Into the Fire

I don’t often agree with all the literary chatter about excellence in art. While I agree there is a (and I entertain a personal) standard which separates good from bad writing, I acknowledge that my standard establishes its criteria based on personal preferences and dislikes. While superb writing can be admired for what it is, I can also admit that “cruder” writing (in terms of style) can be just as or more effective than that of high literary “quality”. Story and characterization do matter and can trump the writing itself if well established. This statement never fails to raise the hackles of those writers who seek the illusive perfection in theirs and others’ efforts.

However, what I do agree with is that Christian writers should excel at what they write. According to their styles and genres, Christians should produce quality, albeit that label (of quality) is ill-defined and in my opinion always will be. It’s far easier to describe and somewhat define poor writing than it is to illuminate quality. For every writer who attempts to do this, someone else will deny their definitions and defy their selections to illustrate their opinions. It remains an ongoing battle and perpetual focus of discussions among writers.

Whatever a Christian writes, again according to their styles and genres, the basis for judging that writing should be based on personal preference, not ultimately on how poorly the story was written. And by that I mean there is no good reason for me to pass judgment on fantasy pieces when they hold zero appeal for me. Once it’s established that a favorite genre is being judged, the standard shifts to evaluating how the writing successfully or unsuccessfully fulfills the objective of the story. It’s unfair to judge the merit of writing if you don’t like certain POVs or types/styles of writing. However, if the POVs fail to accomplish their goals by confusing the reader or if the sterile Hemingway style of prose doesn’t appeal, then it’s safe to say why you don’t like the writing. Someone will like it. Probably rave about it—as they do with Hemingway. If for no other reason, this is why it’s important to qualify criticism by acknowledging it’s your opinion regardless of your credentials.  

The “poor writing” misnomer has been attached as a whole to the world of Christian Fiction because there has been a glut of it at different times in its history. It shouldn’t matter, although it’s certainly factual, that the general market is also glutted with poor writing, predictable and formulaic stories. Those of us who write fiction within or for the Christian market know that some of the criticism aimed at the overall Christian Fiction genre is unjustified and biased. Some is not and can be easily proven even though there will be staunch defenders of those pieces brought up as examples of not-so-great writing.

Oddly enough, I think the blame for poor fiction should be placed at the publishers’ doors rather than on the authors. With all the insistence upon the necessity for and effectiveness of editing, when do these professionals step up and admit they might’ve gutted, ruined, overlooked, or overly-enhanced a novel to make it saleable amidst criticisms of its poor quality? Yet even poorly written novels sometimes sell well.

But here’s the thing: Christians must write their best. Simply put. However we write, whatever we write, we profess to write for our Lord first, to please Him, to honor Him. Be it thrillers to romance, it’s important to work at it. To serve the Lord with it. To spend the necessary time it takes for each of us to get to where we need to be with the craft in order to present our best to Him first. Some of us won’t rise to the heights of others’ expectations. Some of us will please “the average readers”. All of us should conclude with “The End” after laboring for the Savior’s approval, knowing we’ve given our all, and resting in the comfort of His smile. Regardless of His plans for what we’ve done.

Father, I am at your mercy. No better place for me to be. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.