Escape Escapism Through Quality Writing Process
Escapism prevents writers from addressing heavy ideas by trapping them in a place where they stray from the Bible’s truth and avoid biblical consequences. Christian writers, who don’t wish to run away from the consequences of powerful ideas, should strive to escape escapism. Since escapism isn’t always intentional, writers may be overwhelmed and believe it is impossible to overcome. However, escapism isn’t impossible to overcome or avoid. Like many issues in writing, escapism can be avoided through practice and preparation. The Gospel, as the opposite of escapism, provides writers the best foundation to defeat escapism. When writers stay grounded in the truth, they don’t fall into escapism since they know what it doesn’t look like. This awareness makes the most important step for avoiding escapism also the simplest: stay grounded in the truth.
The difficulty is that escapism is the course of action humans naturally want to take. Few people want to think they are fallen and hopeless without Christ because of what they did to themselves. Even in many myths, sin is rarely a fault of humanity—evil and sin, consistently, are either pre-existent (e.g., the Egyptian creation myth) or stem from something the gods did (e.g., Pandora’s box). Those who understand that sin is a fault of humanity may not want to accept biblical hope, especially when it cannot come from their own works. Writers can avoid escapism by staying founded in truth, recognizing that the sinful human heart wants to avoid consequences. Christians must strive to keep their thoughts focused by knowing the meaning and direction of their words. Authors can avoid escapism by processing their book’s main idea: understanding different beliefs but knowing and clinging to the truth.
While avoiding escapism, processing and planning are essential stages writers cannot skip. Authors must process the story’s main ideas, the truth, worldly responses to the idea, and how to address the idea in the story. After processing, plotting helps writers harness their words to address consequences in a productive and Christ-focused manner.
Phase One: Research
Writers should begin by defining each idea or belief they wish to address in their books. Often, this starts by finding ideas, situations, or beliefs that are currently bothering the writer. Without identifying the main ideas in a book, writers will stray from what they hope to represent in their writing. This causes a confusing storyline which may meander from the main point and lead into escapism due to an overwhelming idea the author hasn’t clearly developed.
After an author clarifies which idea they will write on, the most important step comes. The author must understand what the Bible’s truth on that idea is. Once they have found that, authors must set their minds to stay firmly founded on the Bible’s truth about the idea. Without this key piece, writers will stumble over the false ideologies, accusations, and responses that the world will set before them. Deciding what to believe should be personally undertaken through prayer and meditation on God’s Word. Additionally, those seeking to solidify their beliefs should not ignore the Bible’s advice on counsel.
“Where there is no guidance a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety,” (Proverbs 11:14, ESV).
Writers seeking to determine the truth and what they believe should seek worthy counsel. However, it is crucial to remember that the counsel of others should be tested against the perfect and unchanging truth in the Bible. Ultimately, all humans will stumble at some point, and writers wishing to know the truth must seek counsel which points them back in the right direction—to the Bible—and then take counsel in prayer and God's word. Christian writers must test their beliefs against God's word and then stay founded in the truth through every trial. While writers may worry that they have wrong ideology, writers must understand that humans aren't perfect, and God's grace covers mistakes. As instructed by Romans 12:2, however, writers must also not remain comfortable in beliefs they are convicted are wrong but must constantly aim to grow closer to the truth of the Bible.
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2, ESV
Every writer wishing to represent the truth about an idea should look to the Bible and continually strive to be upright in accordance to the Bible. Not every answer will be obvious, but writers should pray about their idea and meditate on God’s Word, seeking to find what is true about an idea or belief and its consequences and then cling tightly to it. Without building on God’s Word, writers will constantly stray into escapism because they have no basis for their ideas (Matthew 7:24-27, ESV). Writing is teaching; without knowing what is true, writers will constantly teach their readers false ideas and lead them astray.
Finding the Biblical foundation for their book’s ideas allows writers to move onto the next stage of idea planning. Writers should understand the basics of the world’s beliefs in response to the problem the author will address in their book. Writers may be able to find these beliefs by asking others. Another way authors can find different beliefs is by reading and analyzing books, fictional or non-fictional, that deal with the same idea. For views with obvious different sides, or ideas commonly discussed in the world, writers can analyze the various arguments of an idea by thinking through it themselves and finding the views they have seen. Writers must analyze the different sides of the idea presented in their book to be better equipped to address the opposition that will be shoved against the truth they strive to represent in their books. Basically, knowing the world’s different views allows authors to fully address the idea and the consequences of various beliefs, speak directly to audiences who may have the same belief, and build a well-developed and believable fictional world.
Phase Two: Plotting
After an author understands the idea that his book aims to cover, the next step for avoiding escapism is to plot the world, characters, and story which the book’s ideas grow through.
The first plot a writer should invest time in is an idea plot. Essentially, an idea plot is how the different characters’ views and beliefs evolve (or devolve) throughout the book and how these views aid the overall idea and truth the book presents. Idea plotting helps writers avoid escapism by plotting out the consequences of character actions by processing how character’s mindsets are shaped by the actions around them. This may be as easy as a simple list of the characters’ views and how they develop in the story, why these developments take place, and in what order. A more complicated form may be a chapter-by-chapter outline which shows exactly how each character’s belief develops in accordance with the story plotline.
No matter which level of detail best suits the author’s processing style, it is beneficial to include conclusions on each development plan which address how the author intends the specific development to affect the overall display of the book’s theme. This should include an analysis of what light these developments cause the truth to be displayed in.
Idea plotting allows the author to plan how they display certain views, negatively or positively, and ensures he stays on track with his beliefs and highlights the truth, rather than leading readers to admire a false belief or consequence.
While drafting, the storyline should always stay in accordance with the idea plot, or the piece loses its worth by contradicting the main idea. The goal of a story plot is, essentially, to give a functional form to the idea plot through the storyline, events, and characters.
Like the idea outline, the story plot can be simple with an overall outline of major events in each chapter, or the plot can go into detail, planning sentences and actions from characters. Often, however, the best outlines sit right in the middle of these two extremes by giving a detailed outline of each chapter’s events and major sentences the author finds crucial to remember or highlight without giving intense detail which can become overwhelming. Regardless of what level of detail the writer includes, they must ensure that the story outline syncs to the idea outline by covering the idea development with each major point.
The sad aspect of writing is that not everything an author wants to include should be included. Some aspects of characters do not represent the correct view that should be held on a belief, pointing readers the wrong way, while other potential story aspects are distracting pieces which hold no real use.
Ensuring both their idea and story are outlined helps writers avoid escapism by ensuring they stay on track with the consequences of story and idea. Avoiding plotting leaves writers to make up the story and idea development on the spot as they write which can leave their stories requiring excessive editing and revision. Not plotting also leads the author into escapism by not knowing the mental, spiritual, and physical consequences of the actions taken by the characters. Knowing where the story is traveling allows writers to not worry about going astray from what they need to present since the author has already determined where, how, and why they need to travel.
Pulling Writing Processes Together
Christian writers strive to escape escapism since the Bible’s truth cannot be represented in escapist books. The best way to avoid escapism is to counter-act its potential through knowing the truth, researching the beliefs about the idea, and plotting both ideas and storyline before the writing begins.
“The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving,” (Proverbs 4:18, ESV).
The advice in Proverbs 4:18 is wise council which Christian authors should accept. Planning for a book avoids escapism by helping authors stay founded in truth and follow the path their story takes to expand. For authors who have already written their books, they can still avoid escapism through plotting. If there is escapism in their book, it may require heavy revision, but it is still helpful for authors to plot the idea and story growth to root out escapism. Idea and story outlines help the author know what their books are saying and what they should be saying to help correct the escapism which may have crept into their books. Regardless of what stage of writing an author may be in, planning is crucial to ensure books avoid escapism and truthfully represent the Gospel.
