The Rock that is Higher:
Story as Truth by
Madeleine L’Engle is another nice reprint from Shaw Books in their “A Writers’
Palette Book” series. This is the third book on my bookshelf from the series
and every one is a valuable addition to my library.
This latest volume of
Madeleine’s work was originally published in 1993 and has been out-of-print
until now. It is another treasure trove of writing advice and insights from a
contemporary Christian master of the writing craft.
Chapter Titles
This book was born out of an
automobile accident Madeleine experienced and serves as a background for her
insights about writing stories and life. These are the chapter titles:
Madeleine
wrote this book following an automobile accident that left her recuperating for
over a year. This is a book written out of pain and suffering and how she dealt
with it with God at her side. The entire volume is punctuated with Madeleine’s
thoughts about God, writing, and life. It is not a depressing poor-little-old-me
book, however, rather it is an encouraging testimony of God’s graces and gifts
from a Christian writer’s point of view.
The
Heart of the Book
The
heart of this book for any writer is Chapter Four, Story as Search for Truth.
In this chapter, Madeleine discusses the perfect plot using a simple outline
with four points: Complication, Resolution, Discovery, and Perpiety. Also, in
this chapter she gives the three narrative viewpoints. The material covered in
this chapter is well worth reading over and over again and worth the price of
the book.
A
Few Quotes
Of
course, true to Madeleine’s style, the other chapters contain precious gems of
writing wisdom. Here are a few valuable quotes from the book: Joy is often
at its deepest when it comes in time of trial and pain.
Truth
is deeper and wider and much more demanding than many people would like, but
Jesus promised that it would set us free.
…Jesus
did not carry his own cross all the way. He stumbled and fell under the burden
of the cross, and Simon of
The
power of love that called forth the universe, calls on us to create, too ---
not out of nothing, for only God can do that --- but with what the Creator has
given us.
When
we write a story, we must write to the absolute best of our ability. That is
the job, first and foremost. If we are truly Christian, that will be evident,
no matter what the topic.
Conclusion
My
usual disclaimer needs to be reiterated; I’m a Madeleine fan. With that out of
the way, I can honestly say, although I may not consider this as Madeleine’s
best work as far as writing advice, this is her finest work in showing what story
is all about from a Christian worldview. I highly recommend this reprint
edition as a worthy addition to any Christian writer’s library. My advice? Buy
it quickly because it may be out of print again before you know it.
Copyright
2002 Glenn White