Saturday, May 5, 2012

The Purpose of Passion

I'm reading a really great book. It's saying a lot when I read nonfiction. It's called The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell. I admit, when I got it based on another author's suggestion, I thought it was tips on writing about war. I'm kind of surprised I still went through the motions to reserve it and pick it up at the library. But it is not about war, thankfully. It's about fighting yourself and becoming the author you really want to be underneath all the self-doubt and laziness.

I've definitely got both of those on my back constantly. So an arsenal of weapons to wage attacks on my two biggest enemies is a timely and necessary pursuit.

There was a great exercise about identifying your passions when you are thinking through ideas for stories. The things that an author feels most strongly about will cause him or her to write in the most meaningful way. So at Bell's insistence, I wrote down a list of my deepest beliefs. The things that are unshakable, non-negotiable beliefs I would stand up on a soapbox and preach about if I felt they were being threatened.

Not surprisingly, most of mine are about God. I thought I would share my list on my blog. If you'd like to make your own list, please provide a link to your blog in the comments. I'd like to read them.

My Strongest Beliefs

1. God is perfection and love.

2. Jesus is the answer to every question.


3. The best stories always directly or indirectly point to Jesus.

4. The Bible is the ultimate model for any story.

5. Prayer changes things.

6. Greater love doesn't exist than someone being willing to sacrifice their life for someone else.

7. In the end, God wins.

8. Life without imagination is cruel and joyless.

9. Creativity is one of the most amazing gifts of God.

10. Anything worth doing is hard.

11. Nobody can be me better than I can.

12. You're only asking for trouble when you add your own rules to God's rules.

13. Humility and meekness offer the Holy Spirit opportunity to be strong and change things. 

14. Pride is the root of almost any sin.

15. Forgiveness heals relationships.

16. Pretending to be better than you are is a roadblock to your dreams.

17. I'm nothing but a sinner saved by grace.


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