Into the Fire

It must be that time of the month. No, that’s not what I meant. It’s October. The 31st. A day set apart to celebrate all kinds of evil and get away with it. For the spiritually perceptive, it’s a time when one can feel the undercurrent of demonic activity. Others scoff at such “nonsense”, but it’s as real as The Joker costumes which dominate the selections.

Not surprising that the criticism of Christian fiction, its limitations, its readers, and its writers, surfaces on the e-waves again around this time. Maybe its critics and the rest of us are missing the obvious concerning Christian novels. Aren’t they written and produced for Christian audiences? Well . . . DUH! . . . you all respond. Christians should have something of their own to read. Why not? No problem.

This is only a problem when Christians address the quandary of not writing for Christians. Eric Wilson, multi-published author, has just begun a new trilogy which focuses around the “undead”, vampires to be specific. He claims his hopes are to reach those on the “fringe of faith” and “unbelievers as well as believers”.

Let’s stick with believers for a moment. You can’t sum us all up in the same category. There are some, yes, even possibly the majority, who expect “safe” novels: stories that won’t scare them, stories that don’t question faith, stories which take place in a limited scope without superfluous depictions of violence, fornication, adultery, and any inclusions outside their recognizable rigid doctrines/denominations. Chaste romance. Predictable conflicts. Gratifying conclusions. However, there is a huge audience in this crowd of CBA readers who demand depth and a more real presentation of life in general, who love thrillers, fantasy, speculative, sci-fi, non-category romance or even category romance which touches on all the conflicts of sexual relationships, hard-hitting mysteries, legal and medical suspense, and anything but “safe” stories, and who appreciate writing which dives deep into characters, metaphors, symbolism, complexities of plot, concepts, motives and POVs.

Okay, so now let’s address reaching unbelievers. Not an easy task. By including subtle references and symbolism to indicate a Christian theme or worldview without overtly including evangelical language or direction, the author easily expands his potential audience but it’s arguable whether or not he actually “reaches” unbelievers with the stories. If the objective is simply to present an unbeliever with a story they might read without any gospel references, if they write a good story, the possibilities for their publication probably increase in ABA circles. But the odds of “reaching” unbelievers for Jesus seem just as audacious as they might be from books coming from within CBA houses, albeit more easily attainable from said consumers.

And, now how ‘bout CBA? One of the main objections for those who write fantasy, specfic, horror, and sci-fi is the restriction inherent in CBA publishing. What I don’t understand is why these authors want to pursue CBA publishing if they don’t technically believe in its ability to reach the audience they seek. These restrictions which are noted by some refer to language, potential violence, possible gore in certain topics/genres, particularly horror or speculative. These writers find the ABA more user-friendly to what they desire to write. And in many cases this is probably true.

I read in a number of genres in CBA but mostly thrillers, mysteries, suspense, some women’s fiction and all contemporary. In this group there are a number of novels which do not present the gospel or really even point to God. Others skirt around Jesus in vague references to God and/or prayer. There is considerable violence and some horror in the thriller genres I’ve read and not all of them present evangelical terms or concepts. There is some use of language such as “crap”, “hell”, and “damn” which doesn’t appear in certain other CBA imprints. From what I understand there are some serious language barriers broken in the FaithWords (Hachette Books) novel by Stephen Baldwin and writing partner Mark Tabb which caused a fury by CFBA participants who ordered the book, prompting this response:

“Normally, it is not the policy of FaithWords to include foul language in our fiction titles. The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips has dialogue which reflects the heart of the main character. His transformation and ultimate conversion to Christ throughout the book is key to the story and the author’s intention was to make that transformation clear. We apologize if this inclusion offends our readers. We are committed to publishing fiction that depicts the power of Christ’s love in even the darkest life and situation.”

Harry Helm, Associate Publisher, FaithWords

This is the very thing that infuriates some writers who are Christians. Why should the language even be a point of contention, they wonder? Well, let me give you my take on it. I used bad language before I was saved. Really bad, ugly words. After becoming a Christian, I stopped. I stopped because the words didn’t glorify God or exemplify Jesus and the change He rendered in me. I still had to listen to the ugly language day in and day out at the racetrack or wherever I worked in the off season. I understood the motivations, the laziness or lack of discipline, the intent to shock, the “hip-ness”, and/or the carelessness involved in speaking foul or vulgar words. So, if I can’t write around these words effectively, much like author T. L. Hines referred to in a response to Mike Duran’s post on “Novel Journey”, I’m not much of a writer.

Here’s the deal: write what you write, your passion. If publishing is your goal, find an agent who can work both sides of the publishing aisle. See where you fit. My novels don’t fit comfortably into CBA romance/women’s fiction, but these are what I write. God gives me stories, and I write them. He has a plan. He’s the One I follow. Not man. Quit bashing Christian fiction–because it serves a lot of readers. There’s some great stuff written for CBA, and it certainly isn’t all the same in depth, wisdom, or talent, but disparaging the writers or readers seems mean-spirited. If you want to head hunt, make your case to the publishers. Proportionately, there is just as much junk written in ABA, maybe more.

Go wherever God tells you to go. Do what He says to do. Write what He wants you to write. Be blessed for your obedience.

Father, give us sensitive hearts. Lead us in your ways everlasting. Remind us to put others’ needs before our own. Increase our discernment. Help us to desire obedience above all else. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.