I am a grateful cradle-Catholic, born in New Zealand, studied in Fiji and France, grew up in Australia, and rooted myself in the USA.
Growing up, I was voracious at drawing and reading. But, I was not interested in learning my Catechism. In fact, I even used to hide the book behind the bulky TV in the living room.
It didn’t work though. Whether I liked it or not, my Faith impacted me.
I found a lot of freedom in stories and creativity, and proudly finished my first novel at 13. I self-published it at 22, with wonderful reviews from families and children.
A few years later, I finished a 2 year course with the Institute for Children’s Literature.
That started a lifelong love of worldbuilding and writing. I’ve written tons of stories, hordes of poetry, perhaps a thousand blogs and articles on marketing, my Catholic thought, the theology of fiction, wrote a 60,000 non-fiction book on marketing, and have a stack of novels I dream of writing.
A Decision to be Catholic
Several moments impacted my young life.
- One was spending the Easter Triduum in Lourdes with friends. That was a moment when prayer came as easy as breathing, in a night studded with lines of candles and lurching processions.
- Another was marching in the mud alongside thousands in the Paris-Chartres pilgrimage, 3 days of blisters, grit, and grace. We all anticipated the great Mass filled with banners and breathless blessings.
- Third, I was privileged to attend a year at Christendom College, where the core curriculum shook me from my simple faith. Seeds sank deep and started reworking how I saw faith and fantasy as deep human needs.
Lastly, I have met many Catholic men and women in my life who inspired me with their witness, through authenticity and kindness. I wanted the joy and goodness that they had.
My Faith is a great gift I’ve been given. The more I explore the stories I want to tell, the more I realize that I want to be more than just an author.
I want to be a Catholic author.
This course pulls together my own thoughts as I set out into the deep unlit seas of my inner journeys to the center of my psyche. We all find a little door there, at the end of all things, when we think ourselves most alone. Through that door is a world made up of everyone’s Narnias: Heaven.
Every generation needs more than yesterday’s teachers.
We need a regular renewal of our minds with the tropes, themes, and tales of each new generation.
This is not always an easy or happy road. But it is an elven road through the stars. Which means it’s full of danger and comforting misunderstanding, and full of a light and relief that can break our hearts.
I’m glad to be on it with you.
Very inspiring. Over the past few years I’ve had a deepening of my own Catholic faith and have felt inspired to be more open about how it influences my writing. I realized I was resisting for a long time due to a fear of judgment, but if it’s authentic and real within you, there’s not going to be a way to hide it.
I like the way you put it! Thanks for chiming in. Sometimes we have to try to get all the way outside our faith tradition to see why it matters, because we’re so comfortably ‘in’ it.
So grateful to be Catholic and excited to share the truth, beauty and goodness of the Catholic faith with others through my writing. Now, if only I could just finish writing my first book…
You’re not alone! There’s lots of us in the same boat. :) Keep writing a little bit at a time, and you’ll be surprised where you end up.
So profound and inspiring, we who are driven to write should help churn and replenish the minds of new comers and old faithful alike
Well said, Ishita! Glad it resonates with you too!