Onesimus - Transformed

This is an incredible book; fun, informative, enlightening.

This is

Creative Biblical Writing.

How "creative" can nonfiction be?

It is time for the Oscars and this year apparently three nonfiction movies are being examined in regard to their truthfulness toward the events they portray. This has created discussion in many arenas. One incidence is the film "Lincoln." Apparently the film has representatives of the state of Connecticut opposing a motion to free slaves and apparently this is completely untrue to the facts.

I came across this book in the local library a day or two before the Oscar discussions popped up. The title intrigued me so I pulled it off the shelf and gave it quick read-through. It is based on a real situation where the first author wrote an essay for a magazine that was quality writing but the author fudged on a number of the "facts." The second author was called in with his fine-toothed-comb to see if it could be salvaged enough to be published.

The book is interesting, funny and enlightening. There is almost no introduction, no conclusion. The pages are laid out with portions of the essay centered in the middle, and the questions and comments of the fact checker along with interactive correspondence with the author and the fact checkers boss. It is quite an accomplishment to make such material, with such a layout, an attention keeper.

I have wondered with the Josiah book and the Onesimus book if readers might feel uncomfortable about seeing sacred texts turned into lively stories (the liveliness especially true with Onesumus). I hope readers feel free to pass on any critiques of the material.

If we have presented anything contrary to the original documents we would certainly like to know. It seems, though, that the creative presentations have oiled many readers' rusty minds and inspired them to further study. This is the goal and reward of such writing.

Wily

The Bible has some wily characters, but the chief of the bunch might just be our old friend Jeremiah.

 

He is tenacious, witty, and quick with a comeback. He was frustrated with a weak and waffling disobedient king, who simply would not heed the clearest warnings that he needed to surrender to the enemy in order to save the temple, the city, and the nation. So to get his point across, he came up with this line to stress the inevitability of defeat.

"Even if you were to destroy the entire Babylonian army, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors, they would still stagger from their tents and burn this city to the ground!" Jer. 37:10 NLT

There are tons more of these.

Josiah - Chain Breaker

The first eBook by Christian Books Melanesia is now available through Kindle, iTunes, Nook and Kobo (and some others). Yippee! The title: Josiah - Chain Breaker. Price: $1.99.



Kindle:

iTunes:

Nook:

Kobo:

De-isolate The Events and People

How many Bible readers know where and how the Prophetic books (Isaiah - Malachi) intersect with the historical books(1 Kings - Esther) and with the other prophetic books. This is a gold mine of study and facinating.

Author Training Industry

There are a lot of people and organizations that make a living off of peoples' dreams to become a published author. There is nothing wrong with the dream, and there is nothing wrong with wanting to help people fulfill their dreams. But promises are made, by individuals and organizations, that they may not be able to deliver on. So the aspiring writer needs to use discernment when spending money on developing their trade.

One very good resource is this book:  Planning out a book from front to back is not everyone's way of writing, but it is good to see how it can (and reasons why is should) be done.

I Found It

I am a firm believer in the value of historical fiction. It is an effortless way for the reader to learn some valuable history and its attendant lessons. This learning is effortless because the story is captivating in itself and perhaps worth reading even without the true parts. But the historical settings and events and people make it that much more worthwhile.

I gained a lifelong interest in the modern nation of Israel (and even made a trip there) by reading The Zion Chronicles by Bodie Thoene. My best friend learned her US History by reading The House of Winslow series by Gilbert Morris. And now I have found some good historical fiction based on Biblical history (I have been disappointed by many other attempts). I was able to download to my Nook a free eBook by Lynn Austin, the first of a five book series called Chronicles of the Kings.

 

Mrs Austin weaves a captivating storyline while informing us about a whole lot of historical, Biblical truth. She did her homework and got things right. Learn about King Ahaz. Learn about King Hezekiah. Learn about Prophet Isaiah. Learn about Prophet Micah. Learn about ancient Judah and Jerusalem. Learn about the Arameans and Assyrians, about water and sieges and vassals and treaties. More than that, learn about the way God dealt with his wayward people. What he expected and how he responded to the choices of his people. Learn about sin, repentance, forgiveness and restoration. Learn all these things without even trying to. That is what good historical fiction can do. Thank you, Lynn Austin, for giving a good example of what I am looking for.

Reggie H.