Epiphany . . .

Today is the actual day of the Feast of the Epiphany.

Nowadays, in the Catholic Church, the liturgical observance falls on the nearest Sunday.  Because of the timing of a Sunday Christmas and New Year’s, that means the observation this year is this coming Sunday. 

“Spirituality and religion” is one of my sub-category niches.  I’ve written in that area quite a bit, and while I don’t regard that as a direct product or service niche, in my spec samples for catalog copywriting I have tied that into three of my niche areas:  books, games and toys, and educational services.

So, because of the timing this year, I thought the general idea of Epiphany would be a good one to get a weekend’s worth of blog posts and that sort of thing out of. 

Further, from the writing perspective, the term “epiphany” has a name in terms of a fiction technique.  The word translates to something like “revelation” or “discovery” in writing.

Indeed, a well-made “epiphany” can form the most satisfactory element of a book.

I’ve read a good number of books over the past year, and I find that writers tend to go about this in one of two different ways.  A novel either has a succession of small epiphanies for one or more of the essential characters; or there is one real, major “ah hah!” moment for one or more of the most central characters.

Either of these approaches, if well realized, can have a satisfying impact on the reader.

I have had some very fulfilling reading experiences over the past year or so with each type, although for a wide range of reasons I would have to say that the book that I would recommend if I had to choose only one out of last year’s reading was the single epiphany type.

Which kind do  you prefer?