Love this idea to commit to “real” fiction, and the time and energy in the 5 points and the examples you used—you gave me some new homework to follow up on.
I’ve wrestled with similar ideas for years, but as a writer loved by God, wanting to write the “real,” I hope to appeal to the thinking-Christian audience. I wanted to start a Christian character out with unmet grief, who through an act of self-empowerment, finally experiences sacrificial love. I think folks raised Christian have experiences that don’t neatly fit black/white models. Many abandon their faith for a while, but I suppose my wish-fulfillment fantasy is that eventually love can supersede their longing for freedom.
I hope there’s room for such stories—to see love still pursues those who decide to finally allow their God-given agency and autonomy to lead them out of the fear of questioning their faith. Even if that leads to being rejected by a misunderstanding church.
Thank you for sharing all this. And wishing you all the rewards of the journey.
Hi Mick, I appreciate the thoughtful response! I'm curious, how do you portray this arc of self-empowerment that leads to an experience of sacrificial love? Is there a causal link between the two, or does the sacrificial love come *despite* the attempt at self-empowerment? Cheers my friend! :)
Well, can't claim to have DONE it (or done it well!), but I'm trying to show Christian characters choosing to leave the only community they've known after realizing the leaders only use the word love to exert control. And that act of empowerment leads them to ultimately find fulfillment by sacrificing their new freedom for each other. (Again, operative word is TRYING, because it's my first novel.)
Nice to see someone pushing back against the social justice self-actualizing protagonist that's so common today. I adore urban fantasy, but I had to stop reading it because that's all it was. The drek writers had taken good writers like Patricia Briggs and Jim Butcher and bastardized the characters and themes they explored. Now urban fantasy is about the first person kickass woman who is half vampire half werewolf/angel/demon, she's shunned for her powers and is therefore a victim, but she is also a detective and the only one capable of stopping the monsters. Every. Single. Book. I would love to read an author with the spine to write something new, like maybe Christian characters who fight to save their families/communities from the monsters. You know, like Frank Peretti, only with more vampires and werewolves.
I've done some of this in my writing. Especially in the new series, there have been several times the inspired story has led me to balk at what the Lord seemed to want me to write. I am learning not to fight the guidance to go into those dark places. It's not necessarily what I think it will be and what I bring out is more right than I had imagined.
Thank you Laura, I'm glad this piece meant something to you! It's immensely gratifying to hear that other writers are grappling with these ideas as well. Happy writing! :)
Nice article! “Deep reality” is extremely important, and I aim to capture that in my books even though they are Christian-themed. As I state in my About page: just because I write Christian-themed fiction doesn’t mean my books are sanitized, but I write through a lens of truth, which means tackling difficult topics.
I started watching The Man in the High Castle but stopped even before the stuff you warn again here.
Love this idea to commit to “real” fiction, and the time and energy in the 5 points and the examples you used—you gave me some new homework to follow up on.
I’ve wrestled with similar ideas for years, but as a writer loved by God, wanting to write the “real,” I hope to appeal to the thinking-Christian audience. I wanted to start a Christian character out with unmet grief, who through an act of self-empowerment, finally experiences sacrificial love. I think folks raised Christian have experiences that don’t neatly fit black/white models. Many abandon their faith for a while, but I suppose my wish-fulfillment fantasy is that eventually love can supersede their longing for freedom.
I hope there’s room for such stories—to see love still pursues those who decide to finally allow their God-given agency and autonomy to lead them out of the fear of questioning their faith. Even if that leads to being rejected by a misunderstanding church.
Thank you for sharing all this. And wishing you all the rewards of the journey.
Hi Mick, I appreciate the thoughtful response! I'm curious, how do you portray this arc of self-empowerment that leads to an experience of sacrificial love? Is there a causal link between the two, or does the sacrificial love come *despite* the attempt at self-empowerment? Cheers my friend! :)
Well, can't claim to have DONE it (or done it well!), but I'm trying to show Christian characters choosing to leave the only community they've known after realizing the leaders only use the word love to exert control. And that act of empowerment leads them to ultimately find fulfillment by sacrificing their new freedom for each other. (Again, operative word is TRYING, because it's my first novel.)
Awesome!! That sounds like a fascinating character arc and a meaty exploration of the issues. Looking forward to hearing more!
Nice to see someone pushing back against the social justice self-actualizing protagonist that's so common today. I adore urban fantasy, but I had to stop reading it because that's all it was. The drek writers had taken good writers like Patricia Briggs and Jim Butcher and bastardized the characters and themes they explored. Now urban fantasy is about the first person kickass woman who is half vampire half werewolf/angel/demon, she's shunned for her powers and is therefore a victim, but she is also a detective and the only one capable of stopping the monsters. Every. Single. Book. I would love to read an author with the spine to write something new, like maybe Christian characters who fight to save their families/communities from the monsters. You know, like Frank Peretti, only with more vampires and werewolves.
That sounds like a great concept. Maybe a future project? ;)
Seriously, though, I wonder what the victim/justice mentality appeals to in the reader. It's not necessarily setting them up to live a virtuous life.
Great stuff. I think you’d enjoy “An Experiment in Criticism” by Lewis, given your comments about wish fulfilment.
Thanks Andrew, much appreciated! I'll check it out. Cheers! :)
I've done some of this in my writing. Especially in the new series, there have been several times the inspired story has led me to balk at what the Lord seemed to want me to write. I am learning not to fight the guidance to go into those dark places. It's not necessarily what I think it will be and what I bring out is more right than I had imagined.
Thank you Laura, I'm glad this piece meant something to you! It's immensely gratifying to hear that other writers are grappling with these ideas as well. Happy writing! :)
Nice article! “Deep reality” is extremely important, and I aim to capture that in my books even though they are Christian-themed. As I state in my About page: just because I write Christian-themed fiction doesn’t mean my books are sanitized, but I write through a lens of truth, which means tackling difficult topics.
I started watching The Man in the High Castle but stopped even before the stuff you warn again here.
I loved that show, but it was so violent. I just couldn’t take it. Wish they could’ve kept it PG-13.
Ummm…That auto-correct really got me this time. “Nude” article?? 🤦🏼♀️
Hahaha I figured that was an autocorrect. Mine has been brutal lately!
Well, some are more embarrassing than others. 😳😂