Catholicism and writing fiction

[bluerose]

I’ve seen many people around the internet say the KINDLE and other ebooks craze is over.
Haven’t seen any hard numbers. I guess Amazon and others keep their cards hidden.

( It always amuses me to see new writers getting murder mysteries published. Like the world needs another million murder mysteries every year. That and romance novels. I think Fabio alone has posed for some six hundred romance novel covers. Anybody have any original ideas to write about? )

Glad you’re amused. There aren’t many original ideas around… but there are original characters. At least, that’s what I, and most of my author friends, strive for.

And while the world might not “need” another murder mystery or romance novel, it’s apparent that’s what people want.

In any event, as a Catholic writer, my job is to tell a story… it just so happens that the people in my story are Catholic and have a Catholic worldview. It may not be a huge market, but it’s enough to know that several people (enough for me to have a second book coming out in six months) have enjoyed reading a “category” murder mystery without the gore, sex, language, and disdain for religion that seems to permeate the market at times.

 

[FaithG]

When the University was first founded, patrons sought out experts in various fields to pass along their craft. Yes, some people have a gift regarding such things, others don’t.

There are two types of art being promoted in the world: the unintelligible, the ugly, the bebased and the purposely offensive. Pseudo-priests known as “art critics” determine what is and is not art. Once you have your work ‘approved’ it may be shown in one of the places of worship called art galleries. If “important” critics attach the word “important” to your name, the value of your work in dollars increases, and more galleries are likely to exhibit your work.

As a professional editor, 98.9% of the manuscripts I see are bad, and that is true elsewhere. Of the 1% that are good, they require extensive rewriting. Of the .1% that are very good, they require only some rewriting. Of the handful of natural-born talents I have known, their work still needed a polish. Most of the writers I know did not start out with a full skill-set. It took them years to polish their skills - the same with the artists I know.

Intuitive students are quite rare. I’ve taught art classes. They are rare. And creative writing in college? What a waste.
Peace,
Ed

Lol, Ed.

I agree that there is a lot of bad art in the world. A lot! Even good art can be offensive in the wrong situation. I work for a Catholic church, and I had to reject this year’s Christmas stamp for our mass mailing because Baby Jesus is most immodestly dressed.

I also agree that even people who learn an art intuitively can still afford to hone their work considerably. I am not the writer I was ten years ago. No artist or craftsman ever stops learning and growing and polishing his skill.

Finally, I agree that 80% of the creative writing classes in college are sub-par. The problem with college classes is that they last only a few months, and you cram through the material too quickly to appreciably hone a skill that takes a lifetime to fully develop. I could say the same thing about college history classes, science classes, or anything. As a homeschooled student who scored a 26 on the ACT at age 13, I found about 3/4 of my college classes less than challenging. However, in defense of higher education, there are a few very good creative writing classes if you get a quality teacher who has actually published material in the market and is willing to work with you one-on-one.

Having never worked in the editorial field, I cannot say what percentage of written work is drivel. And shucks, even Tolkien’s work was extensively edited. I get the sense however, that your career has made you jaded. My husband worked in the corrections field for some years, and I get the same cynicism from him regarding the number of “good” people in the world. So perk up and try to have hope for the population, if that’s possible!

 

[FaithG]

Here. This is what I mean by intuitive learning. This is a link to my sister’s art - she is almost entirely self-taught.

fineartamerica.com/featured/storm-charity-goodwin.html
and
fineartamerica.com/featured/phoenix-charity-goodwin.html

She does it almost exclusively on 10x14 paper, so as an art instructor you will appreciate the level of detail that she manages to put onto a small piece of paper. There are lots of other artists who are probably better than she is, but I don’t think I’m biased when I consider her to be pretty good.

 

[3DOCTORS]

When the University was first founded, patrons sought out experts in various fields to pass along their craft. Yes, some people have a gift regarding such things, others don’t.

There are two types of art being promoted in the world: the unintelligible, the ugly, the bebased and the purposely offensive. Pseudo-priests known as “art critics” determine what is and is not art. Once you have your work ‘approved’ it may be shown in one of the places of worship called art galleries. If “important” critics attach the word “important” to your name, the value of your work in dollars increases, and more galleries are likely to exhibit your work.

As a professional editor, 98.9% of the manuscripts I see are bad, and that is true elsewhere. Of the 1% that are good, they require extensive rewriting. Of the .1% that are very good, they require only some rewriting. Of the handful of natural-born talents I have known, their work still needed a polish. Most of the writers I know did not start out with a full skill-set. It took them years to polish their skills - the same with the artists I know.

Intuitive students are quite rare. I’ve taught art classes. They are rare. And creative writing in college? What a waste.
Peace,
Ed

Oh, Ed, don’t be too cynical! I majored in creative writing in college, and later started on another degree majoring in studio arts, though I had to drop out. The main thing that I would say about college degrees in creative fields is that there’s a danger of becoming inbred or elitist. You end up writing for other writers or painting for other painters (and often for the professor and students you know are going to critique your work the next class period). And genre writing or artwork is looked down upon, which to me is an unnecessary limitation, one that I think is lessening though.

Despite the pitfalls, it can be good for a young person to spend time with others who write or do artwork, or at least it was back in the days before the Internet. Now beginners can access many resources and get critiques if they want them so much more easily. I think in time this will result in an increase in good writing and art. Sure, there will be some crud to wade through, but the good stuff will endure.

 

[edwest2]

Lol, Ed.

I agree that there is a lot of bad art in the world. A lot! Even good art can be offensive in the wrong situation. I work for a Catholic church, and I had to reject this year’s Christmas stamp for our mass mailing because Baby Jesus is most immodestly dressed.

I also agree that even people who learn an art intuitively can still afford to hone their work considerably. I am not the writer I was ten years ago. No artist or craftsman ever stops learning and growing and polishing his skill.

Finally, I agree that 80% of the creative writing classes in college are sub-par. The problem with college classes is that they last only a few months, and you cram through the material too quickly to appreciably hone a skill that takes a lifetime to fully develop. I could say the same thing about college history classes, science classes, or anything. As a homeschooled student who scored a 26 on the ACT at age 13, I found about 3/4 of my college classes less than challenging. However, in defense of higher education, there are a few very good creative writing classes if you get a quality teacher who has actually published material in the market and is willing to work with you one-on-one.

Having never worked in the editorial field, I cannot say what percentage of written work is drivel. And shucks, even Tolkien’s work was extensively edited. I get the sense however, that your career has made you jaded. My husband worked in the corrections field for some years, and I get the same cynicism from him regarding the number of “good” people in the world. So perk up and try to have hope for the population, if that’s possible!

Your opinion is noted. As I wrote, I know writers and I know artists. I am regularly involved in building fictional worlds. The challenge and joy have never gone away, however, I have met too many that did not get what they needed in school. Jaded? I’ve barely gotten comfortable doing what I do since I needed to check my experiences against persons far more skilled than I. Right now, I am helping to mentor a young screenwriter. While brilliant, he has facets that have yet to be polished, but in the last two years, he’s made fine progress. Editors do not just correct. Building drama, pacing, mood, tempo, conflict, resolving conflict(s). All of these have to balance out in the end.

Having done my own writing, I know what it’s like to create an alternate reality and my work environment demands that I do some of this on the fly. An example being given assignments to locate or create data that sounds plausible but with a touch of fiction.

Writers are but a subset of the population.

Peace,
Ed

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Let me recommend (in addition to Tolkien and Flannery O’Connor, who was amazing), two modern Catholic novelists. Both look at the world in all its grittiness and don’t turn away from the fallen nature of our souls, but write from an authentic Catholic viewpoint:

Gene Wolfe - Wolfe has been writing SF, horror and fantasy since the 1960s, and is generally considered to have the greatest literary talent of anyone in that field. Even when dealing with (sometimes) horrifying circumstances and people of ambivalent morals, the salvific effects of Grace and the universality of the Christ are always there and his Catholic view shines through (especially) in the darkest moments. Wolfe’s novels and short stories are always worth reading (and rereading), as what is there on the surface is rarely what it appears to be on first glance. Frequently, the first person narrator is unreliable and the reader has to decide what is really happening. Every prospective author has a lot to learn from him.

Walker Percy - Percy, a winner of the National Book Award and numerous other honors, was best known as a mainstream writer, but he occasionally liked to dip his toe in science fiction as well. A medical doctor who was sidelined by the tuberculosis he contracted while doing autopsies, used his years in the TB sanitarium to intensively read the Catholic philosophers, as well as Dostoevskii and Kierkegaard, and converted to Catholicism. Along with O’Connor he is one of the great modern southern novelists, but he didn’t like to be pigeonholed as a “southern gothic” stylist. Percy’s focus was on the anomie and disconnectedness of modern man, and the need for Grace as a way to be authentically human and to understand the human condition.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Amen, Viki!!!

We Catholics need good clean - yet well-written - books so that we’re not stuck with junk. I hate grabbing up a neat sci-fi or fantasy book and then putting it back because the author felt they had to stick a porn scene in, or make the lead character sleep with twenty different women, in order for the book to sell. Yech. (Btw, that’s why Spock gets the girl in the new Star Trek movies instead of playboy Kirk, because the directors figured out women want the straightlace guy, not Don Juan. Sorry - my personal opinion.)

I would add that, as Christians, it is also beneficial to write books with good morals but stays away from all the “preachy” stuff. Yech. Part of evangelizing is reaching a larger audience, rather than preaching to the choir, and it’s a whole lot easier to evangelize when you’re not super preachy.

For instance, has anyone watched the movies “A Perfect Stranger”, “Fireproof” and “For Greater Glory”? (Warning - Protestant content in some of these, and Greater Glory was a true story, not fiction). Each of these movies has a different level of preachiness. “Stranger” just turns you right off unless you are already a Protestant who agrees theologically with all of the doctrines expressed by Jesus in the film. “Fireproof” does not endorse any particular denomination, but clearly endorses Christian moral values in marriage, and is a more enjoyable watch. “Greater Glory” is not preachy at all, but the movie uses an atheist protagonist to uphold the virtues of religious freedom, honor, fighting oppression, and defending the Catholic faith, just because it’s the “right thing to do”.

As a Catholic writer, creating a story, I would model after one of the last two movies, especially “Greater Glory”. Good action, good drama, good virtues, good characters, CLEAN, and even defends Catholicism - but all without preachiness or telling people what to believe in a direct way. That’s the best way to evangelize. That’s how Tolkien did it and C.S. Lewis.

I’d also recommend Tim Powers, a Catholic SF/Fantasy writer (who was a protege of Phillip K. Dick) who is known for re-exploring history using fantastic themes, employing meticulous research and, again, a Catholic view of life.