Resources by Topic: Writing

Question from a reader: Have some things happened in your own circle of friends and family in the past few years that prompted you to write We Shall See God, an upbeat book on the topic of heaven?

Last year I said yes to writing a novel based on the screenplay of the new movie Courageous, which is being released in theaters on September 30. The movie was done by the Kendrick brothers, Stephen and Alex, who produced Facing the Giants and Fireproof. As Fireproof centered on fire fighters and marriage, Courageous centers on police officers and fatherhood and, not surprisingly, COURAGE for men in their homes and personal lives.

In this audio clip, Randy Alcorn talks about an experience he had while resarching the police and gang life in Albany, Georgia for the novel Courageous. 

In this audio clip, Randy Alcorn answers the question, "How do you decide what books to write next?"

When I wrote Deception, the spiritual themes are interwoven into the central plot, the murder mystery. Ollie’s recognition that everything is not as it appears applies not only to the murder, but to the larger issues of his life.

I like reading murder mysteries—particularly the Nero Wolfe books by Rex Stout. I love Sherlock Holmes. In fact, every chapter of Deception starts with a great quote from a Holmes story. It was fun matching those with the contents of particular chapters. Many people enjoy murder mysteries, so there’s potential for a wide audience.

I never create any mental pictures that could tempt, as I have strong convictions against that.

Question from a reader: You quote from C.S. Lewis in your books often. I like Lewis too, but now I'm hearing that he's not biblical. I recently watched an online video that said he was a universalist. What do you think?

Books in a series and stand-alones each have their advantage. I like the continuity of characters in a series, so you don't have to reinvent every one each time.

The Chasm is in some ways the most purely imaginative book I've written, yet it has some gritty references to the struggles and dead end streets of this life.

I seek to read and think and use my imagination, and improve my writing skills. I ask God for ideas and help, and I sense Him answering those prayers. Whether we build or draw or fix things or make a home for our families, God wants us to yield our gifts to Him, and depend on Him for the next step, even the next breath. I don't always succeed, but that's what I seek to do in my writing.

I like both Lewis and Tolkien, but I do think that the more explicit approach—if not over the top—is more effective in terms of touching people with the gospel.

I like Chris Tomlin and others, but I often listen to classical music while writing as it fuels the imagination and inspires, while not distracting me with words. When you are writing words you don't want to be hearing them! (I don't, anyway, though some writers are different.)

In this audio clip Randy Alcorn answers the question, "When you write do you always know where the story is going?"