ezlo
New Member
Posts: 36
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Post by ezlo on Jan 5, 2009 13:17:44 GMT -5
Hey guys, its been a long time since I've posted on this site. Usually I don't have much to add, and plus the fact of an intensely busy college schedule. Now I'm on my winter break and I have time to sit down and think about writing.
Either way, this question has been bugging me ever since I began reading "Christian" fiction.
The question of should we, as Christian authors and readers, be separated as such from the secular presses and bookshelves?
To me this is strange, because we are commanded to go make disciples of all nations, but we sit within our own comfortable bubble, writing for those who believe the same as we do. Or should we rather be redeeming and changing from the inside out, fiction itself? Reclaiming back from the secular world for Jesus Christ, the stories that so hold our hearts. If people are frustrated with the amount of vulgarity and sexual content in secular fiction, then why don't you go and write fiction that would replace it, and in turn glorify God? Christ will one day come to reclaim all of creation, not just man, so why not begin here?
An example of this is in music. The strangest of places you would expect God to work, but He has. In modern heavy metal, God is working greatly, some of the most popular bands in this genre now days are Christians. This genre has been known to be filled with people who fill their music with satanic or anti-Christian message. But Christians have infiltrated and replaced, or created their own music which glorifies God rather than defaming Him. The Grammy's last year for Best Metal Performance had two polar opposites, Slayer a band that evokes satanic imagery, and As I Lay Dying a band known for the Christians in it.
Should we create as the Creator does and redeem back parts of culture and His culture? or rather create for those who believe what we believe, so that they do not have to even look at what the world has to offer?
This may open a can of worms, but I am begging the question.
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Post by morganlbusse on Jan 5, 2009 13:46:36 GMT -5
Good question! I think a big reason there is a separation between the two is because of the publishing world (but I could be wrong...). What I've seen is that Christian Publishing companies want overt christian themes in the book. On the other hand, if your story even gives a whiff of christianity, then a lot of secular publishing companies won't give you a second glance.
And many of us as christian sci/fi fantasy writers, neither wants us (except for Jeff ;P)
And where do most books published by Christian publishing companies end up? In christian bookstores (where not a lot of non christians frequent) or in the designated "Christian fiction" section (again, not the place most non christian's pick up their books).
But if you want your book in a different area, once again you run into that problem that if you book sniffs of christian, no one else will probably publish you.
So the solution? Not sure if I'm right, but it seems that as more people turn to the internet to purchase their books, those "christian" and "just regular sci/fi fantasy" (or any other genre) barriers are breaking down. Instead of seeing the "Christian Fiction" section in neon lights, people just see another book that is rated high on Amazon with raving reviews and think "hey, if others liked this, I'd better check it out". Sure, there is the christian tag on the book if you do a search, but there is also the fantasy or sci fi tag which might draw non christians to read a book they might not otherwise pick up if they were at Barnes and Noble simply because they would not go to the Christian Fiction section.
Just a quick plug for those of us who write in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, we have a great opportunity of sharing God in our stories in a covert way. To borrow a C.S. Lewis' quote on why he wrote the Chronicles of Narnia:
"I thought I saw how stories of this kind could steal past a certain inhibition which had paralyzed much of my own religion in childhood. Why did one find it so hard to feel as one was told one ought to feel about God or about the sufferings of Christ? I thought the chief reason was that one was told one ought to. An obligation to feel can freeze feelings. And reverence itself did harm. The whole subject was associated with lowered voices; almost as if it were something medical. But supposing that by casting all these things into an imaginary world, stripping them of their stained-glass and Sunday school associations, one could make them for the first time appear in their real potency? Could one not thus steal past those watchful dragons? I thought one could."
Our stories can steal past those "watchful dragons", those people who would not darken the threshold of church, but might pick up a really good sci-fi or fantasy book. So keep writing!
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Post by dizzyjam on Jan 5, 2009 14:17:56 GMT -5
This is sort of the idea behind the bookstore I'm seeking financing on. I figure, why separate "Christian" fiction from the rest? Or "Christian" music from the rest? Especially on the level of Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Spec-Fic or Metal/Gothic/Extreme. Once I get the financing and get the store open, it will be a unique store for sure. If you haven't read it yet, I have a subject in the "Bios, Blogs..." about it near the bottom of the first page that describes the idea in more detail.
Personally, I think if we were to saturate the market with great fiction, people will just have to pick us up because we're there. I go into bookstores and notice the Christian fiction up front with the secular fiction when it's new, and they both go in the sales area when the hardbacks are for $5.99, so why not mix them together to begin with? Again, the publishing companies. If there were more publishers out there like Jeff, I'm sure that the barriers will be torn down or at least redefined.
What do you think of the next three books Jeff's doing with MLP? April 1st can't get here soon enough for me.
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Post by Divides the Waters on Jan 5, 2009 21:03:51 GMT -5
I think that marketing has a great deal to do with it. I find myself reading less and less fiction by non-Christians these days because they've been so indoctrinated with certain vain philosophies that it taints their worldview and spoils the novel, so knowing an author is Christian is a boon. But I can easily see how it could work against one, too. My own novel was designed to get the Christian themes in under the radar, as it were (without being bait and switch). Gone are the days when great Christian writers can be published by secular companies. There is a growing anti-Christian bias now, and it will take quite an effort to overcome.
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Post by dizzyjam on Jan 5, 2009 22:11:32 GMT -5
Maybe I missed this somehow, but what's your novel? Is it published? What's it about?
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Post by scintor on Jan 6, 2009 0:07:33 GMT -5
I am definately one for just writing great stories. I think if we write great stories, then things will get better. Another idea is to start working on rewards and awards for clean, well written spec-fiction stories without anti-Christian (or anti-jewish) messages. Those who think it fashionable to hate Christianity have dominated the well known awards for quite some time. If we could get a substantial cash prize, even better.
By including any work without these biases, it will encourage secular writers to clean up there acts, as well as encouraging Christian writers. By making a goal for people to strve for, more will work in the right direction.
Scincerely,
Scintor@aol.com
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Jan 6, 2009 8:13:31 GMT -5
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Post by morganlbusse on Jan 6, 2009 12:42:19 GMT -5
I just finished reading tip #93 and thought of something: sometimes people just write great stories and then as they become well known, use their platform to share their religion or worldview. One example of this is Stephenie Myers (the author of the successful Twilight series). If you go to her website, you quickly realize she is a mormon and she's not afraid to let people know. In fact, there is a link on her site for anyone interested in learning more about mormons.
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Post by dizzyjam on Jan 6, 2009 14:10:47 GMT -5
I think Jeff's tip perfectly illustrates the need to have more out there to choose from. If we flood the market with Christian spec-fic - whether written for witnessing or Body edification - the overwhelming amount of it would have to be recognized and if a store was available that carried them in a blended way, then more people would be likely to pick it up because at first they won't recognize the difference, but once reading inside may the Spirit of God do a work in them whether they are saved or not. Ultimately it's about both adding to the Body and keeping the Body healthy while it's growing. Both types in Jeff's tips do that and we just have to keep putting out the stories we feel God has called us to write.
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ezlo
New Member
Posts: 36
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Post by ezlo on Jan 9, 2009 10:50:28 GMT -5
I wasn't expecting such a positive response, lol. Dizzyjam I'd definitely go to a store like that, I'm not sure about other people though haha. And speaking of the publishers, could it perhaps they have adapted whats called this, "bunker mentality" or as I said seperation? It seems much of Christian media has put itself into that box. I took a class last year called Youth Culture, and basicially it discussed these questions similarly but more broadly and how it affects our ministry to the youth. We studied this book, Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture www.amazon.com/Engaging-Soul-Youth-Culture-Worldviews/dp/0830833374/ref=pd_bbs_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231516114&sr=8-6Mueller in this book lays out these "bunker" mentalities, and also the opposite an accomodation mentality, allowing sin. Very interesting stuff. Also another article that sheds light on this topic, relevantmagazine.com/pc_article.php?id=7378 |
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Post by Divides the Waters on Jan 11, 2009 18:52:13 GMT -5
Maybe I missed this somehow, but what's your novel? Is it published? What's it about? Were you talking to me, Dizzy? |
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Post by dizzyjam on Jan 11, 2009 21:24:17 GMT -5
Maybe I missed this somehow, but what's your novel? Is it published? What's it about? Were you talking to me, Dizzy? I sure was. :-) |
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Post by Divides the Waters on Jan 11, 2009 23:23:41 GMT -5
Well, I don't want to hijack the thread. But no, it's not published, yes, I'm shopping it around. In the last month I've gotten two rejections, so that totals four this past year.
I may set up a thread relating the story behind it when it's published, but for now, I'll just say that two WTME members have had a big part in it. Scintor (Mark) and I took a rough idea that my cousin and I had and shaped it into a workable story, and Matt Marcy, whose work is featured in the ebook of art, did the cover art in case I decided to self-publish (it's the icon I use for my identifier here).
The title is Bid the Gods Arise. It's kind of hard to describe. Epic space opera/fantasy, I guess, but I deal with it more in terms of spiritual warfare; Lewis meets Lovecraft by way of Lucas. It can be pretty gritty; it deals with "adult" themes such as slavery, temptation, abuse, etc., but it's not gratuitous (at least by most standards). Features a quasi-vampiric fallen race and prophecy, a kind of passover/exodus type story. The main characters start off following a "false" god, and are eventually introduced to the creator God (though obviously not called by the same name) through one of His followers. It's really not as simple as it all sounds. It's almost as much about growth and relationships as it is about the worldbuilding. (Some members of my test audience have said it made them cry, but in a good way.)
Right now I'm working on the second volume, Worlds Beyond the Well.
We now resume this thread to its regularly scheduled content...
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Post by dizzyjam on Jan 11, 2009 23:33:50 GMT -5
Well, I don't want to hijack the thread. But no, it's not published, yes, I'm shopping it around. In the last month I've gotten two rejections, so that totals four this past year. I may set up a thread relating the story behind it when it's published, but for now, I'll just say that two WTME members have had a big part in it. Scintor (Mark) and I took a rough idea that my cousin and I had and shaped it into a workable story, and Matt Marcy, whose work is featured in the ebook of art, did the cover art in case I decided to self-publish (it's the icon I use for my identifier here). The title is Bid the Gods Arise. It's kind of hard to describe. Epic space opera/fantasy, I guess, but I deal with it more in terms of spiritual warfare; Lewis meets Lovecraft by way of Lucas. It can be pretty gritty; it deals with "adult" themes such as slavery, temptation, abuse, etc., but it's not gratuitous (at least by most standards). Features a quasi-vampiric fallen race and prophecy, a kind of passover/exodus type story. The main characters start off following a "false" god, and are eventually introduced to the creator God (though obviously not called by the same name) through one of His followers. It's really not as simple as it all sounds. It's almost as much about growth and relationships as it is about the worldbuilding. (Some members of my test audience have said it made them cry, but in a good way.) Right now I'm working on the second volume, Worlds Beyond the Well. We now resume this thread to its regularly scheduled content... Hope you can get it published. Sounds intriguing. I'd read it. |
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Post by Divides the Waters on Jan 11, 2009 23:39:57 GMT -5
Let me know if you want to take a look at it. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts.
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