Writers' Group

[Amethyst]

I think I mentioned this before, but I attend a writers' critique group on Wednesday nights. Anyway, one lady is doing a series of personal essays. She is going to publish some of them, but keep some for her family. They're highly religious is nature. The she had tonight was called "Signs and Dreams" and basically described how after a family member died, some relative told her to look for signs that the dead relative was in heaven, and of course, she saw them.

 

I wanted to say that you know, if you look for signs, you will find them. Anyone would. But it doesn't make them miraculous or magical in nature. It's just a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

But I kept my mouth shut. I don't think criticizing the way someone else dealt with grief in that manner would be the right thing to do.

 

I'm just not sure if I should bring it up or not touch it with a ten foot pole. I don't want to come off as being anti-Christian to these people, because I'm not. I have nothing against Christians in general, just fundies, and as far as I can tell, these people aren't fundies. This is just something I'm doing to further my own goal of being a professional writer. I might go find a different group later on, though.

[Guest AscendoTuumDeus]

I myself would not say anything. Hopefully they grade the work as fiction, though.

[Alice]

I think you were right not to say anything - it does sound as though it is part of her way of dealing with grief.

 

I had a niece who died when she was seven years old. My sister in law, although she had a general belief in God and believes that her daughter's spirit is in 'heaven', was not what could really be termed a 'christian'. A slighty wacky but sweet intentioned christian friend called up a few days after K died and shared with my sisterinlaw a 'vision' she said God had given her whilst she was praying - of K running and laughing through a meadow of poppies, her red hair gleaming in the sunshine and so on - (there was more)

 

This was really special to my sister-in-law and she repeated this story on lots of occasions.

 

She told this story to a stupid pastor - who responded by explaining to her the 'doctrinal errors' in this story and his understanding of how K would be 'asleep in the Lord' awaiting judgement day.

 

I guess I don't share the beliefs of either the wacky friend or the pastor, but one of them I wanted to hug, the other I wanted to slap.

 

I guess lots of people she shared that story with, who had no belief in God and no belief in an afterlife could have pointed this out to her - but no one did, like you they were sensistive to her grieving process.

 

I guess the question for a writer's group is - was her story well written?

[webmdave]

I agree, leave the topic alone and if anything at all, just dwell on the quality of the writing, if that is one of the things you regularly do in that group.

 

Likewise, at some future date, there is nothing to stop you from presenting your own writing, on any subject important to you.

[Amethyst]

I myself would not say anything. Hopefully they grade the work as fiction, though.

 

I think she's going to get some of it published as creative non-fiction or inspirational writing. It was well-written. She's had other journal excerpts published before.

 

I do present my own writing. I'm the only one who writes SF, but they seem to like it. I also write poetry and have had a handful of poems published under my real name.

[Guest AscendoTuumDeus]

I wish you good luck then on your book-publishing ventures.

[spamandham]

I wanted to say that you know, if you look for signs, you will find them.  Anyone would.  But it doesn't make them miraculous or magical in nature.  It's just a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

But I kept my mouth shut.

 

Good decision. It wouldn't be appropriate in the setting, nor for that individual in a time of grief.