A Christian Worldview of Fiction

February 28, 2007

Who’s Leading, Who Following?

Filed under: Christian Worldview, Craft, Society, Theme — by Rebecca LuElla Miller @ 9:59 am

One is the idea of Christians leading the way. Should we do that, or try to? Does that indeed put us in our own little corner of society?

One of the things that has become a pet peeve for me is a seeming contentment among the Powers That Be in Christian publishing cirlces as to the fact that Christian publications run about 3 years behind the trends of secular publishers.

The rational is that we need to know there’s a market first before we venture into the waters.

I guess why this bugs me so is that I saw it growing up. It went something like this. Item X became a fad, often with youth. Christians spoke out against it. Item X began to fade in popularity. Christians started sporting Item X. As a result, Christians were inevitable out of style, behind the times, out of date.

With all the talk about Christian fiction wanting to be “cutting edge,” it seems to me Christian fiction will never arrive at “cutting edge” until we stop trying to follow whatever the world wants and start producing what the world needs.

I know, there is a phrase in non-fiction—”felt need.” Writers are supposed to address “felt need,” another way of saying “what they want.” With fiction, though, the “felt need” is entertainment. Readers come to stories because they are enjoyable. So that part’s already taken care of, if we but write a good story.

So what about this idea of “giving them what they need”? I can hear the arguments against “preaching” through fiction being formulated already. To clarify I strongly reject the idea that a story must preach to impart its theme. Just the opposite.

When a theme is flung out in front of a reader, spelled out in transparent 1+1=2 fashion, it is easy to ignore or counter. The themes that have true impact are the ones that cause a person to think, to discover, to arrive at a point of belief … or disbelief.

I liken well-crafted themes most to the Socratic method of teaching, in which the job of instructor is actually to ask questions and let the learner discover the truth.

You know, I think there is one artist—a movie maker, not a writer—who genuinely stepped out to lead. Any guesses who I’m thinking of?

February 27, 2007

Is All Truth Christian?—Day 2

Filed under: Christian Worldview, Definitions, Truth — by Rebecca LuElla Miller @ 12:25 pm

Before we get started, I had someone e-mail me that the links in yesterday’s post were dead. Thing is, they aren’t for me. Nothing is amiss in the HTML code and I took the addresses right out of the address bar. Plus they open for me. So the question is, are others of you having trouble opening the links?

On to the discussion. I have to say, I like what I said here regarding the definition of “Christian” a little bit better than what I said at Spec Faith, though I think the two together give a clearer picture of what I believe.

Here’s the one from yesterday’s A Christian Worldview of Fiction post:

As I established at Speculative Faith, Scripture identified the term Christian as a disciple of Christ. In “describe mode” then, it should mean something like “that to which a Christian adheres.”

And over at Spec Faith it was this:

I believe the terms are appropriate if the particular object exists to communicate the core value of a disciple of Christ. Therefore, “Christian fiction” identifies the core values the stories will communicate—ones a disciple of Christ adheres to.

In his comment at Spec Faith, Mark asked:

If we go with the idea that Christian fiction is fiction that communicates the core values of Christianity, I guess the next question is going to be which parts of Scripture are the core values? Would “loving your neighbor as yourself” be a sufficient theme? Would “judge not, lest ye be judged”? Would a tangential idea found in Scripture, the sort of thing that might inspire a sermon, be sufficient to make a story Christian? This seems like a hard approach when you sit down and attempt to apply it.

I’d say that was fundamental to this issue. What are the core values of Christianity? When I say “core” I have in mind “essential.” It’s the stuff that a Christian believes that no one else believes. Consequently, anything of God seen in natural revelation is not uniquely Christian. Yes, we know OF God through what He made, but we KNOW God only through His Son. We know about the Son through His word.

Does that mean that all of Scripture would qualify as “Christian”? “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” Seems that all Scripture might qualify as Christian, but not in isolation—not as a list of “thou-shalts.”

The verse before II Timothy 3:16 says

…and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The “sacred writings” Paul referred to were the portions of the Bible the first century Christians had. And what these writings were able to give is the core of Christian thought: “the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Here’s the point: the wisdom that leads to salvation is not a list of spiritual laws, not four and not even ten. When the rich young ruler asked what he had to do to be saved, Jesus said to keep the law. When the young man said he had kept the law, Jesus added one more, something not on any list. Why? Because salvation isn’t about list keeping. It has never been about list keeping. It is about making a connection with the One who fashioned us after His likeness, a connection we are incapable of making.

Making a connection we are incapable of making. Establishing the truth of that apparent dichotomy, to my mind, is part of the wisdom that leads to salvation.

In fact, I see the wisdom that leads to salvation as fairly broad—because people of various races, cultures, ages, locations see the world through their own lens of understanding. And each person is at a different place in the “connecting process.” Some never will. Does that have a place in Christian literature? Undoubtedly.

So what am I saying? The core of Christianity is Jesus. Man’s need of Him, His provision of Himself to meet that need. An individual’s faith in and acceptance of that provision. Therefore, “Christian fiction” is story that touches this core in some way.

Again, that others have read false things into the phrase “Christian fiction”—including who the audience is and what words can or can’t be included—does not alter want the term “Christian fiction” ACTUALLY means. We can search for alternatives to express the same meaning or we can work to clear away misconceptions.

Until “Christian” no longer means a disciple of Christ, and “fiction” no longer means invented stories, I choose to stick with what Christian fiction has meant all along.

February 26, 2007

Is All Truth Christian?

Filed under: Christian Worldview, Definitions, Truth — by Rebecca LuElla Miller @ 12:44 pm

Before Valentine’s Day, before my involvement in several blog tours, we had an interesting discussion going here about Christians’ role in the arts.

During the CSFF Blog Tour, the question came up in a different way at Christopher Hopper’s blog.

Naturally, this is an interesting subject for me as a writer and as a Christian, so I posted on the subject today over at Speculative Faith and want to add more here.

There are a couple issues I’d like to explore, but won’t do both today. Mostly I want to write them down so I don’t forget them.

One is the idea of Christians leading the way. Should we do that, or try to? Does that indeed put us in our own little corner of society?

And second is a notion Mark Bertrand has mentioned from time to time, and stated again in a comment over at Decompose that “that the truth about everything is explicitly Christian.”

Taking the items in reverse order, I’d like to explore this “all truth is God’s truth” (a phrase used in Christian education) remark. Of course understanding the meaning comes back to a definition of Christian.

As I established at Speculative Faith, Scripture identified the term Christian as a disciple of Christ. In “describe mode” then, it should mean something like “that to which a Christian adheres.”

Since Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life …” I don’t think any Christian would contest that indeed all truth is God’s truth. But is that the same as saying “the truth about everything is Christian”?

I think I’ll leave that question there to percolate and see what brew it brings tomorrow.

February 23, 2007

But What IS the Next Thing?

Filed under: Hodge-podge — by Rebecca LuElla Miller @ 12:19 pm

When you finish one goal, the logical next step is to move on to whatever is next on the list. Except, I have this scattered list that is obviously no list at all.

One of the things I’ve learned since I’ve been writing full time is that writing breeds writing. Part of that might be rubbing shoulders with other writers, so you start learning about this contest or that subject. It intrigues you to the point you decide to give it a try.

For me, the eye-opener was the short story. I’ve never cared for them much—maybe a result of having to study them in school. (Who knows.) I certainly never expected to write short stories. Until one day, I read a question in a group email loop about a contest that a publisher was holding.

I didn’t think too much of it, because I didn’t write short stories. I was a Novelist, didn’t ya know!

But the contest came up again and again. And when the deadline arrived, the publisher started posting stories online with a place for readers to give feedback. And did readers ever give feedback!

Some of the comments were brutal. Being a member of a critique group—a good one—and knowing some about criticism that helps versus criticism that hurts, I started putting in my two cents.

After a while short stories didn’t seem so foreign any more, so when another contest opened up—a Christmas story contest held by Bethany editor Dave Long, I tossed my hat into the ring.

Then came the Writer’s Digest short, short story contest, another Dave Long contest (you can read my offering here, two more Writer’s Digest contests, a Sword Review contest.

Add to the mix something ACFW offered called the Genesis contest—one for first time novelists. OK, now that sounded right up my avenue of interest.

Which brings me to the conundrum of today. With another Genesis contest not so far away, and a short story contest with Faith in Fiction/ Relief Journal, a new novel to start for a conference mentoring group, and revisions to one sheets, proposals, query letters, with new business cards to create, what should I work on NEXT?

Yikes! I need to make a list. ;-)

February 22, 2007

Finished!

Filed under: Fantasy and Science Fiction, Hodge-podge — by Rebecca LuElla Miller @ 11:37 am

Yes, the CSFF Blog Tour for February is finished, but that’s not what I’m talking about.

Yesterday I finished the rough draft of Battle for Revín, Book 3 of The Lore of Efrathah, a fantasy trilogy.

Couple things of significance (to me :-P ). First, I changed the title of the trilogy. I’ve worked on this story for 18 years. Yep, you read that right. Eighteen years. Whenever I decided to name the trilogy (not sure when that was) I called it The Chronicles of Efrathah, but the name always bothered me a bit—felt derivative (Chronicles of Prydain; Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, a huge influence on my writing; Chronicles of Narnia). Thing is, I had nothing better. Until I was writing one of the last scenes. I used the phrase lore of Efrathah and it seemed perfect.

Odd thing is, I don’t make change easily, especially after thinking of this story with one name for so very long. But it just seems right, sounds right, too, I think. So now I have to change one sheets, proposals, query letter, business cards … :-o

Second thing is that 18 years I mentioned. That is one long time for a story to rattle around in the brain! In many ways if feels so good to have it down on paper. (Yes, I am from the Dark Ages and still write with pen and paper for that rough draft.) But because I still have the rewriting and revising and editing and polishing to do, it doesn’t quite feel done. Yet, it is a milestone.

And just for the record. When I first decided I wanted to write this story that had begun to develop in my head, I had no intention of writing a trilogy. One book, that’s what I thought. Maybe a long book, but just one. I went to my first writers’ conference back in 1989 and learned that NO ONE would consider publishing a long book by a new author, so that’s when I decided I’d do it in three books.

That was also the time I was convinced I needed to write the whole story, as an act of obedience to what I believe God wanted me to do. This is not something editors want to hear, by the way. Those that speak to this subject—because I’m certainly not the only writer who believes God has a story for them to write—say they hear writers using the “God told me to write this story” line as a way of justifying resistence to learning craft, revising, accepting editing.

I don’t mean any of those things and see no need to tell editors I write to be obedient. You might be rolling your eyes, thinking, Obedient? You call taking 18 years to write a story, obedient? I never said I was a quick study, did I. It took me a long time to realize—as obvious as this sounds—that if God really wanted me to do a thing, and I was taking my good old time getting it done, that I was disobeying.

Part of that went into my thinking when I left my day job and started writing full time. But that’s another story.

Today’s story is THE ROUGH DRAFT IS DONE, DONE, DONE, DONE!!! PRAISE GOD! IT IS REALLY DONE!! :-D

February 21, 2007

CSFF Blog Tour – WhereTheMapEnds.com, Day 3

Filed under: Blog Tours, Fantasy and Science Fiction — by Rebecca LuElla Miller @ 12:06 pm

If you’ve been stopping by A Christian Worldview of Fiction for any length of time, you know I love these blog tours. I get to talk about fantasy. And yep, I’m a fantasy fan. I’m not against SF, certainly, or even supernatural thriller stories. They’re just not my first choice.

You know—when you go to a restaurant and get a chance to order ANYTHING on the menu, money’s no object, that shows what you REALLY like. I feel that way about this tour for WhereTheMapEnds. I can talk about ANYTHING within CSFF, but when I look inside, ready to do a little exploring, I keep coming back to the same page.

Yes, that would be the Booklist, where all those fantasies reside. Well, by name only.

A few observations, then I want to run around the web and see what everyone else is talking about today (plus I have to leave another comment at Mir’s site for The Contest).

    Jeff Gerke, creator of WhereTheMapEnds, has compiled an impressive list of books
    They’re organized by genre, which is reader friendly, especially for someone like me who doesn’t gobble down the whole array of sub-genres

    There’s an impressive number of authors listed who also participate in the CSFF blog tours

    The list is not exhaustive. There are more books coming out this spring not on the list (the Lost Genre Guild’s short story anthology Light at the Edge of Darkness edited by Cynthia MacKinnon
    [The Writers’ Café Press], for one), and there is an author with a CBA publisher not listed—Gregory Spencer, author of The Welkening (Howard Publishing). (Warning: the site this link takes you to is designed for high speed internet connection. If you don’t mind waiting 3 minutes or so, it is still an intriguing site, I think. I would be curious what those of you with web design backgrounds think).
    There’s a section for the classics, separate from the contemporary, which shows readers that not all CSFF was written 40+ years ago.

Enough of my babbling. There’s More Stuff to See. Check out these other sites on the tour—especially Nicole and Wayne Thomas Batson, who I left off the original list.

February 20, 2007

CSFF Blog Tour – WhereTheMapEnds.com, Day 2

Filed under: Blog Tours, Fantasy and Science Fiction — by Rebecca LuElla Miller @ 11:37 am

I have to admit—I’ve been back and forth about what to write today. The CSFF Blog Tour is again highlighting editor Jeff Gerke’s speculative fiction website WhereTheMapEnds. But what to say?

Should I expound on the impressive book list he’s compiled? Delve into the fun writer toys? Critique the site? Perhaps I should simply point out the many good posts from others on the tour. With so much to work from, I’m sort of paralyzed with the wealth of possibilities.

I guess I’ll bring up something that is troubling me. In my post at Speculative Faith yesterday, I made the off-handed remark that I wish Jeff’s dream of a publishing company focused on CSFF was a traditional press rather than POD (print on demand). To that, Mirtika Schultz (don’t forget to enter her contest) included this in her comment:

I’m like Becky. I want to see traditional publishers get inspired to acquire and market and P.R. and push and open pathways for SF, big hoping gal that I am. POD simply can’t do the promotion or get into the venues traditional houses can. Ah, well. We need to keep our vision broad, I think, so kudos to Jeff and Bill Snodgrass, who both have a similar vision in this POD CSF regard.

Later, Jeff left this reply:

Thanks for the great promotion for the site, Becky. And thanks to those who have commented.

In order to see my response to your idea about Marcher Lord Press being mainstream instead of POD, please read Tips 16-18 here: http://www.wherethemapends.com/writerstools/
writers_tools_pages/tip_of_the_week.htm.

I dutifully went to read Tips 16-18 and came away feeling quite depressed. OK, that’s too strong. Disappointed, maybe, or discouraged. Usually the CSFF tours enliven me, embolden my hope. So, why this reaction?

As I mentioned yesterday, my vision of CSFF is like Jeff’s. In a guest post he expressed it this way: “Fantasy, therefore, can be the best genre for evangelism and apologetics in our day.”

I’ve believed this passionately. The problem I see is the lack of means. It’s one thing to write fantasy with this goal, and another to actually get the stories in the hands of people who could benefit. So I ask, Will POD do this? I have my doubts.

My vision is simple: write a great story that a Christian will find in the Christian bookstore or on the religious shelves of the chain store, and will give to his non-Christian friends. In other words, the story will entice and will provoke. It will be a vehicle—less threatening than an invitation to church—that can initiate discussion.

While God CAN most certainly use a story to bring someone to Christ, I think the more common situation is a person telling another person about Christ. But couldn’t a story be the catalyst?

So coming face to face with the realities Jeff brings out in his tips section caused me pause. Where does my vision fit in this? Not with POD publishing. Not with traditional publishing. Unless God has something else in mind.

I am constantly brought back to that truth. Unless God does the miraculous—the “Gideon-led army of 300 triumphing over tens of thousands of the enemy” kind of miraculous—my vision is nothing but a pipe-dream.

And that’s OK, because God CAN do the miraculous. If He wants Christian fantasy to “break out” and become the influence on our culture I believe it can be, it will be of His doing. He’ll receive the glory for it because certainly the numbers are stacked against it.

Would I rather write something with the numbers stacked in my favor? Not unless God is in that too. In the end, the numbers are irrelevant. God is God and He will accomplish what He wants with the means He chooses. I just have to be in position and available and willing.

OK, for actual discussion of WhereTheMapEnds, check out these other participants. For another contest and a good interview with Jeff, be sure to include Sharon Hinck’s blog. For a review of one of Jeff’s books (he writes under the name Jefferson Scott), see Jason Joyner’s earlier post or Grace Bridges CSFF post.

And much, much more:

February 19, 2007

CSFF Blog Tour – WhereTheMapEnds.com

Filed under: Blog Tours, Fantasy and Science Fiction — by Rebecca LuElla Miller @ 10:58 am

We have a great feature this month (well, I guess I’m partial because I think we have a great feature every month, but February is no exception)—editor Jeff Gerke’s speculative fiction website WhereTheMapEnds.

In fact, Gerke who has been a guest at A Christian Worldview of Fiction, made the announcement launching this site in an interview here back in September.

One reason I’m so pleased to highlight WhereTheMapEnds is because Gerke has a vision for Christian science fiction and fantasy much like my own. Here are some of his thoughts from a two-day guest blog in June:

I write fantasy (see chapters from my epic fantasy at Jefferson Scott – News and Information) because, well, because it’s cool, and also because it gives me the opportunity to show Christianity in a new light. When you can strip away the trappings of something people think they know, leaving only the essence, you can begin to truly communicate. When you take away the architecture and the social structures and the stained glass language—the things that people see and immediately dismiss—you can get to the truth.

With my fantasy I want to get rid of words like Bible and Christian and salvation and church and replace them with words that once again have power to the unbeliever. I want to show God not as the pansy or judge people see Him as now but in a more raw way. Like C.S. Lewis did with Aslan, a ferocious lion. People hadn’t thought of Christ like that before. It was so powerful. They encountered Him afresh.

Fantasy is perfect for this purpose because you’re creating a whole new world anyway. People expect newness throughout the story and the world. They welcome it. They embrace it. They’re open to new ideas because they love having their brains engaged with a writer’s vision of another reality. The junk has been pared away and people are willing to try out your visualization of a different world. They’re teachable. Fantasy, therefore, can be the best genre for evangelism and apologetics in our day.

Amen and Amen!

More on WhereTheMapEnds as the tour continues, but here’s a snippet from Jeff about a new venture at the site:

I’ve decided to launch a collaborative fiction project on March 1. I’m very excited about it. We’re going to be creating and writing a story in which a fantasy world is invaded by SF outworlders. Fans and writers of both SF and fantasy will find lots to love–and hopefully want to contribute to the fun.

For those of you also blogging, you may wish to add Wayne Thomas Batson, tardy to the party, but also touring with us. ;-) Also, check in on Mirtika Schultz who has a contest with a terrific prize. Others on tour include:

February 16, 2007

A Writer’s Resource You’ll Want

Filed under: Blog Tours — by Rebecca LuElla Miller @ 10:42 am

As part of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, I’m featuring Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide 2007.

Yep, they slipped in a non-fiction resource instead of a novel, but I couldn’t be happier.

The Christian Writers’ Market Guide is one of those required resources for serious writers (meaning, writers who are working, not enjoying a hobby), and this year’s version has a special added feature, but wait for that a bit.

Why do I consider this a necessary resource for writers who want to see their work in print? Because of the sheer volume of information, if nothing else.

The Christian Writers’ Market Guide 2007 lists book publishers and magazine publishers but also categorizes them according to genre. Under each listing, you can find such things as contact information, names of editors, number of books published in a year, number by first-time authors, what kinds of manuscripts the house is actively seeking, the average advance, the average royalty, the size of a print run, and more.

Book and periodical listings may be the heart of the Christian Writers’ Market Guide 2007, but the additional features make it invaluable.

There is an entire section entitled “Helps for Writers,” including lists of Christian writers’ conferences and workshops, local writers’ groups, editorial services, agents, and writing contests.

In another section entitled “Resources for Writers,” you’ll find such things as money-saving tips for writers, promotion, tax tips, and websites of interest. (I think I’ll have to see just what one has to do to qualify for that listing! ;-) )

Truly, this book is a writer’s goldmine.

And that special added feature I mentioned? The book comes with a CD so you can now do all the searching on your computer. Want to write a parenting article? Do a search and you’ll find the list of periodicals to explore on your computer.

Some writers might have purchased a previous version of the Christian Writers’ Market Guide and think that’s sufficient. I’ll tell you, this business is in constant flux. Last year, in particular, a number of changes occurred—mergers, editors leaving one house for another, some becoming agents.

Christian Writers’ Market Guide 2007 gives you information as current as possible, in user-friendly formats.

I recommend the Christian Writers’ Market Guide 2007 even for beginning writers—there is a new section specifically directed to help someone starting out—but it is a MUST for anyone seriously looking to publish fiction or non-fiction with Christian publishers.

February 15, 2007

Review—Chocolate Beach

Filed under: Reviews — by Rebecca LuElla Miller @ 9:47 am

Today I have the fun of discussing ACFW Featured Author Julie Carobini’s first novel, Chocolate Beach (Bethany), released earlier this month.

    Julie Carobini and Chocolate Beach

The thing is, there’s an elephant in the room which I need to address. If you visit Amazon.com and take a look at the information offered about Chocolate Beach, you’ll find a review by Publishers Weekly. Quite the coup for a first-time novelist from a Christian publishing house. Except for the part of the review that delivers some tough criticism. Here’s probably the harshest line:

“the series of misunderstandings that she substitutes for actual problems give the novel a contrived feel”

Don’t get me wrong—I respect PW and know that their approval (which they end up giving in small doses) can mean a lot to the success of a novel. However, they are not infallible. In this instance, they got it wrong. Not totally. But still wrong.

Yes, protagonist Brianna Stone does seem to have an ideal life. I thought it sounded about perfect and sort of smiled when she found her day at her beach home with her one son and lawyer husband so exhausting she needed to take a nap. But Bri’s worries are not based on misunderstandings, as PW suggests. Nor does the one comment from her friend send her off doing drastic things to her lifestyle.

Instead, a sequence of events, one after the other, expose a problem at her core—a problem she handles badly. All of these circumstances taken together work powerfully to teach Bri what change she really needs to make. Which is the way I see God so often working in my life.

Strengths. There are many. For one, I agree with PW that Carobini’s “descriptions of characters and events are often witty and engaging.” The book was fun, humorous, yes, witty.

Carobini also has such a strong, fresh voice and has the knack of making each of her characters unique and interesting. Bri, of course, is the strongest. She is a likable protagonist, convincing—someone I found myself caring for, worrying with. Her jaunty tone contrasted with several of the uptight women in her life, setting her apart in a positive way.

The story is delightful—the unexpected and worrisome mixed with the humorous. Carobini sprinkles the story liberally with pop-culture allusions that add an interesting dimension. Plus, I found the events believable, especially as backstory was layered in.

No, some of the deep hurts of Bri’s past do not become the focus of the story, nor should they in a mom-lit story. What does happen is the realization of a new way to handle hurts.

Which brings me to the theme of the story. * * * SPOILER ALERT * * * If I had to spell it out, I’d use lines straight from the book—not because Carobini preached, but because her character discovered what she needed to know: “Not that I don’t believe there’s power in transformation. Oh, I do, I do! I think, though, that it should start with the mind and the heart, not rumors and fears.”

It seems to me the PW reviewer missed this point in stating that the story was built upon misunderstandings. It was not. It was built on Bri’s doubts and fears, all well established throughout the story, but not belabored. After all, this is mom-lit. * * * End SPOILER ALERT * * *

Weakness. As I’ve already mentioned, in the beginning I had a little bit of a desire to head-slap Bri for not drinking in her perfect life. Of course, that was because as I first viewed her life, it looked quite appealing, something I wouldn’t mind too much if I were forced to take her place.

But as I began to see her life as she saw it, to understand that she had good reasons for her concerns, my empathy for her grew and my belief in the rightness of her reactions cancelled out those early inclinations.

Recommendation. I enjoyed this book immensely, even though it is not my genre of choice. It was fun to read and the character stayed on my mind for days after. I was sorry I didn’t have some way of checking in on Bri to see how she is doing now. :-P I highly recommend this entertaining, light book for all fans of mom-lit.

Stop by to read what others blogging about Julie Carobini and Chocolate Beach are saying:

Next Page »

Powered by WordPress.com