Into the Fire

How many times have you heard someone say, "I never read fiction"? As if it's a waste of their precious time, they can't be bothered to read a novel. 

In the genre of historical novels, most authors have done impeccable research into whatever timeframe(s) they've chosen to insert their characters' lives, the society of that day, the living conditions, and everything else related to that period of life on earth. Yes, some will take liberties but not enough to bend the actuality of that time. 

In contemporary novels, that same kind of research is employed to ensure that the reality is brought to life in a story. From various occupations to vehicles to locations and language, an author of fiction intends to bring the actuality of story – unless of course he or she is penning a fantasy. Even science-fiction has some basis in reality.

The facts involved in fiction are every bit as valuable as those in non-fiction because a good story can be indicative of life itself from a "full-bodied" approach which delves into every avenue of human life. 

As an author of fiction, a writer and reader and lover of novels, I confess I get tired of what mankind has to say about anything. From "self-help" to Bible studies, sometimes I don't want to "hear" what that author claims. While I might appreciate their research, their opinion, their intelligence, and their sincerity, just because it's non-fiction does not always make it indisputable. All that to say I rarely read non-fiction. 

So. I do read the Bible, but that's way beyond a genre classification.

Father, thank you for all those you've gifted with the ability to create with words. May each one know from whom their talent originates. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.