To Preach or not to Preach?

And I’m not talking about your typical Sunday morning 1000am sermon. I’m talking about authors who take a little – or really big – step outside of the lane of storytelling and do some philosophical lessons, theories, or even simple musings.

I think it’s pretty common for books to have overarching themes of a “message,” but there are some authors who go above and beyond in this category. My favorite, by far, is Frank Herbert in his series Dune. In my opinion, it goes too far sometimes, and I zone out a bit. But his preaching… Sooo well thought out! I actually had to stop and say, “hey – wait a minute. Is this guy just an author, or was he something more? Where did he get his authority on these topics?” Turns out, he just had a lot of interesting friends and an insatiable love of learning. But seriously. That guy could preach!

I recently wrote a novel, The Immortal Witness, and one of my main characters is an ancient celestial being who has some deep thoughts about humanity. Which makes sense if you think about it. He’s been walking amongst the mortals for far too long without a purpose – just a dusty, dried-up husk of an excuse for existence. He’s in and out of depression spirals. Hanging on by a thread. And all because thousands of years ago he risked everything – his realm, his title, his immortal powers – for humans. He had grown to love the original humans and marveled at their accomplishments with such limited means. In the end, the humans made it out okay, and he… well… he did not. And I did a little preaching as he mumbled about his growing disconnect with modern-day humans.

My editor snipped it.

Totally fair, and I get why. Readers might not like that, especially right out of the gate. They’re ready for a story - not a soapbox! It was a good edit.

Or… could they open to it? Dune certainly captivates many readers, but ask anyone if they’ve read past the first book, and the answer is likely “no.” Or maybe they tried, but got bogged down. Herbert’s preaching is pretty heavy the further down the rabbit hole you go. But to me, that’s why I love reading. A good story + something that makes you stop and think. Something that you carry with you for a good while, or even forever.

I’m no Frank Herbert. But I think I see myself wrestling with this question for the foreseeable future: to preach or not to preach. I am a philosophical person by nature. I think big thoughts - always have - and I jot them down in my phone’s notes app so I don't forget them. I also want my characters to feel the feels and wrestle with the big questions. I want them to be reflections of the best and worst of us. Will it alienate some readers? Probably. But could it stay with someone for a good while? Maybe.