Word Count and Novel Length

 

Lately, I've been reading a lot about how long a novel should be. For example, The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte are both around a hundred thousand words each. Longer than these is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen which is over a hundred twenty thousand words. Then, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott sets at about a hundred fifty thousand works. 

How long should a novel be? Obviously many writers and readers differ in answer to this question. While George R. R. Martin has written massive books, most writers today do not write novels past a hundred thousand words (ninety thousand seems to be average). 

Over the years, I've come to believe more and more that one of the hallmarks of a good writer is not someone who simply writes well, but who knows when to cut out unneeded material from the story. For this reason, I am not impressed with Rowling's writing concerning Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Sitting at about two hundred fifty thousand words on a bookshelf, I think that Rowling stretched her story into unnecessary subplots and details about the adolescents and their crushes throughout her Harry Potter series. 

To me, the majority of books should be shorter than they are. I think that some people think of their work as more impressive if it compares in length to War and Peace, but most writers are not Leo Tolstoy. Besides, not every story (in my view) should go on to be such a massive book. 

When it comes to the length of a novel, I think Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights is in many ways the perfect size that most stories should be. The author did not overload her reader with unnecessary details about the story. Rather, readers stay engaged with this text as they anticipate where the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff is going. No wonder, Wuthering Heights is ranked among the greatest works of English literature. 

In conclusion, I don't support short or average-sized novels for the purpose of them being short. Indeed, I think that Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is worthy of its length. However, most works of literature can be greatly condensed into a better and funnier read. 

Christianity in Literature

 

It is a mistake (largely out of ignorance) on the part of many evangelicals to think that the literature of the past is not inherently Christian. While there is no time in this short article to prove otherwise, Christianity is almost never alien to Medieval literature, common in those works of the English Reformation, and often referenced in the works of the Romantic and Victorian eras. Christianity is of significant purpose to the works of Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and the Brontes. 

C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien are among the most famous recent novelists to have had strong Christian themes in their fantasy stories. This was especially the case for Lewis. Indeed, Aslan is a type of Christ in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. 

In the twenty-first century, many have attempted to see Christian themes in other works of literature where Christianity is not so obvious. This has been the case for the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. In my view, however, these books cannot be classified as Christian literature for, despite Rowling's Anglican background, her references to Christianity are often mixed with references to practices known for the association with Satanism, witchcraft, and the occult. 

To me, Christian literature does not simply have a literary reference to something good (such as Ron and Harry's friendship in the Philosopher's Stone). Rather, the story must portray Christianity as orthodox without intermingling or mixing another faith with the aspects of Christianity that it is supposedly referring to. For example, some see Harry's resurrection in the Deathly Hallows as symbolic of Christ's own resurrection. However, I do not believe Harry's Ressurection resembles that of Christ when the morals of what is right and wrong are so ambiguous throughout the Harry Potter books (unlike that of Biblical Christianity).   

To say that any book in the present world is Christian because the book may give good portrayals of friendship or good virtues is quite a stretch. I think that many who believe this is trying to force an inspiration on the literary works that they hold dear. 

Thoughts from an English Major

 Why major in English? All sorts of people major in English literature. Journalists, editors, playwriters poets, and novelists do. So do many actors and theologians. 

The English major is a great place to start preparing for one's future career. By knowing grammar, composition, academic writing, and creative writing, a person sets themself up for most careers. Whether or not people like grammar or writing, these are skills that most people will have to use in their careers. Likewise, many theologians benefit from majoring in English as it helps them learn about how to properly analyze and interpret literature. 

By studying English literature at the undergraduate level, a student exposes themself to the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, John Milton, Jane Austen, Percy Shelley, the Brontes, Charles Dickens, and more famous writers from the past. It allows them to often understand how to read literature as academics do: to look for literary themes, notice implications within the text, and understand rhyme schemes. 

Of course, more English Departments are currently moving away from the classics that they studied for generations. In Britain, the Bible is perceived as racist, and in many colleges, Shakespeare's works have been removed as necessary readings from the classrooms. Finally, many colleges are going away from even calling English Departments ''English'' as that implies they to are to focused on white British people. 

For conservatives who want to study English literature, there are other ways that they can learn about it without going to a Marxist university. One of the ways is to read literature for oneself. Second, learn and study literature from Christian scholars who majored in English. This would include people like C.S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. 

I'm thankful that I've had the opportunity to study British literature from a Christian university. However, in an increasingly anti-Christian America, its wise that young people and their parents think about their education without throwing away their money to godless institutions which are out to corrupt God's elect from the purity of the Holy Scriptures. 

Notes on Creative Writing For New Writers

 As I've continued other projects outside of Kings And Crusaders, I've realized that it's often a good idea to write several stories at once. It's certainly less boring and allows the writer to experiment with several plotlines without limiting themself to just one. Some stories are much different than others, but all of them allow the writer to freely express his/herself about different ideas and concepts. For example, if I'm writing a novel about war and a novel about romance simultaneously, the two allow me to explore different aspects of humanity as well as be free of my own thoughts on those different subjects.

Understanding the themes of one's work is pivotal to getting the story right. In many ways, the theme is as important, or perhaps more so, than the plot itself. 

No work of literature is relevant unless it touches on the issues that readers care about. Whether it's the turmoil of war, the longing for friendship, or the remorse that one feels over a broken heart, all stories must stay within the perimeter of what concerns the reader's emotions. When the writer is out of touch with the feelings of the reader, the author of the work should be reminded about what aspects of literature are of interest to readers. In general, the fear of betrayal and or the hope for a better life are themes that are relatable to everyone. 

Language has much to do with enticing the reader. What is it about the characters' dialogues that draws readers into the story? Is the language of the book archaic or modern? Does the writer understand the words that he is using? 

Why is this book being written? What is its purpose? What does the writer hope to gain by finishing this literary work? Is she writing this book for fame? Is he writing it to prove himself? Does she hope to start a career out of writing it? 

It's a good idea to ask oneself these questions at the beginning of a new literary project. As long as there is a significant purpose involved, the writer will likely feel more inspired to tell his/her story. 

A Hopeless World?

 

A hopeless world? 

We seem to think that. More Americans are falling into negativity continually, and they have been doing so for a long time. Stress is now part of the American tradition. Politics, religion, and even entertainment have all become hot and divisive topics. 

One aspect that some (especially on the right) have gotten wrong about hopelessness (as I have) is the belief that America is the world's hope. While I believe that America has done much good throughout history, the only lasting hope of mankind comes from Christianity, not necessarily from a country. It's easy to be sucked into the thought that America or the Republican Party will save America from its ugliness. We, as conservatives, expect (in some ways) too much of political candidates in that we expect them to be a savior. While they may help protect the unborn, defend marriage, and secure our borders, not even the best of men can save other men's souls. Salvation from sin is something that God does for us; the Father has begotten the Son, Jesus took the penalty that we deserve, and the Holy Spirit renews us to be like Christ. Faith in any political institution or country is going to be disappointing if that faith expects it to do what only God can.  

True hope comes from Christianity. Everything else is not guaranteed to last. Many of the Romans did not expect their empire to fall but it did. The same was true for the British. The same will be true someday for America. True liberty is not found with the stars and stripes but in submission to Jesus Christ. We often think freedom is doing what we want, but freedom is actually choosing what is best for us (the will of God). 

Our world is hopeless if our faith is in something else more than Christ. Not even a great king nor a brilliant artist can turn around the hearts of men. Regeneration is only achieved by the power of God.

How do we find hope? We find it in Christ. Indeed, we find it specifically in the Resurrection of Christ. Just as he defeated death, so we also do in Him. 1 Peter 1:3 says, ''Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (NIV)...''

Interestingly, Hebrews 1:11 informs us that we do not always see what God is doing in our lives or that of others: ''Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (RSV).''