Can writing be dangerous to your health?
There are a number of reasons for either answer to this question. But, here is a more interesting question.
Can writing a Christian based work attract the attention of the enemy and will our adversary try to stop you from writing?
I’d love to hear if other authors have had “incidents” designed to stop us in our writing. I’ve written about such incidents on my own personal blog regarding my writing week in the “demon house” at this link. This was during my completion of the final manuscript for “The 11th Demon: Children of the Bloodstone” that would have been my third book with Charisma.
But, there is one incident that I have only shared with a few people. You hear these kinds of stories and you instantly scoff at them. They sound too fantastic to be true and you are instantly convinced the storyteller is lying, or at the very least exaggerating. I’ve had more than one encounter in my life with the minions of Satan. And, those encounters have never been for the faint of heart. But, there is a brief encounter I will share.
It was 2001 and I was working on the rough draft for my second book, “The 12th Demon: Vampyre Majick” as it was entitled at the time. I re-edited this book and gave it a new subtitle for release by Charisma as “The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon”. I have always been intrigued by vampires. And, my latest experience with apologetics, the defense of the Christian faith, led me down the historical path. I wanted to understand the genesis of the vampire legend. I wanted to look into the truth behind the fiction.
I was at work in the hospital safely tucked away in my office. It was mid morning and there had been a break in my work. I had a 20 minute window with nothing to do so I logged onto the internet to do my research. In 2001, vampire stories, movies, and books were on the wane. It was that period of time after the Anne Rice years when vampires were still mildly hot and popular. In the aftermath of Rice’s books, vampire “clans” had sprung up over the world. But by the turn of the century, people were just tired of blood suckers, I guess. There just wasn’t much in the popular sites about vampires.
However, there was a huge sub-culture of these vampire clans given over to the role playing game “Masquerade”. Clans all of the country had their own website with rules and rituals and hidden secrets. These sites were alive with photographs of people who had transformed themselves into vampires. Skin coloration, contact lenses, implanted fangs, clothing, and recipes for how to prepare real blood for consumption. I found videos of clans sharing each others’ blood. It was both repulsive and fascinating at the same time.
Now, here comes the strange part. On one search engine I found an obscure site with a long, tedious address. It was obvious to me that no one would be able to put in this address without an insider knowledge of the site’s location. This wasn’t an easy address to remember. That alone intrigued me. Also, it was on the fourth or fifth page of search results. So, I clicked on the link.
Immediately, the sensation of total dread and anxiety engulfed me. My heart began to race. My mouth became dry. What was happening? It was as if every bad thought, every sad moment, every bitter disappointment I had ever experienced all resurfaced from my memory in one click of the trackpad.
The screen on my laptop went totally black. A tiny red dot appeared in the center of the screen. At first, I thought I had an equipment malfunction. Then, I wondered if this was one of those sites where a scary face would pop up and make me wet my pants.
The screen went blood red and blood began to pour across the image. Suddenly, the curtain of blood parted and a hideous, demonic face came OUT of the screen toward me. Did you get that? It wasn’t two dimensional. It came OUT of the screen, into the space between me and my computer! I know you don’t believe me. I have on witnesses. But, I know what happened. The presence of pure evil leered at me.
I remember shoving back in my rolling desk chair as the face of this demon came at me. I slammed the laptop shut and it disappeared. I unplugged the laptop, took out the batter and let the thing completely power down. And then, I called my pastor.
My heart was racing and the air was still rife with the echoes of the evil voice that had accompanied the image. Had the thing been real? Was it possible someone duped me with a fake 3D image? I doubt it. My pastor was stunned but fully understanding. He told me that Satan was determined to stop me from writing my books. If anything, he said, this is affirmation you are doing the right thing. Finish the book.
Later that day, I turned my laptop back on. I checked the history on my browser. The site wasn’t listed. I returned to the search page. The link did not exist! It was gone! In the weeks afterwards, I searched in vain for any remnant of this website and I never found it again. I went on to finish that second book and it is out there right now with a compelling story centered around the history and the myth of the vampire. It would take me eleven years to get the book released by traditional means. I did not let Satan stop me.
I have been amazed at how many unbelievers and vampire enthusiasts have been touched by my redemptive story of unconditional love, forgiveness, and the shedding to the only Blood that truly will give eternal life.
This is why I continue to write my series. I may have moved on to a new publisher, but the chronicles of Jonathan Steel will not end until the last demon is defeated!
What about you? Have you ever experienced supernatural or spiritual opposition to your writing? We would love to hear your story!
.JPG)
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