Dancing Word Writers Workshop

with Patricia Hickman

 June 9, 2006

 

Hosted by Ellie Schroder

Dancing Word Publisher/Editor

*This chat has been edited for clarity.

Ellie Schroder: I'll open up in prayer, go over protocol, then introduce our guest.

Lord, thank you once again for a wonderful day, and a wonderful week spent living in the world you've given us. Thank you for the talents you have given us; let us use them for Your glory. May we learn to improve on the gifts we have by learning from others.

Be with Patricia and she teaches us tonight

Patricia Hickman:  Yes, Savior.

Ellie Schroder: May we all benefit from the wisdom she shares. In Jesus name, Amen.

Protocol reminder: when the floor is open to questions, please type ? for questions, ! for comments and ga when you are finished typing. For those new to the chat room, "ga" means "go ahead" and keeps us from stepping on each others' toes. Please wait to be called on in turn. Tonight I'm delighted to introduce Patricia Hickman as our guest. Patricia will be teaching a workshop about “Developing the Spiritual Elements of Fiction.” She will speak first then open the floor to questions.

Patricia is the author of the novels Sandpebbles, Katrina’s Wings, the Millwood Hollow series and Land of the Far Horizons series. Welcome, Patricia, thank you for joining us tonight.

Patricia Hickman:  I’m  amazed so many people would spend a perfectly good Friday night in a writer’s  chat room. Must not be a good movie release weekend. Or else you all just love writerly talk. Still, thank you for inviting me. I’m  truly honored.

I write fiction from a personal aesthetic, typically a southern setting. With that in mind and in case someone remembered the grits, I brought expository crab cakes. They’re an excellent addition to fried green tomatoes ala narration.

* AZAnnie hands out plates

Patricia Hickman:  I’ve written full time as a novelist for thirteen years. I’m  also developing two non-fiction book proposals, one writer’s  craft book, three works of upcoming fiction, and I speak as often as possible on writing, women’s themes, church growth, and surmounting times of testing.

Tonight, I’ll share a few nuggets from a workshop, ‘Developing the Spiritual Elements of Fiction.’ I shared with Annie today that there are numerous books with deep spiritual threads that don’t fall under the heading ‘Christian fiction.’ I’m  going to use a couple of them, time permitting, as examples.

I like to think of my story in terms of what themes are telegraphed outside the sheep pen of the faith-based fiction market. If my gay neighbor reads it, what good story elements can I fold into the layers that will compel her to keep reading?

When a story lingers in the reader’s mind, elements can become embedded in the psyche. Fiction facts can take residence in the form of psychic truth.

Case in point, a certain percentage of the population that read The DaVinci Code actually believed parts of it even though it was a complete work of fiction.

Remade Gold: Can you define psychic truth a little?

Patricia Hickman:  Not in the sense of TV psychics, of course. BWG (big wide grin). But a truth that can become a part of your belief system, without fully intending for that to happen.

* Remade Gold nods

Patricia Hickman:  A strong case for writing faith-based fiction is that we need our stories read by those outside the church walls so that the Christ message is ingested as truth.

Some writers teach you to write out a scene summary and that’s good early practice for the writer just starting out. I do seam my story together through scene links. Not to be confused with pasted in elements. I’m still talking a layering process.

Read the rest of the transcript

 

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