'The Shack’ Author William Paul Young Returns with New Book Exploring Faith, Redemption and God's Love

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Nearly 20 years after the publication of his best-selling novel, "The Shack," author William Paul Young's new work, "Return to the Shack: A Journey into Redemption," will take readers through the redemption process with the characters they first fell in love with two decades ago. 

Young is clear that his faith plays a part in his writing process, which is why he decided to jump back into the story. His process begins with and includes sticky notes, and some may be surprised to learn it doesn’t include an outline. 

“I start with a bunch of sticky notes, and then begin the process of writing,” according to Young, who describes his writing style as deeply spiritual, along with wanting his readers to feel the love that he has for them. He is entirely clear about one main characteristic of his writing style: “I don’t write for an outline.”

For some who may wonder when Young got his start, he’s clear that it all came from God. At one point, Young decided all he had to give his friends and family for Christmas was a copy of a book he had written but had never been published. One friend would go on to send a copy to a publishing company, which would give Young his first book contract, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Young needed a miracle at that time in his life, which may explain why he so often refers to Luke 14:16 when talking about his process of setting up characters in "The Shack" to reflect redemption, and his desire to prepare readers to carry out redemption in their own lives. 

“God loves us for who we are, not what we do," he said.

Unlike some other celebrated best-selling authors, Young always keeps the conversation returning to God's love, not to what he has accomplished in the writing industry. Young believes God has called him to carry out and write about the theme of redemption, not just in his writing but also in his ministry to death row inmates in Tennessee. 

“The death row inmates have become and are family to me," Young stated.

The author believes God has called him not only to see the inmates as family but also to minister to them, as he describes the Bible study he attends with them. 

“One of the inmates has started a church inside death row, which may be the first time that has been done,” he said. 

However, Young also knows that for some, this may be the first time they have read or even heard of “The Shack," and he wants to engage and challenge them with this story as well. 

“Yes, the same characters are still there, but they have changed.”  

Young admits that you have to allow the characters to change and grow, which may explain why his audience members keep coming back to his work. Young makes it clear that, for his writing style to work, he has to leave room in his storyline for growth. 

“Good fiction creates more space than it uses.”

He seems to want to make sure that he is giving space not only for himself, the characters and his audience, but also for the Holy Spirit to move and have His way. 

“I don’t want my life to be purpose-driven; you tend to use people as objects or to your own will. I want to be spirit-driven and led."

 Photo Credit: ©Gary Gershoff/Getty Images

MAINA MWAURA is a freelance writer and journalist who has interviewed over 800 influential leaders, including two US Presidents, three Vice-Presidents, and a variety of others. Maina, is also the author of the Influential Mentor, How the life and legacy of Howard Hendricks Equipped and Inspired a Generation of Leaders. Maina and his family reside in the Kennesaw, Georgia area.