Into the Fire

Those of you who really know horses and by that I mean have a “working” knowledge of them, know that good conformation is important. Good conformation in horses involves both the bone and body structure. Much like human athletes (since I’ll primarily address race horses here [big surprise]), equine athletes generally have certain body structures to indicate whether they’re built for speed or endurance. When examining a horse’s legs, which are equivalent to gold in a race horse, you prefer a larger, thicker cannon bone (like our shin bone), and solid bone structure even on a more refined body type. You don’t want crooked “wheels”, turning out or in, and various other flaws which make a horse more susceptible to injury in this high stress, demanding career of racing. Of course, like human athletes, there are no perfect Thoroughbreds, and the odd thing is when you finally find that near-perfect conformation on an animal, the horse often can’t run. Not always, of course, but enough times to make a person look at other characteristics of a particular horse such as his breeding (or pedigree), his eye, his body, his temperament, or that illusive something you can’t define which draws you to a certain horse.

Switch gears here. The perfect “conformation” of a novel in today’s e-world of media requires shorter length, quick and snappy plots, and the just-right words to convey a more “active” story. Editors with a bent toward the ever newly defined “literary” novel bemoan that today’s readers don’t want highbrow literature with thoughtful, metaphorical plots and language that soars into the heavenly alcoves of decorative prose. Other editors insist that readers won’t suffer a longer novel unless it’s filled with action, suspense, or mayhem. These generalities comprise the “perfect conformation” for today’s CBA novels.

Subject matter is not a factor. The CBA offers novels which address all the pitfalls of sin. In other posts I’ve given you a short list of CBA novels which do not fit into the category of Christian fiction. So, those people who haven’t read the CBA for awhile have no idea of the multitudes of topics covered by fine authors in Christian fiction.

There are all kinds of genres. There are all kinds of characters. There are really all kinds of stories. I’ve read enough of them to know the desired “conformation” for today’s work.

However, some of them “don’t run”. They have all the right structures and requirements, but there’s nothing to set them apart and when stacked up against a real “runner”, they fade into the back of the pack. In a lot of cases it isn’t the author. It’s the conformation. They’re all alike—not the stories but the formula. The desired conformation designed for success has become less engaging, more of a stereotype. It isn’t the writer searching for the best words, it isn’t even the story which follows the “perfect” guidelines to allow it to fit into the “body structure”, nor is it the style of the author which is clearly his own unique voice.

Like a horse with wonderful conformation who can’t run, there are a select few of those animals who give their all in competition even with their lack of talent. They run hard and they eke out a limited career because they have that amazing quality which transcends all others: Heart. And like them, some authors demonstrate their “hearts” under the burden of the perfect conformation requirements.

Those of us who are lacking good conformation must write to the One who has given us our “structures”. We are who we are, and we write to please Him who gives us not only our forms but our words, regardless of their imperfections.

One of the absolute champions of the “Sport of Kings” was (is) a horse named Seattle Slew. He was crooked to the trained eye and purchased for an unremarkable sum in the world of Thoroughbreds. He won the Triple Crown, horse racing’s most grueling and awesome trio of races—rarely achieved. As if his racing career wasn’t scintillating enough, he went on to be the sire of amazing champions, both male and female, and his offspring at stud have produced more of the same. He is one of the outstanding and unpredictable icons of racing.

So, maybe those of us who write a little “crooked” can still carry the hope of being a “champion” in the competitive world of novel writing—but all for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Father, help me run the good race . . . in the Glorious Name of your Son Jesus Christ, Amen.