Today I have the privilege of introducing Teen Writers’ Nook to the blog. Let’s see what these creative sisters have to say about the importance of fiction in a Christian’s life!

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Heya, readers!! Huge shout out to Liz for letting us borrow her blog for this post!! We’re SUPER excited to be here. So who are these random strangers stealing this blog for the day? We’re Teen Writers’ Nook, a group of three sisters who blog together to give writing advice and encouragement for young authors. We’d love to have you join our growing community at teenwritersnook.com!!! 

Fiction stories have many benefits and play a huge role in a Christian’s life. Fiction teaches us valuable lessons, opens our eyes to new perspectives, and develops our empathy for other people. They can inspire us, challenge us, and grow us deeper. As Christians, we need to understand other people in order to share the love of Jesus with them. We need to understand their perspective and how they view the world around them. In addition, fiction teaches us life lessons. We learn these lessons from characters who have already experienced it. These characters give us an idea on how to respond to certain situations and circumstances.

First off, as Christians, we’re called to share the love of Jesus with the world around us, but with so many different people with different backgrounds, beliefs, and struggles, sometimes this can be really hard. It has been proven that people who read have more empathy for others than non-readers and can relate better to struggles that we’ve never even dealt with ourselves! Think about it. Readers can reach out better to those who are hurting, and as Christians, this gives us a better opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ in a deeper way that non-readers can’t.

Second, understanding new perspectives are crucial in order to connect with other people. When we understand others’ perspectives, we learn how to relate to them, approach them, and how to help them if they are in need of help. Without knowing others’ perspectives and where they are coming from, then we may not be able to give the best help and advice if need be. Additionally, understanding others’ perspectives can strengthen relationships and establish new friendships.

Finally, fiction stories can teach us valuable lessons that can help through some tough situations. As we read the stories, we go on an adventure with the protagonist, but the protagonist isn’t perfect. We see the mistakes the protagonist makes as he lies, ignores another person’s needs, gives in to the enemy because he’s scared, and other kinds of mistakes. And as the protagonist goes on the journey he learns his mistake and starts to change his ways. Many times, those lessons are very valuable to learn. It is important to be honest, to have compassion towards others, and to be brave and strong in what we believe even if we’re scared.

Since Jesus is our example, it is important to take note that Jesus himself told fictional stories to His listeners. These parables, in a way, often relate to the fiction stories we tell today. Jesus told the parables to teach listeners through a character with whom they could relate to. In the same way, Christian writers create fiction stories to teach the reader valuable life truths and lessons through the eyes and minds of relatable characters.

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Well said, Issabelle, Madeleine, and Katherine! Thank you for sharing this your insight on this topic 🙂 Readers, check out the Teen Writers’ Nook anthology Imagine.

Issabelle, Madeleine, and Katherine Perry are three Christian sisters and authors of a variety of genres from fantasy to historical fiction! The Perry Sisters are co-founders behind Teen Writers’ Nook, a website started in 2020 to encourage and motivate young authors. They post writing tips on a range of topics from beginning a novel to publication (and lots of fun posts sprinkled throughout!). They share a love of Jesus, books, music, and most importantly, chocolate. You can find them online at teenwritersnook.com!

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Readers and writers, join the conversation! Post your positive comments below 🙂