A note from the teacher: Why i write fiction

When you are little, they teach you that “fiction equals fake” and that “nonfiction equals true,” but I dislike that distinction. While I understand that alliteration can help a child to remember the difference between fiction and nonfiction, calling fiction fake places a negative connotation on fiction.

Life is often messy, but when diving into a good adventure story or another world, I often find truths in the pages that resonate with me and shed light on life. Would it not be better to say that Fiction conveys truth through the imagination, while nonfiction conveys truth through fact? They say truth is stranger than fiction, but I believe insights into life’s truths are often best conveyed through fiction.

Most of all, I believe a good story has the power to take each of us on an adventure that not only offers us an escape into another world but also a chance to grow in our knowledge of self, this world, and all that God is doing in history.

I fell in love with literature through the great storytellers George MacDonald, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien, and now as a high school and college writing and literature teacher, I have made a career based on the belief in the value of good writing and storytelling.

In reading my words, I hope you find not only a lovely escape into a beautiful world but also a little—or a lot of—light within the pages, too.