PenWorks of the Word Blog Tour: Post Seven - Tracy Gimpel

Tracy Gimpel Writes:

Why I Write Biblical Fiction

Whenever we endeavor to do a new thing, I believe it’s important to know our “why.” While this concept has been paraded through various venues, such as weight loss and exercise, business and leadership, and even Christian ministry, the idea remains a solid one. 

At the onset, let me say that knowing your “why” is not the same as your goals, although your goals will definitely be affected by your “why.” Goals for writing a book might be to get published, enjoyment, profits, etc. The “why,” however, reaches down into the heart and soul of every writer, creating both tension and release as the book takes shape. 

I did not set out to be a Biblical fiction writer. Through Christian ministry, I love to study the Bible and then teach what I learn. As we know, the Bible is chock-full of so much truth and goodness that we could never consume the concepts in a lifetime. 

With some imagination, I began to visualize the reality of some of the Biblical stories I was teaching about. “How did she actually feel?” “What was he thinking when he said that?” “How does this parable apply directly to my life?” The people were no longer just names on a page, but they began to take form, and thus, the (fictional) details of their lives helped me understand them better. That, in turn, helped me understand God better, because the outcome as told in Scriptures never changes, as He never changes.

I just completed my first manuscript, and as the story unfolded before me, I found myself crying, laughing, and worshipping as I considered the actual lives of these Biblical characters. Sure, my imagination, shaped by my own experiences and personality, took flight as I walked through how someone went from “Point A” to “Point B” in Scripture. They were real people, after all, who had all the emotions that come with living life on earth.

And yet, Scripture gives us bits and pieces—and I believe that God gives us permission to fill in the blanks (while staying true to the holy Word, of course)—because He wants everyone to find their own stories within both the real-life experiences of people and those found in parables. God doesn’t want anyone to feel excluded from His hand, and that is why we find people who are both rich and poor, popular and unpopular, good and evil, lost and found, proud and humble. 

Somewhere within the pages of the Bible, we all can find someone who is where we currently find ourselves. And then, we find the God who already knows us—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and offers us so much. Grace, forgiveness, strength, mercy, and untold blessings. 

And this is why I write Biblical fiction. Within the streets of Capernaum, I found a woman who was a sinner. She was broken and needed a Savior. She was surrounded by judgment – no forgiveness, no understanding, no help. 

And within those same streets, I found a man named Jesus who cared. He took the time to heal, to reach out, and to feed the crowds. His willingness to do simple things for people such as filling up their boats with fish, paying their taxes, and holding their children on his lap shows me what kind of God He really is. 

And then there were the big things He did to help—healing so many sick people, casting out the tormenting demons, and raising the dead to life again. He brought hope to a lost world then, and that hope is still available for us today.

My heart desires to let everyone know how loved they are, how much He cares, and why grace is there for them. No matter how far someone has fallen or how difficult life has been or how many mistakes they have made, He is there for them.

The Bible characters show us again and again that He is invested in us, and Biblical fiction allows me to bring those people to life so we can find ourselves within the stories and experience the healing, forgiveness, and love they found in Jesus.

Tracy Gimpel is a Christian author, Bible teacher, and ministry leader who writes Biblical fiction rooted in Scripture, grace, and redemption. Her stories bring the people and places of the Bible to life while exploring the very human emotions, struggles, and questions that still resonate today.

Her current series, Women of Capernaum, focuses on the unnamed women of Scripture and imagines the lives surrounding their brief appearances in the Biblical account. Through fiction, Tracy hopes readers will see themselves in these stories and, most of all, encounter the love, mercy, and grace of Jesus in a fresh way.

Learn more at www.tracygimpel.com