WHY I CHOSE TO WRITE CHRISTIAN FICTION

When I started my first novel, Dreams Of Tamar, it was initially a secular novel. A quarter into the story I got stuck. I had an idea where my characters were going but I didn't know how they would get there.

Then I stumbled across two articles by TD Jakes pertaining to Tamar, David's daughter. I received so much revelation and insight from those two articles, I knew I would change the focus of my story. I prayed about it and I said Lord I know you have a story for me to tell. I will wait for you to give it to me and then I will finish. That was in 2004.

One evening in December of 2014 I was sitting alone in my large empty house. My children had all moved out. AJ was in Tuscaloosa working at an automotive plant in Tuscaloosa and Tim was in Texas working for a professional sports organization. Daniel, Benjamin and Brian had all moved into an apartment together near the local university where Benjamin was enrolled. And there I was, alone with my dog Jack, waiting for my divorce to finalize in January of 2015. 

As I reflected over the state of my life I was reminded of the characters in my still unfinished book, Dreams. I prayed to God and asked "Is it time?" I believed that it was. I dug my manuscript from the bottom of a plastic tote in my living room closet and started reading through it. As I read the story, the characters who had lay dormant  for 12 years, began to breathe again. As their story unfolded onto the pages before me I became more certain that this was a story God intended to use to uplift and encourage others.

I picked up on the last page and as their story poured onto the screen, I knew this is what I am called to do.

Darlene Pryor