I’m a Christian who is a writer. I’m a Christian writer. I write fiction. Christian Fiction. It’s a label which incites near cyber-riots but doesn’t bother me at all. If you are a fiction writer who is a Christian, you’ve discerned who your audience most likely is—or will be. Perhaps your fiction is geared to the general market. Or maybe it’s considered “cross-over” because the spiritual aspects of the story are minimal, vague, or imprecise.
You’ve been given a desire, a call, a talent, an intention to write stories. And while it may not be heart surgery, writing fiction has value because God doles out the tendencies and enables you to put words together. Anything that the Lord assigns to you is important, purposeful. If you follow His lead, He goes before you to make your path straight. That path might seem rocky, sometimes hidden, and anything but straight, but it’s clear to Him.
So why all the fuss? Why the competitive rhetoric about who writes what?
The Christian Fiction labeling presents a genuine problem when those authors who write it can only be found in the “Religious” or “Inspirational” areas of secular bookstores. Many of the thriller writers’ books written by Christians could easily be placed in with the general market books, but most of the time they’re not. Publishers have worked hard to correct this but with little success.
I don’t blame authors for their frustrations when it comes to proper book placement. Every published author has a lot riding on reaching their audience. If a novel that doesn’t directly deal with faith issues is stuck in the “inspirational” section, an entire possible audience is un-reached and it can be problematic for sales.
Here’s the thing for me. I’m firmly convinced no matter how much marketing is done—or not—our dependence (as Christian writers) is on the Lord. Does that imply we sit back and claim our faith will sell our books? Not in this post. It means that authors knock themselves out in all kinds of efforts to market their work and achieve both major sales and major flops. Good writers who’ve been given contracts for multiple books get dropped because of sales and find themselves back at square one—those that excel at marketing and those that don’t. Hired and fired.
There are no guarantees. Period. It’s a tough business. How does a particular novel stand out from shelves and shelves of all kinds of books? What difference does it really make what we call ourselves? Or the labels ultimately attached to our work?
Some unbelievers might be moved forward spiritually by a “crossover” novel, but that’s not dependent on the writing. It’s dependent upon the Holy Spirit. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. He’s the One who gives the callings, the talents, the gifts, the opportunities. We follow His lead. He defines us. He designs the paths and urges us to stay with Him. In Him we live and have our being.
Do you know who you are in the world of writing? Does it really bother you to be defined as a Christian writer?
Father, may I honor you in all I do. I fall so short, but, Jesus, you’re all I’m livin’ for. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Into the Fire 
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