The story I am currently working on features a young man and an old man as two of the characters. The young man is searching, seeking for purpose and acceptance. Having grown up in the shadow of an older brother who always succeeded at everything he did, this character never managed to win his father’s affection or approval. How often do we encounter someone who is either estranged from a parent, or never truly knew the love of a parent? More often than we might think. When readers identify with your characters’ circumstances or background, they connect with that character emotionally. They root for them, they want to see that character rise above the issues from his past. Isn’t that what we do with each other? If a friend is dealing with a hurtful situation, we pray for them, we try to encourage them. That’s what we want our readers to do with our characters.
This young character of mine, in the course of his struggles, encounters the old man. At first the young man is viewed as an adversary. The old man and his granddaughter believe this guy wants to cheat them out of their land. During the course of the story, however, the older man’s insight discerns the need in the young man’s life. His years of walking with God have given him perception, and he employs gentle patience and faith in dealing with the young man.
While the young man is strong and able-bodied, he wavers in spirit. The old man’s physical strength is waning, and he is finding it more difficult to accomplish the tasks he once did with ease. The old man’s strength is in his experience and wisdom. His faith is a beacon for the younger man.
Writing Christian fiction means crafting characters with whom our readers can connect, but also characters who have traveled through hard times, struggled to persevere, possibly made some wrong choices, experienced forgiveness, and have grown in faith. These characters start out as our imaginary friends, but they must grow in their realism if we expect readers to fall in love with them and learn timeless truths from them.