ScriptSuperhero.com

All good things must draw to a close; in the final installment of our unprecedented, wide-ranging interview with New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris, our discussion turns to matter of faith and craft, and how well the two mix in this revealing finale.

ScriptSuperhero.com: One final topic, and one that perhaps is not as commonly asked of you. You are active in your church, serving even as a church officer. Discuss for a bit, if you will, how you have reconciled your faith with your writing.

Charlaine Harris: I don’t see that there’s much to reconcile. I do write about people who do bad things, but I think that’s taking a moral stance against those bad things. I don’t glorify evil, or excuse wrong-doing. In fact, Sookie has many moral issues that she struggles to resolve. I did worry for a while, but the letters I get that tell me, “While I was going through a terrible time, your books gave me relief.” They reassure me that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

SS: Have you ever faced any criticism or questions from within your congregation, regarding something you’ve written? If so, how do you handle such situations?

CH: They are all far too polite to mention such a thing.

SS: There are certain segments of Christianity which would look on the supernatural elements in your novels unfavorably. Do you see your writing as something completely separate from your faith? Do you view your novels as little “alternate realities” that are absent religion? Or have you found a way to reconcile your subject matter to your religious beliefs?

CH: See above.

SS: Do you consider Sookie to be an allegorical character, at any level, in matters of faith? I ask this because in later novels she seems to regard herself as being not as good of a Christian as she was before… presumably meaning before she met Bill in DEAD UNTIL DARK. To what degree have you planned Sookie’s journey to work on an allegorical level?

CH: I don’t see her as an allegorical character at all, but as a human woman struggling to retain her faith in the face of her overwhelming desire to survive.

SS: Thank you for your time and for opening up with us on so many areas about your craft, your life, your career and even your faith. ScriptSuperhero is certainly looking forward to all your future novels.

CH: Thanks so much! And nice to answer some unusual questions.