Merry Christmas, friends! In the midst of this special time of year where Christians celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world, I'm led toward sharing a deeper personal level of my thoughts. At the heart of my writing, I've always hoped to inspire others spiritually--to entertain and make readers feel strong emotion, certainly, but I also want to give hope, courage to choose the right, a desire to build God's kingdom on earth, and discover one's divine potential. It might not be easy to achieve, but why not try?
My oldest grandchildren are getting to the age where peer pressure plays into their choices, where innocence peels away to expose the harsh realities of worldliness. I want them to experience as many good influences as possible. In my convictions, anything we can do to steer a single soul of God's children to choose His ways is worth the effort. Not that I expect to change the world. But one person can make a difference to someone. We don't always recognize our influence or impact on other people, similar to George Bailey in the Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life.
I'm starting my writing career with scripture-based fiction (soon to be published) and LDS inspirational non-fiction (yet to be published). It's a niche market--not for everyone. Getting rich is obviously not my first priority. Writers have the blessing of reaching an audience with themes and memes for good or otherwise. If I can subtly send out vibes and show characters who make others want to do good and be good, what greater calling is there?
Not all writers need to have the same priorities, and you may or may not agree, but these are my feelings, and I intend to take ownership of them. Consider your own calling as a writer and how your reading choices influence you. Do they meet your current goals?
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