This is one of a series of articles about creativity. They follow the "forces of creativity" as outlined by Don Hahn in his book Dancing Corndogs in the Night: Reawakening Your Creative Spirit, though they are here applied particularly to creativity in writing. These forces are Craft, Light, Chaos, Balance, Curiosity, Composition, Simplicity, Spectacle, Surprise, Memory, Symbol and Truth.

Light is part of creativity in at least three ways: the illumination of truth, light v. dark, and enlightenment.

Illumination of Truth
Writing should contain truth even when it doesn't contain facts. This truth will be manifested in at least one of the following ways:

• True to human nature
• True to its subject
• True within itself, that is, the world you create should be consistent, whether you are creating a literal new world like in science fiction or fantasy, or just the situation you create for the story.

All writing, both fiction and non-fiction is created to get across some truth (or why write it?) Make sure every sentence, every paragraph is pointing towards that truth.

Some examples of stories with a strong sense of interior truth are: Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. One of the reasons this moved so many people is Frank McCourt's vivid depiction of being poor and Irish during the Depression. More than reading a dozen textbooks, you really understand what the depression was like, and away from the book feeling in your bones what it meant to be Irish at that time. You come to know the characters--especially Frank, his longsuffering mother, and alcoholic father--but all of them ring true, even the minor ones.

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. This is a very different world than Ireland, but is drawn with the same careful attention to interior detail. There are various races depicted by Tolkien, and each has its own language, songs, lifestyle, beliefs, agenda, history, and worldview. Hobbits, Elves, and Dwarves see the world very differently, but each is part of that world.

Babylon 5 (television program). The creator of Bablyon 5 described it as a five-year novel for television, and wrote the series that way. It also creates its own world of alien species, future technology, and a history that goes back thousands of years. The line from Tennyson's poem "Ulysses": "To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield," best describes its basic theme. The story explored the value of communities, how disparate individuals working together are stronger than individuals, and the value of freedom, and of honor. These truths lit the series.

Light v. Dark
Creativity is always a balance of opposing forces. Light and dark are diametrically opposed, yet both are needed in your writing. After, what is light without shadows? You only need think of the photography of Ansel Adams to recognize the truth of that.

Light v. dark can be used in different ways.

Sometimes it means simply good v. evil, as in many fantasy stories, or in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Your characters will have both light and dark in them, but in different proportions. The hero haunted by a dark deed in the past or darkness in his personality, or a villain with a redeeming characteristic add interest to the story. One of the most clearly shown heroes with a shadow is Ged in The Wizard of Earthsea where an act of magic done for the wrong reasons creates a shadow beast. Until Ged realizes that this creature is the dark part of himself and must be accepted as such, he lives in fear of not only the creature, but also himself.

Another way to create interest is with a character struggling for redemption, such as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings. He does not turn to the light, but it is his action, however unintended, which allows the quest to be fulfilled.

Also, mix light, happy times with darker times, unhappy times, or times of despair. Even in such genres as horror, mixing in some light moments helps provide contrast, and sets the reader up for the next jolt.

Enlightment
Obviously, your hero will become enlightened during the course of the story, as part of the hero's journey. This enlightenment may take the form of new knowledge, a new way of looking at the world, a new appreciation for his own abilities, or any of a dozen other possibilities.

One great example of this is Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. The hero, Jean Valjean, receives enlightenment when a priest has pity on him, giving him the items he stole as a gift, rather than proclaiming him as a thief. This mercy changes his life, and is represented by the priest's gift of silver candlesticks. Inspector Javert, who believes that a criminal can never change, pursues Valjean throughout the story. When he finally must admit that Valjean is really a kind and decent man, the enlightenment overwhelms him, and he kills himself rather than adapt.

Enlightenment also causes as much harm as good in The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. In the beginning of the story Edmund Dantes is a naive young man who has no idea who caused his imprisonment. When the Abbe Faria enlightens him as to the persons responsible, Edmund immediately vows revenge, and this quest for vengeance becomes as much a spiritual prison as the Chateau D'If was a literal one. Only the enlightenment of love brings him out of the darkness of hatred and finally frees him.

Your writing should also enlighten your reader, either as to facts, as in nonfiction, or emotionally in fiction.

Why is light one of the forces of creativity? Because it by bringing the illumination of truth, by contrasting light and darkness, or through enlightenment that you will be able to speak to your readers. May you continue to fill your writing with the light of creativity.