By Allison Nance
Any writer who wants to be published understands the struggle of crafting captivating prose.
Creating a world which draws the reader through your words from the first page to the last
feels—at times—as impossible as leading a camel through the eye of a needle.
One of my resolutions for 2024 was to read as many new fiction releases as possible in order to
survey and study the writing styles of various authors, and to evaluate their critical and
commercial success. While there were several books which truly stood out to me, it may
surprise you that one of my most engrossing reads was not anything new or fictional. Instead, it
was a passage in the Bible I have read innumerable times.
A few months ago, I was struck by the effectiveness of the narrative of Exodus 2. Perhaps I was
in the right headspace, or perhaps the Holy Spirit attuned me to the author’s voice; whatever the
case may be, the writing completely sucked me in.
How did the author do it? I set out to study the structure of the chapter.
Surprisingly, detail and description are sparse, the transitions are not elaborate, and yet the
narrator seamlessly covers a span of nine decades and introduces us to seventeen characters
in a mere 25 verses. Instead of rich or poetic prose and elaborate characterization, the author
chooses to state the essentials with little care in regard to how much he tells the reader versus
showing them. Throughout the chapter, the author simply states the who, the what and when,
with scant asides that reveal the character’s emotions.
However, I was completely transported to the setting, and decidedly with the characters in the
chapter. I can smell the steaming, acrid pitch Moses’ mother used to coat a basket of reeds. I
can feel the throb of Miriam’s anxiety after her mother sets her baby brother afloat in the river. I
shudder with Moses—a murderer—as he buries a body in the sand with his hands. The writer of
Exodus 2 intentionally chooses to pare down detail, and in doing so, grows immensely more
brave in his writing.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, the authors of Scripture trust the readers to feel something in
response to the narrative. They leave margin for reflection and imagination, and allow the
reader to fill in the blanks with study and creativity. Counterintuitively, they throw the play-by-
play pacing of the plot out the window, and seldom invite us into the narrative. Rather, they ask
us to meditate on the information given; to let the story become a part of us instead of us
becoming a part of the story. The reading experience is self-realized, not self-focused.
All of my reflection on Exodus 2 has made me a better writer and maybe—just maybe—has
taught me that writing bravely involves a capacity to surrender everything for the sake of the
Gospel.
Allison Nance has been talking, writing and singing all kinds of words since before she can
remember. Deep Cries Out (releasing via Hidden Shelf Publishing House in Spring 2025) is her
debut novel. With a career in fine and specialty dining spanning two continents and almost as
many decades, Allison currently resides outside of Houston, Texas, with her family.
