonizes over getting divorced because of what it means from a religious perspective. Her faith is as integral a part of her character as her love for her children, but it doesn’t drive the plot.
I have written stories where religion doesn’t play a part, except as it colors my own understanding of good and evil. It’s more satisfying, though, when it’s there. I feel a little subversive, like, “ha-ha, I’m making you think about God in this story about _____” (and you can fill in the blank with your favorite paranormal creature). There are some great writers, like Ann Rice and Neil Gaimon, who address issues of faith in their speculative fiction. They’re my inspiration, and my role models.
Peace, Liv
Thanks again Liv for telling us how you add faith to your writing. Here’s a little more about Liv. Bio: Liv Rancourt is a writer of speculative fiction and romance. She lives in Seattle with her husband, two teenagers, two cats and one wayward puppy. Writing stories that have happy endings is a nice balance for her work in the neonatal intensive care unit, and Liv can be found on-line at her website , her blog , on Facebook , or on Twitter .
