Writing Lessons from John Bunyan

Yesterday I started reading Pilgrim’s Progress again for the latest installment of Reading Classics Together and I stumbled onto something I’ve never noticed before. I am reading the online version at CCEL and I was intrigued by the section titled The Author’s Apology for His Book. I may have read this before, but I don’t remember it.

The book is full of great lessons for the Christian, but the apology contains at least two lessons for the writer that I thought were worth noting.

One, that the work seemed to become something other than what the author originally intended. I’ve certainly noticed this in my own writing – especially in works of fiction.

Two, this portion …

Well, when I had thus put mine ends together
I show’d them others, that I might see whether
They would condemn them, or them justify:
And some said, let them live; some, let them die:
Some said, John, print it; others said, Not so:
Some said, It might do good; others said, No.

Bunyan goes on to explain why he decided to share his work, but the lesson is clear – it doesn’t matter that some people don’t see value in your writing.