Into the Fire

Confirming why I no longer read secular fiction, I’m reading a general market police mystery because I won an autographed copy of the novel and so thought I’d read it as a “courtesy”. You know . . . I’m not shocked or even offended at bad language, but I’m just sick of “listening” to it.

Fairly frequently on various posts around the web (currently at Novel Matters), the language question/subject goes round and round. Look, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. As a Christian who writes, how you choose to write your story is between you and the Lord. You can argue pro or con for profanity, vulgarity, whatever. You can claim reality insists upon it—or not. Honestly, I really don’t care what you decide. As for me, I don’t want to read the f-bomb or s-word or the vulgar sexual references. I want to know if a character swears or cusses, but I don’t want to read the specifics. I don’t mind some sexual innuendo, but when it gets graphic or uncouth, not for me. I’ve lived it, folks, and I no longer want to participate. It’s ugly.

The story is entertaining and definitely a mystery. I still don’t know who’s really killed all the people, and I’m not too far from the end. The detectives are witty, funny, and intent on getting the truth. The writer has an exceptional platform, having written a previous novel besides being a screenwriter. However, this book is certainly no better and definitely not as good as many CBA novels I’ve read with the same types of characters and stories sans the graphic profanity and vulgarity.

So once again in this case: I don’t read secular fiction because . . . where is the redemptive touch? This isn’t to say there aren’t superb novels out there in the general market. Or that there aren’t redemptive messages in novels in the general market. This is to say I’ve found enough quality in CBA to keep me occupied for quite some time.

Just my thoughts . . .

Lord God Almighty, all I want to do is honor you. I fail and keep going. Any success is your doing. All praise to you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.