Author Archive
The Thing About Noses…
Authors are curious by nature and inspirational authors get a double dose blended with a strong desire to reach out and lift others up.
And that brings me to a new venture I’m undertaking. I’ve teamed up with the Book Fun Organization on their monthly magazine and plan do to a one-minute video each issue. The title of the collection (when there is one) will be “Lift Me Up!”
The way I envision these, they’re a bite-size bit I hope will lift spirits and improve moods. Family friendly, like the magazine.
I’m thinking of something like this for the visual to accompany the video, so it’s easy for readers to spot:
It’s a rough sketch and not finalized, but what do you think? Thumbs up or down, or indifferent? I’d appreciate your feedback!
Blessings,
Vicki
Last Friday, a blog post on this subject ran on my agent, Chip MacGregor’s site. I’m including it here in the On Writing blog to incorporate it into the Writing Library.
For decades, Authors have been told there are two things they really should do:
1. A website.
2. A newsletter.
The website is self-explanatory, and I’ll discuss it in more depth in another article. For now, it’s sufficient to say that when readers, booksellers, or industry professionals are interested in an author or intrigued by something an author did or said–or something else has spurred curiosity–these people first look to the author’s website to find out more about that author.
They often skip the search engine “search” and go straight to the author’s name followed by .com. That’s the biggest reason you’re advised to try to get your name (or pseudonym, if you use one) as a URL and to setup your site (author’s name).com.
The newsletter is a bit more tricky. There are multiple reasons why they’re a good idea. Here are a few:
1. It’s the author’s personal connection to the reader. A dialogue, if you will, that is between just the two of you.
2. It’s an efficient way to exchange information, to keep readers current on what’s going on with the author’s work.
3. It’s essential to notify readers of special events and special deals of interest to them. (For example, for one day or one month, a bookseller has reduced the price of your $15.99 book to $5.60. That’s helpful information for readers.
How to let them know brings us to newsletters, and that brings us to mailing lists: the means through which we can connect for those purposes. I hear authors groaning already about another writing-related task that keeps them from writing the books, but let me share that your mailing list is an enormously valuable asset. Why?
I touched on the personal connection and information sharing and awareness factors above. But this is also the author’s opportunity to create bonds. They’re important–to authors but also to readers. In your newsletter, readers see a little deeper into the author or into the work. Maybe you do an exclusive note to them about why you wrote the book. Give them a sneak peek behind the proverbial curtain. Or you offer them something in your newsletter that they don’t see elsewhere. Newsletter readers become insiders into your world and feel treasured by you, and they should be treasured by you!
A newsletter isn’t and should never be a commercial. Readers are bombarded by plenty of those. Your newsletter should be informative but also have something special for those interested enough and supportive enough to opt-in to your mailing list to keep up to date on your activities. So treat the readers behind the newsletter (whether they are readers, booksellers, librarians or other industry professionals) with the respect they deserve. Yes, tell them what’s available and new, but also chat with them and not just to them.
Never send newsletters to those who have not specifically opted to receive them. Opt-in only. There are laws on this, and against spamming. Honor them and respect your readers. Give them the chance to join your mailing list, yes. But if they don’t choose to do so, don’t send your newsletter to them anyway. That’s illegal and rude. It will also get you blacklisted, and that means your emails are bounced by servers and not sent to recipients. You’re officially tagged as a spammer. This impacts not only your ability to send newsletters, but also your ability to send not just newsletters but any email!
So how do you manage your mailing lists?
There are many ways, of course, but with the conviction that it works, I can share how I do mine.
I maintain two lists: one for the newsletter and one I call the Remind Me list, which I’ll explain in a moment. First, let’s look at the Newsletter list. It’s divided into three groups, or lists:
1. Readers.
2. Booksellers.
3. Librarians.
The reader’s list is tagged a general list and it’s the group to whom newsletters go. But there are times when you have something to share that is only of interest to select groups–say, booksellers or librarians. You don’t want to include that level or depth of information in your general newsletter so you create a special newsletter or news blast for the intended group–be that booksellers or librarians. (Alternately, you might have a fiction and non-fiction list. Those who are interested in one well might not be interested in the other. You’ll know your areas of specialty and how to break your list so that what you send out is relevant to the intended recipients.)
An example: Recently, my three Seascape series novels were reissued as “Clean Reads.” These are hard cover and particularly of interest to librarians. The books were originally published for the general market but have been revised to fit the needs of this specific group. All three of the books have now been released, and while I’ve mentioned their release (because my faith-affirming, inspirational readers might also find these books of interest), I need to do a special, short news release to librarians on these new Clean Reads versions.
This enables me to let those who want to know these things know them, but doesn’t clutter everyone’s mailbox with a special newsletter they don’t need. So it’s mentioned in the general newsletter, and interested parties get a special news blast giving them important additional details they need.
Yes, it’s more work for the author. But it’s worthy work because it respects the people receiving the messages, and that is extremely important–or it should be extremely important to the author.
Now, we’re all busy and have nine million things tugging at us all the time shouting, “Me next!” Because I recognize that, I also keep a separate mailing list for those who want to know when a new book is released but that’s really all they want to know due to their own time constraints. Accommodating them, I have the REMIND ME list.
The only thing I send those who opt-in for the REMIND ME list is a short note when a new book is released. It lets them know the new book is available and in what format (print, digital, audio. Whether it’s hard cover, trade or mass market paperback.) That’s it. Ten seconds or less and they’ve read it and are aware of the new book.
The signup forms for the Newsletter and Remind Me lists are different. Here are screenshots of what I use for each of them:
Sidebar Screenshot
www.vickihinze.com/blog
The above graphic is a screenshot of the Sidebar that’s on most pages of my vickihinze.com website.
Note that I used two very different buttons, so it’s blatant that there are two different options here (though many do sign up for both) and that negates any confusion.
When you click “Subscribe Newsletter,” this form comes up:
Note it’s quick and easy, and the only information required is the email address.
Also note the “I am a” in the last box. If you click the arrow on the right of “Reader,” you’ll see “Bookseller” and “Librarian.” Important for the reasons stated above and it provides a simple way to sort to send something geared specifically to Booksellers or Librarians quickly and easily. Often, they need information readers do not, so it’s helpful for the author to have that option.
When you click the Remind Me “Subscribe Now” button, this form comes up:
Again, quick and easy, and only the email address is required.
To see this function on the website, click any of the graphics discussed and it’ll take you to one of my pages. I know that actually seeing something operational often helps me.
Privacy policy. You should make it clear that you have a privacy policy in place. Typically that’s posted on your website, but it should be on the subscription confirmation form (after people signup, they receive a note confirming that they really did sign up [and weren’t being impersonated]) or on a “thanks for joining me” type of response for having signed up.
Yes, that responder is another step the author must take. But look at it this way: When you sign up for one thing and find your email has been shared, you don’t appreciate it. No one else appreciates it, either. So create a privacy policy, blatantly state it, and fastidiously adhere to it. The statement doesn’t have to be fancy. Blunt works great:
Your privacy is respected. Your information will not be shared.
That does the trick.
Let me close by saying you have no idea how valuable an asset your mailing list is until you lose it. A few years ago, I had well over 100,000 opt-in readers on my general list, several thousand on the bookseller list, and over 20,000 on my librarian’s list.
My computer was hacked, which resulted in a safety feature kicking in that destroyed everything on my hard drive. So they didn’t get any information, but my hard drive was wiped out. Unfortunately for me, my external hard drive backup was connected at the time, so it too was corrupted. Not wiped out but so severely corrupted that nothing on it was recoverable. I lost everything.
Worse than the loss of the mailing lists was the loss of the connections I’d built over many years. Multiple computer gurus tried to recover the lists (and photos and important documents) but couldn’t salvage a thing. I had to accept that I had to start over. And so I did. That loss is felt acutely even today.
Several lessons in that for me that I share with you:
1. Don’t keep your external hard drive connected to your computer unless you’re using it.
2. Understand the value of your mailing list–it’s your connection to your readers.
3. Make multiple backup copies of your mailing lists and store them in multiple places. Even that won’t totally protect you from loss, particularly if someone else maintains your list for you. But if that’s the case, then suspense your calendar to do monthly backup downloads so you have current copies. People subscribe, unsubscribe, change their email addresses and such all the time. This way, if you need to start again, you have a base that isn’t out of date by so much that the required verification forms sent (to be sure the person really does want to subscribe to your list) don’t bounce at a rate that qualifies you as a spammer.
Let me explain that verification form business just mentioned. Every time you switch providers of a mailing list service, the new one must send a verification form to each subscriber to be sure they want your email and you’re not spamming them from some list you bought somewhere. The subscriber must click a confirmation link or s/he is off your list. Most companies will send these verification forms one time only. So when you change service providers, you might only retain 10 or 15% of your subscribers. It’s totally a matter of the subscriber clicking that email link.
This is another reason to make sure your list stays “clean” and up-to-date. If it doesn’t, and you either switch servers or need to start over from a backup and a lot of the verifications emailed by your service provider to your subscribers bounce or are refused, then you’re deemed a spammer. That can impact not only your mailing list emails but all your emails. So you have to keep your list clean and up-to-date!
I hope this helps not only show you the value of mailing lists but also helps you avoid pitfalls and challenges in creating and maintaining them.
Blessings,
Vicki
As you know, on Thursdays I do a column for the Social-In Network. Last week, I did the first of six or so videos in the Inspire Me! series. Today, I intended to do Part 2, but saw greater value in getting another seasoned authors practical experience on the first video. We all get knocked down in this business and need inspiration and guidance on getting up. So this week, I sought the expertise of noted author, Maureen Lang. It seemed like a good idea to run the article here as well. It’s posted in On Writing, but the concepts work for any career to help you get back on your feet. Here’s the article as it appears on the Social In Network:
Inspire Me Part 1
“When You Get Knocked Down”–Practical Experience
by
Vicki Hinze
Last week, I started the Inspire Me! Series, which was based on writers and writing but with universal challenges applicable to you and your life in whatever you’re doing.
That was part 1, and it dealt with “When You Get Knocked Down.” Who among us hasn’t been knocked to our knees or onto our backsides a time or two?
I originally intended to proceed to part 2 today, but I saw greater value to you in bringing in another perspective from someone who’s walked in these shoes. Between the video and insights from a second seasoned author, I think you’ll have a strong, constructive grip on not only getting knocked down, but on getting back up!
So that you know who is “talking” to you, let me share a bit about this author. She writes stories inspired by a love of history and romance and has been an avid reader since childhood. That’s when she started writing the stories she wanted to read. She’s won both the widely respected RWA Golden Heart and the ACFW Genesis awards. Since publication, she’s won the Inspirational Readers Choice and Holt Medallion awards, and she has been a finalist in the prestigious Christy, RITA and Carol awards. And so that you know she’s she’s more than the admirably accomplished author and also the writer next door, know that she lives in the Midwest with her husband, children and her Labrador retriever.
Meet the talented, practical and forthright, Maureen Lang.
Maureen Lang
www.maureenlang.com
Maureen watched the part 1, Knocked Down video. (If you missed it, you can catch it at: http://youtu.be/QKyGhKbeLiI.) Here are her specific insights:
One of the things I really appreciated in the talk Vicki gave about being knocked down is that it proves you were standing. Well said! We can’t get anywhere if we don’t stand up, and that shows more courage than we sometimes realize. The outcome is never certain, but only nothing comes of nothing—so we work, and then we stand up and take that next step toward our goal. There just isn’t any other way to succeed.
So how do you get to that standing position? How do you move forward? There’s only one way, and that’s through work. It may not seem like work if we’re doing something we love, like writing. There’s an old saying about never working a day in your life if you do something you love for a living. But the truth is, even something we love to do includes work.
We gain experience through our work, even if we start out needing a whole lot of help. It should be easy to spend time doing something we love to do, to learn how to improve every chance we get—by reading or talking with others, then applying what we learn to our own circumstances.
I’ve always thought we learn best from our strengths. I write best when I’m feeling confident about what I’m doing, when I’m most familiar with my characters and their setting. So I do a lot of research, and I read a lot of books that inspire in me the feeling I’m trying to create in my own books, that connection between the page and the reader.
The Good Times
Maureen Lang
In my most recent book, All In Good Time, I didn’t know much about my western setting. But one of my strengths is that I love doing research. It was a challenge at first, because my local library didn’t have much to set me on the right path. To be honest, I’ve researched all kinds of topics from the Vikings to the First World War and I didn’t think Denver in its early days would be especially challenging. But my library didn’t have a single book specific to Denver, and when I asked the research librarian he came up with literally one paragraph of information that was basically very little help. I think he must have been preoccupied with something else but I couldn’t wait. I needed to start my research and not wait for someone else.
Well, I wasn’t going to be knocked down. The world is at our fingertips through the Internet, and I’ve learned a lot of it is pretty reliable, though I do try to verify things with more than one source.
What I was looking for were actual books, though, that I could thumb through and rely in and return to whenever I needed them. After a search for “Denver prostitution 1880s” I found a book by a retired professor who had done quite a bit of research on this topic. So I looked at his books, ordered a couple, then wrote to him asking if he had any research tips for this topic.
He provided me with a whole list of wonderful books, most of which I ordered for my own library as reference material. My book would not have the detail or the historical authenticity without these resources.
I didn’t read all of the books from cover to cover even though I was tempted, I just didn’t have the time. So I concentrated on what I needed for my book and my characters. I also researched as I went along, not knowing everything I might need until a new twist in my plot revealed a new element that needed to be explored. So it’s important to be flexible.
The longer I’ve been in this business, the easier it’s getting to spot something in my research that I can use. If I can envision my characters seeing some element through their fictional eyes, chances are it’ll get worked into my book. That comes with experience, but it’s something that anyone can develop with a love for making history—or really any setting—come alive. Because that’s what writers do. We put all the puzzle pieces together, and research provides the framework.
In what Maureen shared, we see that her local library’s lack of information was a knock down. But she stood back up—she went to the Internet and explored and found herself an expert who had what she needed. She didn’t stay down or quit, she persevered, took an alternate route, and found another way. She suggests remaining flexible. That willingness to be flexible and seek another route is what netted her access to the professor and exactly what she needed. The result? Her book! All in Good Time didn’t die on the shelf because she got knocked down. It’s a published book because she stood back up.
That’s the bottom line. We can’t avoid being knocked down. It happens to us all. But it proves we were standing, that we can stand, and that, if we’re flexible and seek alternative routes, we can find what we need to fulfill our goals and dreams.
———————
Vicki Hinze is the award-winning bestselling author of nearly thirty novels in a variety of genres including, suspense, mystery, thriller, and romantic or faith-affirming thrillers. Her latest releases are: Torn Loyalties (romantic suspense), Duplicity (mystery/thriller), Maybe This Time (paranormal romance), One Way to Write a Novel (nonfiction). She holds a MFA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in Philosophy, Theocentric Business and Ethics. Hinze’s website:Facebook. Books. 
Twitter. www.vickihinze.com.
A special note: Tomorrow I’ll be doing a special article on my agent, Chip MacGregor’s (MacGregor Literary Agency) blog on Mailing Lists. (You’ll see Chip’s blog at the top of his agency’s site.
When you’ve fallen or been knocked down, it means you were standing. If you were standing, then you’re capable of standing. If you’re capable of standing once, then you’re capable of standing again.
~Vicki Hinze
INSPIRE ME!
Part 1: When You Get Knocked Down
by
Vicki Hinze
Life is a series of hills and valleys. Sometimes we’re up, sometimes we’re down. And sometimes when we’re down, we’re not sure exactly how we got down or how to get up. This is true for everyone, and writers are no exception.
So since the new year’s resolutions are waning and spring is upon us, tempting us to shrug off discipline and determination, we need a little inspiration to keep us on track, or to get us on track–and to minimize the negative influences in our lives. We need a strong shot of perspective.
So today we begin a series, Inspire Me! And my hope is that it will.
Here’s part 1: When you get Knocked Down.
———————
Vicki Hinze is the award-winning bestselling author of nearly thirty novels in a variety of genres including, suspense, mystery, thriller, and romantic or faith-affirming thrillers. Her latest releases are: Torn Loyalties (romantic suspense), Duplicity (mystery/thriller), Maybe This Time (paranormal romance), One Way to Write a Novel (nonfiction). She holds a MFA in Creative Writing and a Ph.D. in Philosophy, Theocentric Business and Ethics. Hinze’s website:Facebook. Books. Twitter. Contact. www.vickihinze.com.
Q. I’ve been reading your blog posts for a while and I’ve gone back and looked at early ones. Many focus on helping others. How does spending so much time doing that instead of writing more books affect your career?
A. Frankly, I’m not sure. I could write more if I reached out to others less. That’s always been the case, and as it becomes more difficult to earn a living writing, there’s every logical reason to do so—focus more on writing and producing more books instead of mentoring and helping others. It isn’t that I’m unaware of the costs. Believe me, I am. But I’m not just building a career, I’m building a life. To be of value to me, my life must have purpose, and my purpose is to help the broken heal.
I try to do that in my books and articles, but I also try to do it through helping writers. That’s been a big part of what I’m about and the life I’ve chosen to build since I began writing. It stemmed, in part, from not knowing other writers early on. I spent so much time frustrated over the most basic things because I had no one to ask, and I promised myself if I ever learned anything about the craft and/or business of writing, I’d share what I learned. I’ve tried to do that and I’ve trusted that my personal needs would be met.
Over the years, that decision has made for some belt-squeezing times and some where I’ve had to take leaps of faith that everything would work out, but it always has. When agents suggested that I stop “helping” and write more to elevate myself, I’ve changed agents. While they were wonderful and very good at what they do, we didn’t have a merging of the minds on my purpose.
I’m not driven by money. It doesn’t define my success. Worth to me is more about caring, nurturing, helping others see their own potential and to assist them in seeing the best in themselves and their purpose. Honestly, that’s been a blessing and a curse and it’s made for some scary times. But during those times, you just keep working in faith and trust that things will work out.
The world looks at you and your work and sees less. That creates some challenges and disappointments, but they’re not as significant on the grand scale of things. Admittedly, times have changed in publishing and that too has created new challenges. Today, more so than ever before, it’s a bottom-line market. Publisher fiscal health depends on that, and the business side of me (I was in corporate for years before writing) understands that. So these days require bigger leaps of faith. And, being brutally honest and blunt, I will write until I can’t afford to write anymore. And I’ll continue to help others in ways I can until I can’t. It’s my purpose.
You know, it’s easy to do the hard things when times are great and everything is going your way. But when it’s not, it’s harder, and yet that’s when you define your destiny. Like everyone else, I’m standing to meet my destiny. Sometimes on rubber knees, but I’m standing. 
Q. I read your Lost, Inc. books and enjoyed them. Are you going to write more books in that series?
I’ve been asked this a lot in the last month or so, but I can’t honestly answer that question at this time. I’d like to—I love the premise of people helping others who are lost find their way in life—and I certainly could write more of the Lost, Inc. books. The decision is currently pending. The publisher would like more of them, but I’m waiting to see how they are received in the market before making that call.
If readers embrace the books and want more of them, they’ll let me know. Now that the third book in that series, Torn Loyalties, is out, the answer won’t be far off. So far, the reaction has been good. Reader feedback has been positive and the book, like the previous two in the series, has been on multiple Amazon bestseller lists. So early signs are good. I just need to give this third book a little more time to let the reaction filter back to me and then I’ll know if more Lost, Inc. books should be done.
This is another situation where the business side of me says, “Definitely do it,” but the purpose side of me says, “Give it a bit to determine if it’s best.” Here’s the conflict: Any one writer can only write so many books. Time’s a hard taskmaster that way. So it’s really important to write the right books to do what you’re trying to do in writing at all.
I’m eager to write case stories in that series. I think those would be fascinating and fun to write. So I’m hopeful and indications are good, but I can’t say for sure right this minute. Another month or two of data and feedback and I’ll know. When I do know, I’ll share it in the newsletter.
Q. I’ve been writing ten years and always earned a living. But it’s hard now and I’m torn between writing and doing something else where my income is stable and I have benefits. Am I the only writer with this problem? Is it me or just the way things are now?
It isn’t just you. (See the first question above. ) Listen, I’ve written full-time since 1988. I sold the first book in 1992 and then nothing for two years. Since then, I’ve been publishing. There have been times in between when I had a year between contracts (I had a lot of eye surgeries in a short span of time that totally derailed momentum writing) and I faced the choice you’re facing. Should I return to corporate or stick with writing?
The truth is I can’t answer that question for you. Only you know what one needs to know to make that call. I did answer it for me, and I’ll share that for what it’s worth.
I did a lot of soul-searching and discovered my bottom line: I’d never be content not writing. There wouldn’t be a day that I wouldn’t miss it or a day when I’d know I turned my back on what I was supposed to be doing with my life.
It took a while to reach that bottom line, and it wasn’t a pleasant process. But it was an essential one and it did quell the questioning. There are no benefits and for most writers the money isn’t great. There are some for whom it’s fabulous and whether or not you’ll be one of those or one who struggles, well, you never know. Good writers land in both camps, and so do not-so-good writers. Readers make that call, and all writers can do is write their stories the best they can and pray. A lot.
This is going to sound harsh, but here it is—without any veneer or varnish to soften it:
If you can quit writing, quit. Get a job with stable pay and good benefits. If your heart isn’t in it, you’re better off to find a place your heart is. You’ll be more content there.
If you love writing, you won’t be able to quit. You’ll think on it and get to the place where you realize odds are stacked against you, you’ll work for an unknown amount of money with no benefits and absolutely no assurances (even signed contracts get cancelled) but a bad day or month or year writing is better than a good day doing anything else. You’ll take a part-time job doing what you must, if you must, to meet your fiscal needs, but you’ll write anyway. Because you need to write and want to write and the idea of not writing makes you physically ill.
That’s the best I do for you on this. It’s a personal call. There’s no right or wrong answer, only the right answer for you, and only you can make the decision.
I wish I could tell you that if you work hard and do your best, you’ll be fine. But I honestly can’t do that because sometimes it is fine and sometimes it isn’t. I know many writers who had successful careers suddenly tank and they were forced by circumstance to walk away. I also know many writers who had tanked careers and started over at the bottom of the ladder and zoomed to the top. Again, there’s no way of predicting which any one writer will be. You can do everything right and not reach fiscal stability. You can do everything wrong and stick to it like it was surgically applied. Writers can’t predict it, agents can’t predict it, publishers can’t predict it, booksellers can’t predict it. An author or project can look golden and tank. Or look like a midlist or low-income book and hit the stratosphere in sales. You write your book and take your chances. It’s that way on every book.
Whatever you decide, I wish you joy and contentment and peace with your decision. Spend some time with yourself and do your version of soul-searching. What most matters to you? Why? What do you need (versus want) and what must you do to get it? Ask yourself the hard, uncomfortable questions and answer them honestly. By the time you’re done, you’ll know what’s right for you.
Thanks so much for your questions. It’s a joy to hear from you. If I may, I’d like to thank you for the many notes you’ve written with comments and offering support and prayers for me (especially during the recent illness). I so appreciate being a part of your lives, and I’m grateful for your concern about me.
Blessings,
Vicki
Photo Credit: canstockphoto.com
It’s Holy Week. Almost Easter. A revered time for people of faith. The most revered time for Christians. Today, I need to chat. That’s right, to chat. I need to talk with like-minded people—people who believe. My soul needs food.
Most Christians go through times of sheer weariness. We tire of the faith struggles in our own lives and in our society. Our freedom of religion is being interpreted by some as freedom from religion, and we’re frustrated by it and weary of it.
How can we not be? We look around and see children exploited, young girls being programmed that sexy is better than virtuous (look at the magazine covers targeting teens). We see a barrage of attacks against even Christmas trees with governors wanting to call them holiday trees, and Christmas break being tagged winter holiday. We see our leader insist that Christian statues be covered during a speech at a Catholic college and yet he speaks beneath a banner that includes a photo of the father of terrorism. We know important things seem, well, upside down, and now comes a push to rename an Easter Egg Hunt a Spring Egg Hunt.
What? We have Christians being crucified for their faith (literally and figuratively) and we (as taxpaying citizens) are giving them billions of dollars. Why?
All this is just the tip of the heap, as you well know, but it’s sufficient to relay the reason for the weariness.
We trust God, we celebrate Holy Week and Easter. We do not waiver on it being the holiest of holidays in Christendom. The Resurrection… It’s awe-inspiring and humbling. And even those who are not Christians should respect that.
If they did, I doubt we’d be living in a culture of deep corruption. In a society where half—yes, half—of the children born are born to unwed mothers. Our values have eroded and our ethics along with them. We’ve buried our moral compass. Allowing it to happen, doing nothing to prevent it, condones it. And what we condone, we own.
I’m not an idealist or standing on a soapbox or suggesting we become raging zealots, but I am suggesting that I’m weary and I know other believers are, too. For me, I’m battling it, determined to follow our beliefs and to refuse not to support them. In other words, the PC police can forget it. They have their vision of PC and I have mine, and this weary soul is opting for faith.
The weariness is not to the bone. Close, but not to the bone. In part, I thank Roma Downey and Mark Burnett for that. Yes, the star of Touched by an Angel and the reality show guru. They did the five-part series The Bible that’s airing on Sunday nights on the History channel.
Okay, so there’s been a lot of controversy on the show itself. Of course, there has. But considering how many don’t and never have read the Bible, and considering that this series is the only exposure they’ll get to the Bible, can’t we see the good in it? The series is like a missionary to the U.S. And if you’ve seen the religious decline (which has been actively sought by factions within and outside this country), you know we need a revival of spiritual matters and food for our spirits. Give us that and the other problems decline. We know it. Our country was built on the premise of putting God first. Through diligent effort, particularly in the past forty years, we’ve had our identity muddied and now we’re muddled. For that reason, while some might find fault with The Bible’s production, I’m celebrating it.
It’s said to be #1—most watched. The Examiner had an article on it that said Hollywood didn’t understand why the series was so popular. It confounded them. We, of course, know exactly why it’s popular and why other films or series like it will be popular, too. People are three-dimensional—physical, emotional and spiritual—and our spiritual selves are starving!
Simple. So very simple. We need soul food! We don’t just want it, we need it. We need a spark to recognize what we need.
So last night, I’m watching the fourth part of the five-part series, and I notice the commercials. Christianbooks.com had one. Walmart had one. Advertising the Bible. I’m sure there were others, but these were on when the advertisers caught my attention and snagged my thoughts. And I sat there feeling extremely emotional. An ad for the Bible. The BOOK. The Word of God. I’m choking up again now.
This is good. Even if you disagree with exactly the way this or that is done in the series, you’ve got to see that this series and these kinds of commercials (which are wholly suitable for viewing by all ages [and that certainly can’t be said for many, many ads or shows]) are good. Sparks!
Sparks!
Photo credit: canstockphoto.com
I hope that this series spurs an avalanche of films with spiritual themes that get people to thinking and talking and exploring and searching. I hope it spurs a mountain of ads that are constructive and respectful. But most of all, I hope it touches hearts. The weariness and emptiness and longing that crushes so many in our society can be filled by faith. We know it can, and I pray soon those who didn’t know it discover it, too.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to watch an early evening program with your family and not have to change the channel because of inappropriate content? To have shows with content that is constructive and inspiring to viewers?
I boldly dare to dream that this starts a trend. One that renews faith, depletes weariness in believers, and offers all who want it a path out of the darkness and into the light. Wouldn’t it be terrific to see a swell of enthusiasm that leads to truth and contentment replace the current destructive behaviors that assure the absence of both? Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, that spark will ignite a flame and those who choose to walk and live outside the light will at least respect the rights of those who choose to walk in it. That would be refreshing, and constructive, too.
What I know is this. I write books to help the broken heal. I read books that inspire and enlighten. I view films for the same reasons. And I know that this morning my heart is less weary. A series and some commercials and because of constructive, faith-filled content, my soul is less weary.
And I know that without a spark, there is no flame. A spark serves. If we recognize hunger and what we’re hungry for, we can seek it. It doesn’t take much to recognize it, just a little spark. If you think about it, doesn’t it kind of remind you of the mustard seed…
Blessings,
Vicki
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