Philosophy in fiction

Once I read a book called 'the sea of trolls'. Basically, it was the story of a kidnapped boy (Jack) and a viking shield-maiden (Thorgil/Jill) looking for the well of wisdom at the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree. Sounds great, right?
Except for a lot of rude humor, language, and a climactic scene where a woman is completely naked.
There were also explicit Buddhist themes, such as:  boy was a druid's apprentice, and was taught that everything is one. Also the druid exchanges bodies with a crow (meaning that the druid had a crow-mindset, and vice versa).
Now, it's my personal opinion that this was a very bad mash-up of Norse/Celtic folklore with Asian spirituality, but that's not the main point of this post.

(Just so everyone knows, I'm a Christian. I'm trying not to be too harsh, but it's the truth.)

What I'm pointing out is how explicitly noticeable worldviews are, even in fictional writing.
Another example is in The Chronicles of Narnia. Actually there are several examples.
C.S.Lewis was a Christian, and at the time it was believed that Christians shouldn't smoke or drink. In fact it was (and sometimes now is) a common belief that a 'good Christian' should be grim and never has fun.
C.S. Lewis (and J.R.R. Tolkien) both agreed that there were times to be grim, but both were very fond of parties, smoking, and drinking. But all were done with moderation.
Lewis showed his worldview in Narnia with moments like the White Witch discovering a group of animals celebrating Christmas, the contrasts between Trumpkin and Nickabric at the dancing lawn, the Narnians and the Telmarines, the gnomes imprisoned by the Emerald Witch, and so on.

My point is, philosophy can be rather evident in fiction. So before you write your story, take a look at your own philosophy. What do you believe in? Is it real? Is it something you want to teach others?

Sub-section: Christian Fiction.

The problem is, often the presence of religious themes seems to overshadow plot quality.
When I read a book by a Christian author, and I can see basically the entire plot within the first...four, maybe nine pages?...I am not very impressed. Granted, there are some very good Christian authors, and I think the quality of their writing can be summed up in one quote:

"The world needs less Christian writers; The world needs more writers and composers who are Christians."
C.S. Lewis.

Some of the best Christian fiction, I believe, is the type that doesn't set out to teach one lesson, and weaves the various lessons seamlessly into the plot. There is some Christian fiction that just...they are trying to teach a lesson that is completely unconnected to the plot, and so it doesn't work. (Not to mention the style.)

Let's face it: in Monster by Frank Peretti, the plot of the book is not an allegory, and it varies between lessons, from a kidnapped woman doubting God's love to detectives and scientists pondering the question 'do random mutations work?' in order to solve the mystery. All without watering down a tense, exciting plot with awkward spiritual lesson pit stops.

(Yeah, you know what I mean, Jonathan Park! I agree with Jim:
"Paddle, stop yappin'! Paddle!...Guys, can you talk AND PADDLE?!...did he have a pocket white-board and power-point?")

My family was discussing this on a car trip and we came to the conclusion that the best kind of story is one that, yes, has a moral theme (or more than one) but presents it in a sly, conspicuous way. In LotR, we aren't directly told that Merry and Pippin are loyal, caring friends. We aren't told that Gandalf is wise and fatherly. We aren't told that Aragorn is responsible and noble. We can tell without being told.
Seamless.

What makes a story great?

We all know this situation: You read a book, shrug, and forget about it two months later.
We also know this situation: You read a book. It's awesome. You can't stop thinking about it. You often reference to it in serious conversations or jokes. You read it 4-60 times and still enjoy it. You get ecstatic when you find out it's going to be a film, complain when the film has left the original book in the dust, and read the book again.
So how does this happen? What was the difference between the books?
Content themes? Perhaps.
Plot? Most likely.
Lessons? Maybe.
Style? Definitely.

One of the worst situations when writing (or reading) a book is when it's chugging along, the audience is happy, the suspense is high, and then...then...then?!...BAM! Pointless back-story dumps, obvious statements, and meaningless objects are pointed out. That is a sure-fire way to KILL a book.

There are other ways, but to explain that, I'll explain what makes a great book:
1. It has a good moral center.
(Narnia; Lord of the Rings; Monster; Les Miserables;)
2. It challenges a popular (twisted/confused) view.
(Oliver Twist; The book thief;)
3. The characters are connectable.
(The hobbit; Monster; Pride and Prejudice; The book thief;)
4. It shows true change and/or redemption.
(A Christmas carol; Les Miserables;)
5. It fulfills the basic virtues.
(Lord of the Rings; Narnia;)

1. A moral center:
There is a common understanding of what is right. If you don't believe me, read C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. Stories that reflect this are some of the best. Even Guardians of the Galaxy does this.
 The hero, at least, should recognize and act on these. A good example is the scene in The Hobbit when Bilbo, who has been threatened and betrayed by the creature Gollum, has put on a ring which makes him invisible and now finds that Gollum is standing between himself and the exit of the goblin kingdom. Bilbo has every opportunity, let alone the right, to kill Gollum. But he doesn't. This scenario repeats itself in the Return of the King, where Gollum has attempted to murder Frodo and Sam, and Sam, who has despised Gollum from the moment he saw him, has the chance to kill him. But he too lets Gollum live. While it is perfectly 'logical' that the world would be better off without Gollum, the characters come to the same conclusion that it is not right to kill him.

2.It challenges a popular (often twisted or confused) worldview.
This world is Messed Up. It's been that way for thousands of years. A lot of famous authors wrote about it in fictional stories, such as Oliver Twist. This book is actually based off real facts about the time that Charles Dickens lived in. It was so accurate, that Queen Victoria's advisers didn't want her to read it! (But she did.)
And I know that Frozen doesn't really count as literature, and everyone's tired of it, but it fits this theme.
It reminded people that (A) true love doesn't always mean it's romantic love, and (B) the first man you meet, even if he seems perfect, may not be 'the one'.

3. The characters are connectable.
People enjoy being able to understand the characters. I suspected that whoever wrote The Lions of Little Rock was video-taping me when I first read it. It was awesome.
In Pride and Prejudice (If you haven't read the book yet, watch the 1995 film first) we enjoy watching the different personalities unfold into memorable characters, from the witty and critical Elizabeth to her sister Jane, who refuses to believe that anyone could be truly bad.
It's also interesting to be misled by first impressions, only to find out that a character who is said to be proud and selfish is actually shy and kind, and another character, who appears to be charming and mistreated is actually sinister and conniving.
If people don't connect to the characters' personalities and feelings, the story won't click.

4. It shows true change and/or redemption.
It's a relief to know that no matter how far we go from good, there is a way back.
Just as long as these don't go to the now cliche 'prodigal son' allegory, we're good to go.
(Come on, you know what I mean. Good family, bratty child. Bratty child goes into the world to make their future, friends prove to be false, goes back to good family. The 8th time around is pretty annoying.)

 5. It fulfills the basic virtues.
The basic virtues are known to everyone. We don't have to be taught them. Courage, kindness, honor, gentleness, love, peace, hope, etc. You get the idea.

What do you think makes a great story?

Why write?

So what's the big deal about writing anyway? Why should we do it? Does it make a difference?

Okay, this is why I write:
I want to change the world. I have ideas how to do it.
But I'm also an introvert. (for those of you who don't know, an introvert is someone who feels uncomfortable in social interactions. That doesn't mean we're totally opposed to them, we're just nervous.)
So I could find a box and start speaking my mind, but it wouldn't be pretty. Trust me.
But you don't have to be a great talker to be a world-changer.
Abraham Lincoln was often described as shy and awkward in manner, Rosa Parks was actually rather soft-spoken, and Carrol Burnett was painfully shy as a child.
But now Lincoln's Gettysburg address is one of the most loved speeches in history, segregation has lessened dramatically, and Carrol Burnett ran and starred in a live comedy TV series where she continually had to talk to complete strangers and famous actors.
Writing, even fictional writing, is one of the best ways to communicate ideas internationally, brings out emotions and encourages depth of thought, perhaps for generations.

What is Writing Fires?

Q. What's with the title?
A. "To learn to read is to light a fire, every syllable that is spelled out is a spark." - Victor Hugo.

Q. How does that apply to this blog? Is this blog about reading?"
A. In a way. It's more about writing. In order for there to be anything to read, it must first be written.

Q. So what is this blog?
A. This blog is a source of advice for teen (or adult!) writers, ranging in topics from 'types of writing' to 'where do we get 'the old mentor'?' to 'what fantasy creatures are okay?'.

Q. Are you saying that your methods and ideas are the best way to write?
A. Not exactly. I'm only saying that these are some questions I wondered about, and these were the answers I came up with, and that these methods help me when I'm writing and might help other people.
Such as, one person may say : "Silence is better for concentration."
And another may say: "Music boosts creativity and productiveness."
For me, the second option works best, for my brother the first works better.
So it all really depends on what works for you.

I'll be happy to answer any questions you have, just put them in the comments.
And thank you for looking at this blog, I hope it really helps you and your writing!
Cheers!

BTW, all videos and pictures are used solely for decoration, inspiration, entertainment or explanation of a subject. I don't own any of them, and I'm not trying to.