I had a really hard time coming up with an idea for my Lawless story.
Usually when I sit down to write, ideas flow freely and my only problem is deciding which ideas to choose from. But this time, I had no ideas whatsoever.
Even after hours of thinking and trying to come up with a plan, all I had was a vague setting, a half-formed main character, and two plot concepts that really didn’t work.
So, with less than a week before the deadline, and no other options, I did what I should have done in the beginning: I asked God what he thought I should write about.
I didn’t expect an immediate answer, or even a detailed one, so I wasn’t at all surprised when the only thing I got after praying was an idea for the name for my main character: Eliana.
I liked the name, and I was curious about what it meant, so I looked it up and realized that God has an amazing sense of humor.
It turns out that the name Eliana means “God has answered.”
I mean, it can’t get any more obvious than that, right?
And God has definitely answered me in the past.
He’s dealt with all the questions, problems, fears, and insecurities I’ve thrown at his feet in the past because I didn’t know what else to do with them.
His voice and guidance are what ultimately inspired the theme of my Lawless story, “The Voice
Within.”
While writing, I noticed that a surprising amount of my own fears and insecurities ended up in
this post-apocalyptic/dystopian sci-fi western story.
Similarly to my main character, Eliana, I still struggle sometimes to understand whether I’m hearing God’s voice or my own. And hearing from God feels like it’s as much a responsibility as it is a blessing.
I’m afraid to act on what I think I’ve heard, or tell people that “God told me” anything if I’m not absolutely sure that it’s true, because I don’t want to hurt or deceive anyone—including myself.
However, I can say with certainty that “The Voice Within” is a God-inspired story.
After naming my main character, the story finally began to take shape. I still didn’t have the entire plot figured out before I started writing, but as soon as I reached the parts of the story that I wasn’t sure about, more ideas filled my head.
Writing “The Voice Within” reminded me that hearing from God is great, but it’s the faith to act on what I’ve heard—even if I’m scared or uncertain—that truly matters in the end.
Thirzah is a contributing author to Lawless, but this week you can also grab her novella, The Librarian’s Ruse for free from Amazon. Check out the deal here and don’t miss it, it goes back to full price on February 15th!
Get your own copy of Lawless and see what all the buzz is about on Amazon. Lawless is available in paperback and e-book, and available for free to members of Kindle Unlimited.
Released January 18, 2024, Lawless quickly became a #1 bestselling book on Amazon. Join the community of readers ready for a new era of Christian fiction. Grab your copy today, read it, and leave an honest review.
Produced by The Company, Lawless features 14 short stories inspired by the biblical book of Judges, each written by an emerging Christian author.
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