The Need for Heroes and Heroines

David Brooks’ new book, The Road to Character (Random House: 2015), attempts to understand what motivates people to serve and sacrifice for others. He begins with the Creation stories of Genesis 1 and 2, which describe two different visions of humanity that he calls Adam I and Adam II:

While Adam I wants to conquer the world, Adam II wants to obey a calling to serve the world. While Adam I is creative and savors his own accomplishments, Adam II sometimes renounces worldly success and status for the sake of some sacred purpose. While Adam I asks how things work, Adam II asks why things exist, and what ultimately we are here for. While Adam I wants to venture forth, Adam II wants to return to his roots and savor the warmth of a family meal. While Adam I’s motto is “Success,” Adam II experiences life as a moral drama. His motto is “Charity, love, and redemption” (xii).

Brooks admits that he’s an Adam I personality. A newspaper columnist and political pundit, he is more anxious to look good than to be good. To put it in his own words,

I was born with a natural predisposition toward shallowness…I’m paid to be a narcissistic blow-hard, to volley my opinions, to appear more confident about them than I really am, to appear better and more authoritative than I really am…Like many people these days, I have lived a life of vague moral aspiration—vaguely wanting to be good, vaguely wanting to serve some larger purpose, while lacking a concrete moral vocabulary, a clear understanding of how to live a rich inner life, or even a clearer knowledge of how character is developed and depth is achieved (xiv).

What a striking description of the kind of person who reads our novels! He may seem eminently successful by outward appearances, but inwardly he knows how deficient his life is. He wants a life that really matters, so he looks for moral heroes and heroines.

Make no mistake: The world is desperately wants decent life models. As Christian authors, are called to describe such people. And yes, we are called to be such people.

Interview with Scott Nehring, author of You Are What You See: Watching Movies Through A Christian Lens

Last month, I reviewed You Are What You See: Watching Movies Through A Christian Lens by film critic Scott Nehring. I had the privilege of hearing Christian film critic Scott Nehring on Chris Fabry live (3-5pm on WGNR-FM, 97.9). Nehring's reviews have been syndicated on several websites including Reuter's, USAToday, FoxNews, and The Chicago Sun Times.

This book has a lot to say about how we look at movies as a Christian, but I also saw elements that spoke to writing. This month, I have the privilege of interviewing Scott Nehring.

JR: How did you get started writing movie reviews?

SN: I began in 2004 when I started my first site. I had gotten tired of the usual reviews I found online. It seemed most critics either didn’t have any idea what they were talking about or they were insufferable snobs. I thought I could step in and try to fill that gap.

JR: What are the most memorable responses (positive or negative) you've received to either your book or to your reviews?

SN: My personal favorite was having a woman named Tessa telling me she hoped I “get raped and contract A.I.D.S.” for my negative review of The Constant Gardner. The flood of responses for my calling Avatar the worst movie ever made (it is – and unbelievably racist to boot) is also another feather in my cap. It's always nice to receive compliments, but it's also fun to get someone riled up enough to slam your work.

JR: Have you ever tried your hand at writing fiction?

SN: Yes. I have been writing screenplays since I was child. I wrote my first screenplay when I was 12. I moved into writing stage plays in my late teens. I have been produced and enjoyed some minor success, but nothing to put a roof over my head. I’m living proof that just because you know what you’re doing, it doesn’t mean you have the talent and luck to pull it off. I backed away from fiction writing in 2004. Since then, I have found that my talent rests more in deconstructing stories and helping others learn how to see the components of a properly told tale.

JR: This leads into your book. The second section deals with the structure and character types common in movies. What do you think a budding Christian novelist can learn from that section to help their writing?

SN: As explained in my book, the structure and character archetypes found in story are engrained in us. These structures are instinctive to us and are used to influence how we communicate and understand concepts. By understanding how these narrative mechanics work and how they can be applied to our stories, the Christian writer can improve their work and make their tale more enjoyable to the reader.

JR: If you were to write a novel or screen-play, how would your experience as a film critic and writing You Are What You See influence it?

SN: The process of writing You Are What You See forced me to consider how I watch film. It also forced me to think about the kinds of stories I used to write and how I went about writing them. I went through a serious maturing process in regards to how I look at my work while putting the book together. I believe that would come through in my writing. I would be far more conscious to the messages I was weaving into the narrative and more aware on how those messages would play in the final script.

JR: Picture hundreds of Christian novelists listening for any advice/exhortations in reaching today's culture. (Okay, make it more like a dozen novelists.) We're all ears. How would you like to challenge us?

SN: The Christian writer has a responsibility to do more than simply write – they need to express their faith in their work. If you call yourself a Christian then your work inescapably reflects your faith. This being the case, you need to do your best to release works that glorify the Lord and the gifts He has provided to you. In short, we don’t glorify God by making crap.

Look at the culture we live in today. It is hollow and stagnant. This is because it is secular and only serves itself. A hundred years from now – I take that back, 20-30 years from now, how much will remain from this moment in cultural history? The Arts and the culture they produce have become disposable and ultimately useless.

Christian artists need to realize that when people complain about the state of our culture, it is their fault. The Arts have fallen into disrepair because over the last 60 years we have failed to fight for and protect them. We have handed over our role as cultural leaders and now see the results of that surrender. The time has come for Christian artists and writers to work towards reclaiming the culture. This is done by creating valuable works that aren’t just mimicking the latest fads or playing to the most sensitive and restrictive members of our audience. If we make works that are intellectually and artistically fulfilling -- ones that challenge the artist and the audience -- we can begin to make the changes in this society towards a more fruitful and productive future.

JR: Thank you very much for your time, and also for writing this excellent book.

If you want more information on Scott's book, go to http://www.YouAreWhatYouSee.com. You can also access Scott's movie reviews at http://www.GoodNewsFilmReviews.com.

Expecting!

My granddaughter, Maggie Ellen Faith Akins

It took longer than nine months, but my baby is due any day now!

If you're a writer you know I'm referring to a new book release. (As far as I know, angels haven't stopped by to inform my husband of an impending birth. If that happens, unlike Sara, this 50-year-old granny won't laugh. She'll pass out.)

I'm terribly excited about my new baby, er, book and I want to remember this feeling because I think the emotions might be very similar to the first time you deliver a human baby--nothing compares with the awe and wonder of it. I can hardly wait to hold it in my hands and count its fingers and toes, er, its pages. 

I've been published in compilations and magazines, but this is my first true blue book with my name on the front cover. Excuse me while I gush. It's embarrassing, I know, for those of you with million-dollar contracts, to observe my shameless blush of success. But for this girl who dreamed of being a writer from the time she could read, it's rapturous living on that giddy cloud of nine.

My book, O Canada! Her Story: Historical Narratives and Biographies that tell Her Story, is due out sometime this month. It's written for middle grades and the target audience is homeschoolers. But much like a Pringles potato chip, releasing a book is addictive. I'm eager to get to the next one. 


My new website is ready and I've started a mailing list for those interested in writing and history. Writing this book clarified something for me: while I enjoy writing humorous-contemporary fiction, I'm passionate about creating historical faction. That is, stories based on real events and people in history. 

I still write my columns at Examiner  and Mother Nature Network. I recommend column writing for anyone because it teaches you to write succinctly and to "just get 'er done." It does this for me, anyway. If you're not yet published, I encourage you to build your writing resume this way.


I think all projects take you to a new level of skill, or a new perspective of what it is God wants to say through you. One thing I've learned so far in this writing journey is that you've got to write a whole lot of twaddle before you get to the good stuff. So keep writing. Even when you don't feel like it, put your backside in the chair and write. (This is why writing columns is helpful. You've got to write something every day.)


What has God revealed through your writing experiences lately?  In what ways have you grown? I'd love to know. Write on!

Karla Akins is a pastor's wife, mother of five, and grandma to five beautiful little girls. She lives in North Manchester with her husband, twin teenage boys with autism, and three crazy dogs. Her favorite color is purple, favorite hobby is shoes, and favorite  food group is cupcakes.

Where Are All The Men?

How you define a hero in a Christian romance? What makes him irresistible? I don’t know if you’ve ever checked out the Christian Community boards on Amazon, but a particular discussion thread recently caught my eye. One reader complained there weren’t enough strong men in the Christian romances she was reading. We’re talking leadership potential here. Men who are decisive and loving and, if married, the head of their households yet treat their wives as equals.

I started pondering that point and did a quick run-through of recent books I’d read. Don’t get me wrong – there are some wonderful heroes out there, but more often than not, they fall short (and I’m not talking stature). From my perspective, it seems the majority of males in Christian books tend to fall into one of the following categories (with varying degrees of a relationship with the Lord):

*Widower still grieving the loss of his saintly wife, idealized all the more for having died young (and beautiful, but that goes without saying) – with or without a child or two (having one ups the vulnerability factor)
*Afraid to commit because he’s been burned by love, is still pining for a lost love or hasn’t met “the one”
*Too focused on his career
*Scarred physically and/or emotionally
*Insecure, not confident in either himself or the strength of his love

Let’s be honest and face facts here. Deep down, do we really want a hero in a Christian romance who smells his socks before he throws them on the floor, belches, slaps other guys on the backside and grunts like a cave man, can only cook mac and cheese and microwave hot dogs, leaves the lid up on the… Okay, I think you get my point. Oh, no. We want them to be (you can define your own order here): strong in his faith and personal relationship with the Lord, handsome, intelligent, witty, charming, brave and honorable, confident, sensitive, kind, chivalrous, heroic, romantic as anything, tall, and strong in every way imaginable. Awesome kisser. Let’s not forget compassionate to children, seniors and animals. Treats his parents like the queen and king they are and his brothers and sisters with the utmost respect. Admired by his co-workers or employees. It goes without saying he’s self-supporting and the doer of good (and often selfless and sometimes anonymous) deeds. And looks equally spectacular in a Stetson, jeans and a T-shirt, a wetsuit, a tuxedo or a hot tub. Ah, James Bond anyone? And last, but definitely not least, he absolutely must look at his heroine as if she’s by far the most beautiful, desirable creature he’s ever met and who ever walked the face of the earth.

I ask you, is it too much to ask for the charm of Cary Grant or Colin Firth, the wry humor of Harrison Ford (as Indiana Jones) or George Clooney, the smooth, deep voice of Gregory Peck or Sean Connery, the effortless sex appeal of Robert Redford or Pierce Brosnan, the intelligence of (you fill in the blank – it’s up for grabs), the simply too-cool-for-words macho heroics of Clint Eastwood (or Harrison as the President of the United States when he snarls, “Get off my plane!”), the romanticism of Jeff Bridges (have you heard this man talk about his wife, the great love of his life? It’s positively sigh-inducing, and he thankfully had the great role models of his own parents), and the faith of (again, you fill in the blank with your own example). Okay, I’m showing my age here, but I’m not sure today’s Young Hollywood offers the same leading men of days gone by. Sigh.

There’s an old Carpenters song with lyrics that go like this, I know I ask perfection of a quite imperfect world, and fool enough to think that’s what I’ll find. My mother often told me that should be my own theme song. I mistakenly believed those lyrics were from, ironically enough, Goodbye to Love. They’re not, but interestingly enough, they’re from I Need to Be in Love. But show me a guy who embodies all those above-named qualities (or even some of them), and you’ve got perfection. Well, I’m here to say that perfection is highly overrated. It’s downright boring – not to mention totally unrealistic – especially in fiction. Perfection is only embodied in one man in human form, and you know Who that is.

My strong male hero in Awakening, Sam Lewis, can get grumpy sometimes. But you know what? I love Sam grumpy. It makes him real and vulnerable. And yes, loveable. The hero in the second book in my series is hot-headed, stubborn, prideful and a little arrogant. But, like Sam, he’s got a big heart, he’s faithful, he loves his wife with a deep-seated love and passion, and that makes him hero-worthy. And he also needs Sam to mentor him. I had as much fun writing the conversations and interaction between these two men as much as anything (I adore writing the male POV, for some reason).

Overall, I believe the Christian fiction reader on Amazon had a point. Let’s write our heroes real, but make them unique and special in their own right. What do you say? Tell me what you look for in a Christian romantic hero. What makes your heart rate speed up, makes you smile, and most importantly, keeps you turning those pages? I’d love for you to tell me about the hero in your current manuscript, and what qualities make him a hero.

And guys, if you’re done rolling your eyes, maybe you could share what qualities you look for in the female counterpart. The forum is open. Blessings and happy writing!