Mystical realism: Joining the conversation
The tagline of Deus in Fabula is “A quest for spiritual, devotional, and mystical realism in fiction.” Apart from the word “fiction,” you’re probably wondering what the rest of the phrase really means.
Frankly, so am I, which is why I’m calling it a quest! And Deus in Fabula is where I’ll be sharing and documenting the exploration in many posts to follow (every one or two weeks for starters).
Where you come in
I don’t intend to undertake this journey solo: I believe that there is a whole realm of fiction waiting to happen and that there is space for many authors. Thus, although I am personally working on fiction that expresses this “realism,” I cannot be but a drop in the literary ocean.
That’s where you come in. The very fact that you’re reading this newsletter suggests that you, too, are interested in this pursuit.
Perhaps you’re a writer wanting to incorporate more inner experience and spiritual depth in your characters. (In doing so, you also enter an area that I don’t believe AI can generate in any meaningful way because there’s so little applicable training data.)
Perhaps you’re a reader hoping to find more of that depth in the characters through which you live.
Perhaps as an agent or publisher you’re looking for material with a fresh vitality.
Perhaps just as a human being you’re wanting to tap into your own wellsprings of inspiration.
Whatever the case, let’s have a conversation! An ongoing, extended conversation about this quest, about this idea of “spiritual, devotional, and mystical realism,” and about the potential for writing—and really art in general—to not merely represent or depict spiritual concepts, but to have a spiritualizing effect upon readers.
Joining the conversation
How do you participate in this conversation? It’s pretty simple:
Subscribe (content is free, but see “Paid support tiers”)
Read the posts and notes that stimulate the conversation.
Comment on posts and notes, which generates the conversation.
Share this newsletter with others to expand the conversation.
Let me be clear: even though I’ve been pondering matters of “spiritual fiction” for some time and thus have a lot of material with which to stimulate the conversation, I don’t presume to know or have the answers. In fact, finding fixed “answers” isn’t even important. The conversation is rather a flow of energy, a flow that magnetizes what every participant needs at any given time.
Paid support tiers
At present, all content on Deus in Fabula is freely accessible. That said, I welcome your financial support, which helps me offset various costs in putting mystical realism “out there” into the world beyond this newsletter:
Acquiring books and other materials (supporting those authors) to review and bring into our conversation, including subscriptions to other paid Substack newsletters. (The book Spirituality in Young Adult Literature: The Last Taboo, for example, which is certainly meaningful to Deus in Fabula, runs $73 in print and $84 on the Kindle.)
Entering written works into contests with entry fees, which, win or lose, put such works in front of contest judges.
Attending conferences and workshops where I can both represent this conversation and engage others directly in it, including meeting networking with other authors who are doing similar work.
Publishing longer works like novels, which involves many costs for editing, cover design, and marketing.
I think of the above activities as cultivating soil, planting seeds, and nurturing new growth. All of them take time, energy, and money, which is why your support is so appreciated, and meaningful.
And let’s be honest: at US$6/month on the annual plan, the investment here amounts to less than US$1.50 a week, which is about the cost of a couple of eggs, an avocado (on sale), or a candy bar (not on sale).
Still, I know that many people need to be careful with their expenses, so I also offer the following discounts on paid support so you can find a suitable level:
The Budget Cautious: 25% off either monthly or annual subscriptions ($6/month or $54/year).
Halfsies: 50% off monthly or annual subscriptions ($4/month or $36/year)
Grateful for the Gift: 75% off ($2/month or $18/year)
Brother/Sister Can You Spare a
DimeQuarter: one year for $13, which is just 25 cents a week.
However you choose to engage and whether you choose to offer direct support, I’m glad to have you on board.