Kay Rizzo on the power of stories and the responsibility of storytellers
Kay Rizzo is the author of more than 50 books and an experienced speaker on writing and creativity. She also presented a series of creative writing workshops and a seminar and preached as part of the first Manifest Creative Arts Festival, which Avondale College of Higher Education hosted on its Lake Macquarie campus in 2011.
How did you begin writing for publication?
I began writing for publication when as a high school English teacher I challenged my senior class to each write a story and submit it for publication. If a legitimate magazine published the story, the author would receive an A. In return, one of my students challenged me. “If we have to risk rejection, you should, too,” he said. I accepted the challenge and sold my first story to Junior Guide. By the end of the semester, a quarter of my students were published as well.
How important is storytelling?
Jesus used stories to capture the attention of His audiences, to help them better grasp the spiritual truths He wished them to understand. Whether it be in the mind of a small child or an intellectual adult, a story or illustration imprints God’s truths, which will remain long after a sermon is forgotten. Without stories, Christian publishers would produce a mountain of ponderous tomes that most people wouldn’t take the time to read.
What’s your favourite Kay Rizzo book?
That’s like asking the mother of several children which child she loves most. Each book has a spot in my heart. The reactions I’ve received to I Will Die Free and to On Wings of Praise have been the most dramatic—hundreds of women considering suicide have told me reading On Wings of Praise saved their lives—but I also had much fun writing Abigail’s Dream [book five of the “Serenity Inn Series”). I’m an Oregon Trail enthusiast and I liked Abigail’s spirit, both which made the story a pleasure to research and a kick to write.
What inspired the “Serenity Inn Series,” and what are you aiming to achieve through it?
The one liner—“Bloom where you’re planted”—would best summarise it. God places each of us in a specific place at a specific time for a specific witness. We’re free to choose whether we carry out that assignment. In the “Serenity Inn Series,” I placed a Christian family at the crossroads of American history. You’ll find the themes of forgiveness and learning to trust God and His promises running through each story.
Is writing something that just happens naturally, or is it just plain hard work?
You can’t wait for the muses to move you. I’ve had college students weave fantastic story lines that would sell in any market but they lack the discipline to complete the project. Yes, there’s an element of natural creativity to writing spellbinding narratives—without it, you’d produce a computer manual—but between the research and the final revisions are many long, emotion-packed, brain-intensive hours of labour. If you’re serious about becoming a professional writer, establish a time and a place where you can write every day. Self-discipline is the key to success.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned through your writing experiences?
Always write from a basic eternal truth. The theme of any story must reflect an eternal truth—for example, forgiveness, finding joy, overcoming through Christ—to be of value to the reader. Christian authors should strive to be the best writers possible because they share the most important message in the world.
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