How much of what you don't believe can you write?

[brianc]

Jun 24, 2012 17:53:32 GMT -5 Kessie said:

Fluke: Ahh, you see the conflicts that arise in an mortal angel. Yes, they do get jaded after a few generations. They eventually leave the mortal realm to be with the Lord. Prior to that, they have to maintain close fellowship with him or their white wings turn gray and eventually black. A blackwing angelus is one that has completely rebelled and is actively using their power for evil. A blackwing is actually the villainess of my entire series.

Maybe you had a problem with a gate to Hell because it didn't fit the fantasy motif? If you have all kinds of fantasy creatures, sticking demons from Hell in there is like having the bad guy build an aircraft carrier with F-18s on the deck to fight the good guys with. It just wouldn't work. (Admittedly, the image is kind of cool, like this picture. Dragon + jet. fav.me/d42fkvo )

What if you took a cue from the various Final Fantasy games, and let the spellbook split the world into chunks? Or swap out entire continents with land from other dimensions, bringing with it alien monsters and ferocious civilizations? Or just splinter it all, a la Bastion (and the only surviving point is, you guessed it, the Bastion).

Hey, we should discuss the demons and angels people who have Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) see. You may be very interested in that topic. For instance, some angels they see don't know they're angels. They seem just like people and think they're people, but they find out later that they're angels. And some of them go bad.

- Brian

[justinjoesherman]

"The thematic explorations are not so much about whatever aspect/name/camouflage of God or religion is presented in the story world but about the characters' responses (whether toward deity or toward family, friends, enemies—other characters) in the light/ level of their understanding. The explorations are about application (or not) of scriptural principles as each character responds (or not) within the framework of the principles rather than about the construction of religions comparable to Christianity (or any other)."

Well said, Metalikhan! (I'm not sure how to "box" the quotes of others. Forgive me, I'm a neophyte!) Yes, I love a good, well-written story. But when I'm reading a story from an author with a Christian worldview, the other requirement is this: it is essential for me that the characters work through their issues to come closer to God.