Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 47

The Story of Isaac

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, 

and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son,

of whom it was said, Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.

 (Heb 11:17-18)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Few references in the Old Testament are as important in Christology as the person of Isaac. When God promised Abraham “I will make of you a great nation” (Gen 12:2) and “To your offspring I will give this land” (Gen 12:7), Abram was already seven-five years old (Gen 12:4). Furthermore, Abraham’s wife, Sarai, was both past child-bearing age and barren (Gen 11:30), even if she was beautiful in her old age (Gen 12:11). 

The Hagar Incident

The Hagar incident simply confirmed that no one believed that Sarai could have children, least of all Sarai herself (Gen 16:1-8). In the ancient world, infertility could be handled through offering your husband a slave woman, which Sarai did (Gen 16:2). When Hagar became pregnant, Sarai became jealous and treated her badly so Hagar ran off. The Lord appeared to Hagar in the desert and told her to return to her mistress and gave her a prophecy of Ishmael (Gen 16:4-12). At this point, the text records that Hagar named God as the God who sees (Gen 16:13). She returned to her mistress.

Abraham was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him a son, Ishmael (Gen 16:16).

The Promise Reiterated

Yet, God’s promise to Abraham was through Sarai:

“And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” (Gen 17:15-16)

Isaac means “he laughed” in Hebrew for a reason—no one believed that Abraham and Sarah could have a child. At the time of this promise to Sarai, Abraham is one hundred years old and Sarai is ninety (Gen 17:17). Isaac was a miracle baby.

Inheritance Squabble

A child born to such a slave, such as Hagar, would legally belong to the infertile wife and would have the same inheritance rights as a child born to the wife. After Sarah had Isaac, she realized that Ishmael was Abraham’s first-born son and would receive the majority of the inheritance. Jealous for her son, she had Abraham free Hagar and send her away (Gen 21:9-10), which was cruel but within her legal rights.

The story of Hagar’s prayer and God’s rescue (Gen 21:11-21) is particularly significant for Muslims, who claim Ishmael as their ancestor. Ishmael’s genealogy is recorded in Genesis 25:12-18. The well mentioned in the passage is called Zamzam⁠1 and my mother-in-law visited Mecca and brought back a bottle of water from this well that stayed in our frigerater for years. A Muslim who has made this trip is granted the title: Hajji.

Hagar Symbolizes Law

The Apostle Paul took the story of Hagar and Sarah allegorically to represent the old and new covenants:

“But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” (Gal 4:23-26)

This allegory comparing Hagar with law and Sarah with Gospel makes the point that our relationship with God is not something forced or codified, but alive and freely given in Jesus Christ.

Mount Moriah

The incident at Mount Moriah started with a command from God:

“After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. He said, Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Gen 22:1-2)

The idea of a child sacrifice to a god was well-attested in the Ancient Near East and only abolished in the Roman Empire in 97 AD.⁠2 More typically, child sacrifice, much like abortion today, involves female babies because thinly veiled beneath the religious ceremony, worship of Baal or Asherah (Jer 19:4-6), was an economic incentive, like poverty, crop failure, and starvation. In the case of Isaac, this sacrifice is proposed as a loyalty test for Abraham.

Note that the text describes Isaac as a boy or young man, even though the story of Hagar almost immediately precedes this one, which is reinforced by comment that Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice (Gen 22:5-6). Some commentators make the point that Abraham, as an old man, could not chase down a teenage boy and bind him, if he were to resist. This suggests that Isaac was a willing participant in the sacrifice.

Having bound Isaac and laid him on the altar, we read:

“Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. He said, Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” (Gen 22:10-12)

Abraham passed the loyalty test and God reiterates his promise to Abraham that he would become the father of many nations (Gen 22:15-17).

Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah is an allegory to Jesus’ death on the cross. Because Abraham did not withhold his son, neither did God⁠3 (Heb 11:17-19; Jam 2:21)

Footnotes

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamzam_....

2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_s....

3 The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is believed by some to be the site of Mount Moriah. Muslims believe that Ishmael, not Isaac, was the intended sacrifice.

The Story of Isaac

Also see:

The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com


Newsletter at:  https://bit.ly/Lent_Mar_2024 ,  Signup

 

The post The Story of Isaac appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Mark 14: Maundy Thursday

Foot washing

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread (הַמַּצּ֛וֹת), at the Feast of Weeks (הַשָּׁבֻע֖וֹת), and at the Feast of Booths (הַסֻּכּ֑וֹת; Deuteronomy 16:16 ESV).

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Holy Week as we know it is often celebrated at the same time as the Jewish Feast of Unleavened Bread (Festival of Matzos) often called Passover.  Dates differ because of differences in the calendar rules.  In Jesus’ time, Passover was one of three festivals that required the faithful to travel to Jerusalem.  The other festival familiar to Christians is the Feast of Weeks commonly known as Pentecost.  The Feast of Booths is a harvest festival in the fall.

Passover Backstory

Passover commemorates the release of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt.  God instructed Moses to tell the Israelite to sacrifice a lamb and place the blood of the lamb over their door-posts so that the angel of death would pass them by.  On the night of the Passover, the angel of death struck down the first born of Egypt and passed over the Israelite households.  Pharaoh reacted immediately by expelling the Israelite slaves.  They left so quickly that there was not time to bake bread for the journey.  Instead, they prepared bread without letting the dough rise—unleavened bread (Exodus 12).  Mark 14:12-26 describes how Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Passover meal in Jerusalem now remembered as the Last Super.

Covered by the Blood

The Last Super is important to Christians because it introduces the new covenant in Christ.  The word, covenant, found in v. 24 appears nowhere else in Mark’s Gospel and alludes to the covenant meal that Moses and the Elders of Israel shared with God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:9-11).  The grim symbolism of the wine as the blood of Christ is an allusion to the blood of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:7) which alerted the angel of death to pass over households displaying the blood.  In this sense, as Christians we are (like the door posts) covered by the blood of Christ.  By Jesus’ blood our sins are forgiven and we are passed over (Hebrews 9:11-28).

Where Does Maundy Thursday Come From?

Where does the name, Maundy Thursday, come from?  One theory is that it is Middle English for the Latin word, Mandatum, which means command.  According to some traditions, Maundy Thursday focuses on Jesus’ lesson on servant leadership:  “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14 ESV).

Mark 14: Maundy Thursday
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:

Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com



Newsletter at:  https://bit.ly/Lent_Mar_2024 ,  Signup

The post Mark 14: Maundy Thursday appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Bell Offers Worthy Writing Tips

James Scott Bell. 2023. Power Up Your Fiction: 125 Tips and Techniques for Next-Level Writing. Woodland Hills: Compendium Press.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

James Scott Bell is well-known among authors for his writing books. I have reviewed at least eight of these books. When I saw this book advertised, I was keen to order a copy.

In this book, Power Up Your Fiction, James Scott Bell offers an ad-hoc collection—125 to be exact— of notes from his early writing days (ix). The idea is to model this book after the process that he went through when he was still young in learning to write commercial fiction.

Background and Organization

James Scott Bell graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara and studied law at University of Southern California Law Center. He taught writing at Pepperdine University and other places. He has written numerous thrillers and writing books.

In Power Up Your Fiction, Bell organizes his tips and techniques topically:

Plot and Structure
Characters
Scenes
From Scene to Scene
Dialogue
Voice and Style
Revision
The Writer’s Mindset
Wild Mind and Solid Stories
JSB at the Movies
The Synopsis (v-vii)

These topics are preceded by an introduction and followed by notes, a book giveaway, and a list of thrillers.

The Power of Nag

As I write this review, I am editing my third novella. The implication is that Bell’s book is timed well for my circumstances. As I would read about a tip, my mind would immediately gravitate to a scene in my novella where Bell’s advice could prove helpful.

My editor and I had more than several conversations, for example, about my use of EM dashes. She was old school and wanted them out; I pretend to be novo sophisticated and wanted them in. Bell’s explanation suggested that I misused the EM dashes (127-128) and should probably take most of them out—although probably not for the reason cited by my editor.

Another place where I stopped and returned to my edits came when Bell talked briefly about using double adjectives—one generic and the other spicey. He writes: “The generic adjective describes the character’s reaction or assessment. The second creates vividness for the reader.” (140) This discussion of adjectives immediately followed a conversation about the emotional dynamite hidden in eyes (137-139), which combined to motivate a search of my novella for my prior descriptions of eyes.

This brief parade of examples suggests how Bell’s tips and techniques can provide new insights in an old manuscript.

Assessment

James Scott Bell’s Power Up Your Fiction is a writing book worthy of attention. If you are in the midst of editing a manuscript so much the better.

References

Bell, James Scott.  2020. Writing Unforgettable Characters: How to Create Story People Who Jump Off the Page.  Woodland Hills: Compendium Press. (review)

Bell, James Scott. 2019. The Last Fifty Pages: The Art and Craft of Unforgettable Endings. Woodland Hills, CA: Compendium Press. (review).

Bell, James Scott. 2015. Super Structure: The Key to Unleashing the Power of Story. Woodland Hills: Compendium Press (review)

Bell, James Scott. 2014. Write Your Novel from the Middle. Woodland Hills, CA: Compendium Press (review).

Bell, James Scott. 2014. How to Write Dazzling Dialogue: The Fastest Way to Improve Any Manuscript. Woodland Hills, CA: Compendium Press. (review)

Bell, James Scott. 2009. The Art of War for Writers: Fiction Writing Strategies, Tactics, and Exercises. Cinninnati: Writers Digest Books (review).

Bell, James Scott. 2008. Revision & Self-Editing: Techniques for Transforming Your First Draft into a Finished Novel. Cincinnati: Writer’s Digest Books. (review).

Bell, James Scott.  2004.  Plot and Structure:  Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot that Grips Readers from Start to Finish.  Cincinnati:  Writer’s Digest Books. (review)

Bell Offers Worthy Writing Tips
Also see:
Hilt Explains Tropes 
Books, Films, and Ministry
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com


Newsletter at:  https://bit.ly/Lent_Mar_2024 ,  Signup

 

 

The post Bell Offers Worthy Writing Tips appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Covenant: Monday Monologues (podcast), March 25, 2024

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Covenantal Prophecy. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on this link.

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Covenant: Monday Monologues (podcast), March 25, 2024
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com





Newsletter at:  https://bit.ly/Lent_Mar_2024 ,  Signup

 

The post Covenant: Monday Monologues (podcast), March 25, 2024 appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Mark 11:1-11—Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday Donkey

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

I beg you Lord, deliver us!  I beseech you Lord, prosper us! (Psalm 118:25 SWH)[1]

Hosanna (הוֹשִׁ֨יעָ֥ה נָּ֑א):  What is in a word?

Mark’s Palm Sunday

Mark’s account of Palm Sunday is amazingly simple:  The disciples hunt around for a donkey;  they have a small parade; some people start shouting;  they scope out the temple and go home.  No palms!  No Pharisees hanging around.  No prophecy.

Parade

Still, this is no ordinary parade.  France notes that nowhere else in the gospels do we read of Jesus riding .  The parade fulfills the prophecy:  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9 ESV).

Hosanna

The whole story builds up to v. 9 and the shouting:  Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord (Mark 11:9).  Hosanna is a transliteration of a Hebrew phrase appearing only in Psalm 118:25 cited above.  The rest of the phrase is cited from the next verse (Psalm 118:26).  Beale and Carson  describe Psalm 118 as a “royal song of thanksgiving for military victory” regularly sung at Passover.  The truncation of Psalm 118:25 to exclude the second half of the sentence (I beseech you Lord, prosper us), underscores the military intentions of the Palm Sunday crowd.  The next verse makes this point very plain:  “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David”(Mark 11:10).

Who is really being blessed here?

The Greek in v. 9 admits a second translation:  “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa once described herself as Christ’s donkey.  When we come humbly in the name of the Lord, in some sense we too become Christ’s donkey.  And we too are blessed.

Footnotes

[1] אָנָּ֣א יְ֭הוָה הוֹשִׁ֨יעָ֥ה נָּ֑א אָֽנָּ֥א יְ֜הוָ֗ה הַצְלִ֨יחָ֥ה נָּֽא (Psalm 118:25 WTT).

 R.T. France.  The New International Greek Testament Commentary:  The Gospel of Mark.  Grand Rapids:  Eerdmans.  P. 428.

 G.K. Beale and D.A. Carson [Editors].  2007.  Commentary on the NT Use of the OT.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Academic.   Pp. 206-207.

Mark 11:1-11—Palm SundayAlso see:A Roadmap of Simple FaithChristian Spirituality Looking Back A Place for Authoritative Prayer Other ways to engage online:Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net, Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com. Newsletter:  http://bit.ly/HailMary21

 

The post Mark 11:1-11—Palm Sunday appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Covenantal Prayer

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty Father,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours, because you commit yourself and bind us to yourself in covenants and promises.

Be patient with our wandering hearts. Forgive our wayward ways. Teach us to love one another and love you more fully.

Thank you for the scriptures that remind us of your relationship with our ancestors, parents, and loved ones.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, draw us to yourself. Open our hearts; illumine our minds; strengthen our hands in your service.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Covenantal Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com


Newsletter at:  https://bit.ly/Lent_Mar_2024 ,  Signup

 

The post Covenantal Prayer appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

New Covenant

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, 

declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. 

And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

(Jer 31:33)

A key prophecy of the Messiah found in the first Servant Song:

“I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” (Isa 42:6-7)

Note the phrase: “I will give you as a covenant for the people.” (Isa 42:6). The Hebrew word here is: בְרִית (berit) that means: “1. alliance of friendship 2. covenant, as a divine constitution or ordinance with signs or pledges” (BDB 1447). The Greek translation is: διαθήκη (diatheke) that means: 

“Generation of a formal arrangement or agreement for disposing of something in a manner assuring continuity, covenant – a. with focus on testamentary aspect last will and testament b. with focus on OT perspective of God’s unilaterally assumed obligation to confer a special blessing.” (BDAG 1540)

What stands out in the Isaiah passage is that this new covenant is not a written document, like the covenant given to Moses (e.g. Exod 20), but a person. In the Jeremiah passage cited above, this new covenant is not written on stone or on parchment, but on human hearts. This new covenant accordingly differs qualitatively from previous covenants, like the covenants with Abraham or with Moses.

Promises and Covenants

Robert Jenson (1973, 2) writes: “A promise poses a future in a very particular way: as a gift.” Creation is clearly a gift for Adam and Eve, And, by inference, for us. Jenson (1973, 8) interprets the Gospel as promise and views it as the grammatical anthesis of law.

“Because I will do such and such, you may await such and such. The pattern is ‘Because…, therefore…,’ the reverse of ‘If…, then…’ Here the future is opened independent of any prior condition…it grants a future free from the past.”

This contrast between a promise, which is unconditional, and a covenant, which has conditions, highlights the difference between law and Gospel, although promises and covenants are also related because we can make promises, especially with God, that may not be consummated with words.

My call to ministry started at the foot of a hospital bed. My son was born with only one kidney and that kidney became blocked when he was only ten weeks old. Desperate, I found myself negotiating with God for my son’s life: Don’t take him; take me. My son had a series of successful surgeries. Later, he went through dialysis and a transplant. About ten years later, I realized that God does not want to take lives, but for us to dedicate ourselves in life to his ministry. This is when I began to seek a seminary and enter the ministry. Would you describe my relationship with God as a promise or a covenant?

The Abrahamic Covenant

God relationship with Abraham began with a promise and instructions:

“Now the LORD said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen. 12:1-3)

You might describe these instructions as a loyalty test that is also extended to us because Abraham is a representative person of faith. Learning to depend on God is also formative so I have often described this as a coming of age story, even though Abraham was seven-five years old (Gen 12:4).

To confirm this promise, Abraham and God himself engage in a cutting ceremony where a heifer, a ram, a dove, and a pigeon are cut in half. God then appears in a dream to walk between these cut carcasses in the form of “a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch”(Gen 15:9-17). The symbolism is striking and parallels the cutting ceremony between a suzerain (lord of lords) and his vassals. The idea here is that the covenant between the overlord and his vassals is sealed in blood where the vassal promises to keep the covenant or end up like the slandered animals. This is why a blood sacrifice is required to atone (or expiate) for sin—sin is an act of rebellion and breaks the covenant, triggering the stipulation.

God later uses explicit covenantal language to refer to this same promise with Abraham: “This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.” (Gen 17:10) Abram is renamed Abraham in this account (Gen 17:5) .Note the cutting involved in circumcision. The form of the covenants found in Genesis follow “Second Millennium BC Hittite suzerain-vassal treaties” (Niehaus 2014, 37), which is important in understanding the context and dating of the text.

The Covenant with Moses

As Christians, we are normally more familiar with the Mosaic covenant, because the Ten Commandments are highly visible and we are more familiar with written law than with covenants. The Abrahamic covenant, while long on ceremony, is short on stipulations, unlike the Mosaic covenant that not only includes the Ten Commandments, but also lengthy case law mostly enumerated in the Book of Leviticus. The Abrahamic covenant is accordingly much more relational than the Mosaic covenant that focuses on written stipulations. Herein lies the problem—one could presumably keep the Mosaic law without having much of a relationship with God.

Returning to Relationship

Jesus’ interpretation of the Mosaic law suggests this tension between relationship and law-keeping is the core problem being addressed in the new covenant that was to be written on our hearts. Absent the relationship with God, the Mosaic covenant could be interpreted as a humanist diversion, not unlike limiting Christianity to an exclusive focus on social ministry.

Consider Jesus’ diatribe in the Sermon on the Mount repeated kicked off with the phrase: “You have heard that it was said” (Matt 5:21, 27, 33, 38, and 43). This phrase begins an interpretation of the commandments on murder, adultery, and false witness. Also on interpretation of revenge and love of neighbor. In each case, the Pharisees have narrowly defined the stipulations so that they could be obeyed, while Jesus widened the stipulations to talk about the attitudes leading to disobedience.

In the case of murder, we read:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, You fool! will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matt  5:21-22)

By widening the interpretation to include the incentive to disobey the prohibition of murder, Jesus makes law-keeping impossible without God’s intervention. In other words, the relationship with God is necessary to keep the law, accordingly to Jesus.

As Christians we recognize this as the role of the Holy Spirit. The law is not so much abrogated, but rather fulfilled in developing our relationship with God through the Holy Spirit that allows us both to grow closer to God and to keep the commandments.

New Covenant

Also see:

The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com


Newsletter at:  https://bit.ly/Lent_Mar_2024 ,  Signup

 

 

The post New Covenant appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

King Stresses Characters

Stephen King. 2010. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. New York: Scribner.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

My primary writing project during 2017 was to write a memoir. Being new to the genre, I started by publishing my father’s memoir, enrolled in an online writing course, read numerous writing books, and reviewed a few good memoirs. Stephen King’s book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, touches on each of these activities.

The breadth of this memoir comes as a surprise—what is a memoir of a craft anyway? King divides his memoir into several parts, including:

C.V. (17-101).
What Writing Is (103-137).
On Writing (141-249).
On Living: A Postscript (253-270).
And Furthermore, Part I: Door Shut, Door Open (271-284).
And Furthermore, Part II: A Booklike (285-288).
Further to Furthermore, Part III (289-291).

 His chapters are preceded by three forewords and, in spite of its length, this memoir reads quickly—but not too quickly. Still, the breadth of this work comes from the way that King weaves his life and his craft together—a visitor to the King house might be advised to forbear exploring the closets! What the heck; let’s explore.

The Carrie Experience

King is an author and a household name. He has written numerous (35+) books, many of which have also appeared in film. As an example, his breakout work, Carrie, sold first as a paperback novel (1973) and was released three years later as a horror film.

Interestingly, Tabitha, King’s wife, rescued an early manuscript of Carrie from the trash, as King recalls:

“I had four problems with what I’d written. First, … the story didn’t move me emotionally. Second, … I didn’t much like the lead character. Carrie White seemed thick and passive, a ready-made victim. … Third, … [I] was not feeling at home with either the surroundings or my all-girl cast of supporting characters. … Fourth, … the story wouldn’t pay unless it was pretty long. … I couldn’t see wasting two weeks, maybe even a month, creating a novella I didn’t like and wouldn’t be able to sell. So I threw it away.” (76-77)

But, confronted with his Ideal Reader (Tabitha) telling him that this manuscript had promise, King went back and gave Carrie his best shot.

An Ideal Reader

This notion of an Ideal Reader is interesting. King writes for his wife, Tabitha, who happens also to be an author, which seems most fortunate because she can articulate her opinions to King in actionable language. King explains:

“Call that one person you write for Ideal Reader. He or she is going to be in your writing room all the time: in the flesh once you open the door and let the world back in to shine on the bubble of your dream, in spirit during the sometimes troubling and often exhilarating days of the first draft, when the door is closed.” (219)

King sees the Ideal Reader as particularly helpful in judging story pace—“the speed at which your narrative unfolds”—and the details to include in your backstory—“all the stuff that happened before your tale began but which has an impact on the front story” (220-223).

Run-in with a Van

Part of the back story in King’s memoir evolves into front story in his postscript where he describes in detail his experience of being run over by a Dodge van in June of 1999, while walking down a country road in rural Maine (253-255). This story of his near-death experience might have been just an interesting aside, except for the fact that King had motivational problems in finishing this memoir back in that summer (265). I suspect that his life story suddenly became a slightly higher priority, having been thrown 14 feet in the air (259) and improbably lived through the experience.

The Plot Thing

Before I wrap up this review, let me make one more observation. King has an interesting view of plot. He describes plot as too big a hammer (a jackhammer) for normal use by fiction author and he prefers to motivate his characters through stressful situations (164). If you believe that we act out of our identities, then no two characters will respond the same way to a given tricky situation. How a story evolves out of a situation is therefore interesting and potentially surprising because people discover the character in themselves as they are challenged by life’s situations—we are ultimately strangers to ourselves; that is, until we are not. The thrill in the thriller is therefore hard to duplicate with a plot-line where the author already knows where the story will go and how it will get there—it is better to scrape the plot and discover the character the same way that a reader might. Therefore, King looks for strong situations and explores interesting what-if scenarios to challenge his characters and writes intuitively about how they respond (169).

Assessment

Stephen King’s memoir, On Writing, is an interesting and helpful book for wannabe and experienced authors both, because he explores both writing and the writing life. Film buffs might also read this book to garner the backstory on his films, many of which are now cult classics. Personally, I read this book mostly because I like to read and love to write—perhaps, you do too.

Footnotes

http://StephenKing.com.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_....

 My wife teaches mathematics and chemistry, seldom reading anything outside her field so my Ideal Reader is probably my mom who has trouble explaining her likes and dislikes.

If it had been me, the improbability might have instigated a new interest in inspirational fiction, rather than memoir, in part, because it is more of a baby step away from other fiction and towards an explanation for why God was not through with me yet.

King Stresses Characters
Also see:
Hilt Explains Tropes 
Books, Films, and Ministry
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com


Newsletter at:  https://bit.ly/Lent_Mar_2024 ,  Signup

 

 

 

The post King Stresses Characters appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Messiah: Monday Monologues (podcast), March 18, 2024

 By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Messiah Described. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on this link.

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Messiah: Monday Monologues (podcast), March 18, 2024
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com




Newsletter at:  https://bit.ly/Carver_Feb24 , Signup
 

The post Messiah: Monday Monologues (podcast), March 18, 2024 appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Missional Prayer

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Most Merciful Father,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours because you redeemed our lives from the pit, atoned for our sin through your death on the cross, and anointed our heads with the oil of salvation (2 Cor 1:21). Be ever near.

Forgive our denial of your divinity, denial of our sinful nature, and denial of your love through a lifetime of wanton mindlessness. Be ever near.

Thank you for not forgetting, but for making yourself available to us through the ministry of your son and the gift of your Holy Spirit. Be ever near

In the power of your Holy Spirit, heal our sin sick ways and draw us closer to you with each passing day. Open our hearts, illumine our minds, strengthen our hands in your service.

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Missional Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com

Newsletter at:  https://bit.ly/Carver_Feb24 , Signup

 

The post Missional Prayer appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.