No one wants to be preached at, especially not in a novel.
But spiritual elements are important in order to create worlds and understand aspects of a story. Each nation has a form of spirituality that is particular to that culture. One might be hard pressed to find a culture in the world that has no element of spirituality.
Spirituality might simply be discovering a higher power in nature or around us, something that is shaping the world of the novel. Maybe a chance event or encounter doesn’t seem so random anymore. Maybe spirits influence the life of people. Maybe there is an old tree or brook that delivers answers. It could be that all souls are linked in some way (telepathy, through nature, through rituals). It could be that the world has a system of beliefs that plays a role in the novel (there might be people in a position of power who check the morality of others, a little like the moral police or there might be rules everyone have to follow such as the way people dress). There might also be a society that governs itself based on spiritual laws. Finally, there might be a society that worships some kind of spiritual entity.
Spirituality is part of our universe.
It is part of our literature too.
Some deeply spiritual books that are famous are: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, The Little Prince by Saint Exupery, Cry, Heart, But Never Break, by Glen Ringtved, The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume, Earth’s Children by Jean Auel, etc.
Many people would agree that religion and spirituality are personal. Each person lives his or her faith/ spirituality differently. And not everyone wants to share. However, you might need or want to add some spirituality into your novel, one that you share or one that you create. Here are some points to consider:
- Focus on a universal theme that everyone can relate to as the main plot of the story. Do not make spirituality the main focus. Spirituality must fit within the universal theme. (Think about the TV show “The Good Place” and how it makes people think about the big issues of life and death without talking about religion. The show could have easily been preachy. Instead, the show brings questions that many people ponder about. The afterlife place is just a setting to think about life choices. Anyone can recognize themselves.)
- Describe spiritual practices only when necessary. Explanations help understand the story and the people. They add dimension to the people. (Think about the way “Spirited Away” included spirits and how the world of spirits is taking over the real world. There is no explanation of why this world is here and why it is taking over the human world, but what’s important is how it will change the life of the main character.)
- The story should explain spiritual practices, but spiritual practices should enhance the experience of the novel. Adding some kind of spirituality adds depth and dimension to a novel and might be the missing element that helps end the story, especially in the climax. Explanations support the story in strategic places. They deepen it. They help go beyond he did this and he did that. (Think about “Avatar” and the reverence given to the earth and to nature. The culture of the planet on which the hero lands can only be understood through the connection between people and nature. Because the hero is opened to a new spirituality, to a spiritual growth within himself, he is able to connect with the people. That’s strategic.)
- Each story needs some kind of spiritual growth. The main character needs to grow and change and this can only be achieved through a higher purpose. (In the TV show “Reaper” the main hero is forced to work for the devil when he only wanted to be left alone doing his own thing. The devil forces him to think about his future and face his destiny, which is something he didn’t want to think about. He is growing spiritually because he is thinking about the state of his soul and the destiny of people around him. This leads to a new set of decisions).
- Place a conflict at the center of the story. The conflict should not come from the beliefs in the society. The conflict should come from the main character and what he or she struggles with personally. (Think of Sunny in the TV show “The Badlands”. The hero doesn’t want to be an assassin anymore and that’s his spiritual awakening. He struggles between his need to be at peace and a bad place that forces him to kill people to defend himself and get what he wants.)
- Write about a subject people question or wonder about. Surprise your audience. Bring about a fresh point of view. You might write from the point of view of a group in order to explain or shed lights on the actions of the group. (Think about the movie “Children of Heaven” where a boy loses his sister’s shoes. The story immerses the viewer into a unique spiritual world).
- Avoid focusing on your audience. The audience is important because you need to know who you are talking to, but focusing in one audience in particular might make the novel too specialized. Broaden your subject instead of restricting it. Make sure the story is relevant to as many people as possible. (Think about the movie “Brave”. It would have been so easy to focus on the Scottish Medieval culture and beliefs. Instead, it focuses on what a woman could do in order to bypass a tradition. It broadens the subject even more: What if you could change your destiny?)
- Write a deeply personal story. Your writing will be more powerful if it’s not preachy. It’s not about telling your audience how they should live or how they would be better off if they did what you do or such and such does, it is about showing another way to live. Do not ever bring verses of any religious book to make a point. Illustrate the point your own way with your own heart and your own understanding. Reach for the heart, not the mind (Think about the movie “Groundhog Day”. The movie is about a man who relives the same day over and over until he awakens. The movie is a metaphor for awakening spiritually. The main character opens up to selflessness and love. )
- Do not show your spiritual beliefs as the only route or only option. Instead, contrast your spiritual world with other worlds. In real life, there are many ways to live and to think. Do not restrain your story to one side. It is not realistic. Have people who think differently from the majority in your novel and tell their story. Have the main character reject the ways of his or her spiritual world, make them question the path of their ancestors. That’s a way to let your audience judge for itself. It accomplishes much more than a deep exploration of beliefs. Contesting rites or beliefs put them forward more, especially when explored as a place for conflict and dissension. It is easier for your audience to sympathize with a hero who goes against the teachings of his tribe because your audience is probably not part of your tribe and if the audience is part of the tribe, they already know what you’re talking about. Everybody wins. (Think about the movie “Whale Rider” and how a Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny the people around her refuse to see or acknowledge.)
- Make your audience question things. A good novel is thought provoking. It is a novel that will stay in the reader’s mind for a long time. Posing questions instead of answering them like everyone will go a long way. Adding conflicts in the story is another way. Finally, giving personal answers or asking question no one is expecting is the ultimate way. Make your audience think and question the world, “Oh, I never thought of that.” “How interesting. How shocking.” Or “What a lovely way to look at things!” Readers are smart. They are going to get it and if they don’t get the message, they will emerge from your book with questions they never asked themselves before, which is cool. (Think about the movie “It's a wonderful life”. The story focuses on the main character, someone who never got to realize his biggest dream: travel the world. There is an underlying meaning behind the story. It is about the power of good deeds. If George Bailey hadn’t lived, his quaint little town would have become corrupt and immoral. His life prevented a disaster. One doesn’t need to be religious to relate to this. Everyone can ask themselves why would have happened if I hadn’t existed. It’s a fascinating question.)
- Focus on the beauty. Beauty and nobility of feelings always bring people together. Beauty is universal. Anyone can recognize the beauty of a full moon or the beauty in the diversity in the flower kingdom. This makes us human. Telling a spiritual story is to be able to share the beauty of the world and touch by the nobility of our characters. Are the main character’s intentions noble? If they’re not, it will be hard for the audience to connect with this character unless they can admire how the character recognizes and accepts his or her faults and flaws. There is nobility in being honest with oneself. Knights and samurai, whatever the name they take throughout cultures are widely respected and admired because they are noble in their acts. They are often flawed but they have good intentions. (Think about the movie animation “My Neighbor Totoro”. The story is based on Shintoism and Buddhism iconography. However, the story focuses on a girl’s journey. By the girl’s actions, we understand how much she respects nature and the spiritual beings that are part of her world. Totoro is a Kami spirit guardian of nature. He makes the forest grow by the power of his bowings. It’s beautiful and noble. Anyone hopefully can see this.)
- Do not convey your message or theme in the main character’s voice. This is key! Use the character’ actions. Hint. Suggest though the character’s sighs or boosts of laugher, through the type of conflict the character experiences with other characters, through what the people around the character value, through his or her possessions, through irony and satire. (Think about the movie “A Christmas Carol” and how the ghosts show the main character his past and the consequences of his action. We slowly realize that Scrooge is the way he is because he has lost everything he loved. We feel pity and compassion toward him. We realize this because he cries and shows feelings.)
- Do not portray the characters that do not embrace your message as mean, stupid, or in error. Even enemies can be smart and noble. Give the characters who contrast with the message a three-dimensional aspect and qualities too. Show that other characters are just different. Show that their point of view is logical and understandable. Do not show some characters being right and other being wrong. Show that no one is right or wrong. Everyone sees things differently. (Think about the movie “Babette’s Feast”. Babette lives with very gregarious old ladies. One day, she wants to thank the old ladies for having given her a roof. She decides to prepare a feast. The old ladies are horrified when they see a turtle being brought in and the crystal glasses Babette buys with the last of her money. Both Babette and the old ladies have completely different ways of seeing life. At the end, Babette’s feast reconciles enemies and creates peace in the village, showing that sometimes there is some good at extravagance and mindless spending after all.)
- Do not show life or the world or the events as being black and white. Add lots of shades of colors in your writing. Add some ambiguity on both sides. Show complexity. Show your world as a place of debate and leave it open-ended in the end.
- Add what might look like little insignificant details that tell a lot about the world. Dream catchers and the way threads are added might tell a lot about the culture and the beliefs about dreams in some Native–American cultures. You don’t need to explain what it means, just show how these symbols or key objects are used day after day. The meaning will slowly become obvious and sink in toward the end of the story.
- Sometimes you don’t even need to mention the main issue of your story. Describing events are enough to make the audience understand what this is about. (Think about the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird”. The movie hints at prejudices without mentioning the word. Several types of people are prejudiced against in the story, but they are introduced through rumors and through an unexpected friendship).
- Make sure the audience cannot sympathize with the villains. Yes, we can understand how they think, but it is obvious that the way they act is harmful and inacceptable. (Think about the movie animation “Kirikou and Karaba the Sorceress.” The story teaches us that the sorceress might be inflicting pain on the tribe, but she herself is in pain. No one will ever sympathize with her or like her, for sure. However, it is not only a tale of bravery, but also a tale of compassion. It shows us clearly that maybe the villain needs more help than the people in the village.)
- Use fictionalized/imaginary characters and situations. Sometimes it is better to replace the real character with make believe ones in order to convey the message. Portraying a situation in a faraway planet is less offensive than reminding people of events that are traumatic and controversial.
- Do not use words like “racist” or “prejudiced” or “Christian”, “black”, “Latinos”, “American”, “Buddhism”, “farm workers”, “baby killers”, “extremist”, “addict”, “rapist”, “liar”, “abusive”, “tyrant”, “criminal” and the like. Especially, do not use in the same sentence two “opposite” groups such as “soldiers” and “civilians”. That’s because labeling make us think that these groups have nothing in common and it dehumanize them. Avoid words that will directly describe the group you are trying to talk about. Labeling might push away your audience. Do not label a group. Instead, describe their life and customs.
- Make the reader feel, experience, be touched by the events. Emotions should be leading the story.
- Make the reader feel that something is askew, misplaced, and not quite working throughout the events. Not every theme or moral lesson is the main focus of the story and can appear as secondary. Add an eerie feeling, a chill that never let go even if the problem is not clearly defined. Trouble should brew from the problem you are trying to highlight without actually hitting the reader in the face with it.
- Slowly reveal the problem. Use a virtual dropper, one drop at a time, one hint at a time, like a mystery. Do not shove the problem down the throat of the reader. Make the reader slowly realize what is wrong with a system, with a type of thinking, with the world in which the story happens. (Think about utopias and how we slowly realize the world is not as idyllic as we thought at first.)
- Focus on the character’s spiritual journey or coming of age. This is tricky because we don’t want to hear the hero’s voice saying something like “I suddenly realized that God was real and God was trying to save me”. You want to focus on what the character experiences, especially his or her conflict, but do not make him or her make sense of it just yet. In real life, we need several events in order to recognize a pattern and realize something is going awry. Give the character a chance to lie to himself or herself, a chance to be in denial, and a chance to be blind.
- Think carefully about the point of view. The narrator shouldn’t be the one with a strong conviction about a spiritual matter. The character should stay neutral or innocent or being raised in a group whose views he or she does not fully understand. I suggest picking a character that has the most to lose in the situation as main character. It’s his or her story after all. (Think about the TV show “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”. Sabrina is half-human and half-witch. She must choose between being human or being a witch. She is the one who has the most to lose if she chooses the wrong path. Yet, she doesn’t know which path is the best. She loves both the human side and the witch side. She actually wished she didn’t have to choose who she is.)
Finally, to write about spirituality is to reach out and invite. Invite the reader into your world, but do not impose any rule. Treat your reader as a friend.
I hope something helps.