Why We Should NOT Label Christian Fiction

Anyone who thinks the debate about Christian Fiction -- what it is and what it should be -- is getting old, should check out literary agent Rachelle Gardner's recent post, Should We Label Christian Fiction? (At this posting, the comments are at 193.) What makes that discussion so informative (and potentially helpful) is the broad swath of readers and writers Rachelle's site attracts.

By the fourth comment, one reader, Colin, asked the obvious question

"...what is 'Christian' literature in the first place?"

That's the real issue and what makes Rachelle's question so squishy. The problem with labeling / not labeling Christian fiction is that we can't exactly agree about what Christian fiction is, or should be.

So while some define (and defend) G-rated, religiously explicit, redemptive, hope-filled stories marketed to conservative Christians, others gravitate to (and defend) more subtle, ambiguous, edgy, non-preachy stories aimed at a less conservative, broader readership. Which is why we Christians have had a notoriously difficult time in labeling some of our own books. Just ask any group of Christian readers if the works of Flannery O'Connor are "Christian fiction." J.R.R. Tolkien called The Lord of the Rings "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work" (see Dr. Ralph Wood's wonderful essay Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings: A Christian Classic Revisited). But nowadays, LotR is rarely considered Christian fiction. Even the Chronicles of Narnia are up for debate. Point is, these books, while being written by believers and containing biblical worldviews and biblical imagery, do not fall neatly into the 'Christian fiction' label.

I think this is a good thing.

It's also one reason we should be very cautious about throwing around the label "Christian fiction."

In the comment thread at Rachelle's, Jessica Kent wrote:

"Why aren’t Christian writers writing novels that laymen readers can get in to? Isn’t that the whole point? To write a book with themes of faith, love, and sacrifice that anyone can access and be changed by? You wouldn’t dismiss Tale of Two Cities or Les Miserables as 'just another Christian fiction book.'"

Jessica is stating our dilemma: When we define Christian fiction in narrow terms, we narrow our audience. This may be good marketing, but it's somewhat antithetical to our mission. The last I checked, Christianity is about broadening its message, going into "all the world," reaching "laymen," spinning tales "that anyone can access." Sure, there's a place for preaching to the choir. Problem is when the choir is our ONLY audience. By targeting only Christian readers, we unnecessarily limit the boundaries of our own house, shrink our base, and fail to "impregnate" a second generation of "believing readers."

And our stories become decidedly... predictable. Which is why comments like the one below are wholly to be expected. From Adam:

"I generally avoid labeled Christian lit because I have little interest in reading a book that waters down its characters to appeal to folks who are horrified by contextually-realistic sex, violence or profanity (I also avoid authors who trade in those arenas). To me that creates a plastic surreality, a dystopian Disney landscape that all too often makes the plot wooden and untenable.

But the ultimate reason I avoid Christian book stores and most novels that are specifically labeled 'Christian' is that I have no interest in reading a 300+ page Chick tract ...Most people understand exactly what they mean when they say Christ-lit: essentially, clean dialogue and chaste relationships wrapped in a 300 page gospel tract. "

Before you dismiss Adam's opinion, pause to consider that he is representative of a vast number of readers who have come to scorn Christian fiction. Our knee-jerk reaction is to chalk this up anti-Christian bigotry. And it may well be. But isn't it possible that Adam is one of those "laymen" we should be reaching? Isn't it also possible that his opinion about Christian fiction is spot-on? "[A] plastic surreality, a dystopian Disney landscape [containing] clean dialogue and chaste relationships wrapped in a 300 page gospel tract."

Which brings me to my point: The problem I have in labeling Christian fiction is that the moment we slap a label on our books we are conceding a stereotype.

• If Christian fiction IS easily definable, then let's label it.
• If Christian fiction IS "a 300 page gospel tract," then let's label it.
• If Christian fiction IS G-rated, family-friendly fare, then let's label it.
  
• If Christian fiction IS NOT something "that anyone can access," then let's label it.
• If Christian fiction IS ONLY FOR CHRISTIANS, then let's label it.

But if we concede that good Christian lit can reach outside religious circles, carry a biblical worldview without being preachy, and be enjoyed by "laymen," then we should fight to keep our stories and authors from being burdened by a label that has, frankly, become dead weight.

Mike is a monthly contributor to Novel Rocket. He is represented by the rockin' Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary. Mike's debut novel, "The Resurrection," is in stores now and his novella, "Winterland," is available in e-book formats. Mike's sophomore novel The Telling releases May 2012. You can visit his website at www.mikeduran.com.

You Are What You Say (and Do)

Today's gues devotion is by Loree Lough, from: Be Still…and Let Your Nail Polish Dry © 2008 Summerside Press

You Are What You Say (and Do)

And as ye would that men should do to you, Do ye also to them likewise.  Luke 6:31 (NIV)

You’ve heard it said that reputation is what others think you are, but character is WHO you are. Two of my favorite quotes come to mind when mulling over that one.

            

The first is the one my grandfather quoted when one of us grabbed a cookie before dinner, crossed the street without looking both ways, or snooped in his attic without permission…and stretched the truth when he caught us red-handed at any of those things.

            

“Your thoughts,” he’d say, pointing at each of us in turn, “become words. Words become actions. Actions become character. And character is everything.”

            

I don’t imagine any of his little cookie thieves knew what in the world he was talking about…until we grew older and spent some serious time in the real world. Then the hazy meaning of the adage became clearer, and we began to understand that it’s synonymous with my other favorite, The Golden Rule.

            

“Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you” has long been the center point for morality, ethics, religion, and politics. It’s the worldwide litmus test for fairness and decency. And Matthew and Luke weren’t the only Bible scholars who believed in the concept. Quite the contrary! Mark, John, James, Paul, and Jonah cited it, and similar passages can be found in Proverbs, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and others as well.

            

More than twenty world religions have adopted some version of its intent and meaning as doctrine. Confucius touted it as a moral truth, and in 1963, President Kennedy reminded citizens of its intent in an anti-segregation speech. “The heart of the question,” he said, “is whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans the way we want to be treated.” To apply it, we must first try to identify with our brothers and sisters and, as my American Indian ancestors would have said, be willing to walk a mile in their moccasins.

            

I try to remember these famous sage-isms when a driver cuts me off in traffic, people at the grocery store dump whole cartloads of merchandise on the conveyor belt in the 15 Items or Less line, or someone says something to hurt my feelings. Instead of an in-kind knee-jerk reaction, I recite Luke 6:31, and Grandpa’s maxim, too.

            

Because I hope that by living The Golden Rule, my reputation as a woman of Christian character will precede me…and follow me…everywhere.

Today’s Prayer:  Jesus, Lord and Savior, continue to teach me the true meaning of turning the other cheek. Let the life I lead prove to the world that a Christian’s heart becomes caring and forgiving through the strength found in Your Word.

With 81 books (3,000,000+ in circulation), Loree Lough’s novels consistently earn 4- and 5-star reviews, such as From Ashes to Honor, a 9/11 story (First Responders series) and Love Finds You in Folly Beach, South Carolina. She splits her time between her Baltimore home and a cabin in the Alleghenies…where coffee enables her to correctly identify “critter tracks.” Visit her website at www.LoreeLough.com

Why do Adults Read YA Books?

More and more adults are reading and enjoying YA books. What's the big appeal?

Mike Duran asked about this here on Novel Rocket a year ago. He revisited the topic on his Facebook page recently. The answers he's getting haven't changed much in the past year and they are still somewhat unsatisfactory to me. I've read a couple of dozen articles on the topic and polled my YA-reading adult friends. The top three answers are as follows. Adults read YA because these books:

1. are not going to have graphic sex and/or foul language in the romance novels.
2. are shorter, less complicated, and easier to read.
3. are about the struggle between good and evil with big themes that are easily understood.

I'm baffled by these answers, because: 

1. Graphic sex in YA books has been around a long time. Forever, by Judy Blume was first published in 1975. 
2. Many YA novels are not shorter and easier to read than adult novels. The Harry Potter books, Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaues series, and The Book Thief, to name a few, are longer and more sophisticated than many adult novels. 
3. It's not true that YA books are about big struggles between good and evil, either. An awful lot of them are vapid stories about shallow girls fighting and having sex. 

YA books are not all the same. YA is not a genre. Merriam Webster defines genre as: a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content, but YA fiction comes in many different styles, forms, and types of content.

Spend some time browsing. You'll find mystery, romance, steam punk, historical novels, literary novels, and contemporary YA books. There are coming of age stories, action/adventure novels, issue books, thrillers, horror novels, dystopians and, oh yeah, fantasies.

If we look at particular genres, instead of looking at YA as a whole, we might come up with different answers to the question at hand.

I suspect that many fantasy lovers read YA books, because the spec-fic kiddie pool is huge and some of the best fantasies ever produced are splashing around there.  

Adult shelves are full of good whodunits, though, so I doubt that many mystery readers are looking for YA books on the minuscule mystery shelf in the children's section.

Romance? I don't know. There are clean romances and raunchy romances on shelves in both the adult and the YA sections. Maybe some women prefer YA over adult romances because in YA novels readers are more likely to find stories about first love (you can't write about first love these days with an adult heroine and have anyone believe it), and there is something attractive about first love--love that still believes in a soul mate, love that sill believes in happily-ever-after.

Dystopian is enjoying huge crossover appeal. I think this is the one genre about which it can be said that YA books are more simplistic than their adult counterparts. Teen dystopians are fast-paced, mostly written in first-person and often in the present tense. They are about action, not about characterization, and most don't offer deep, thoughtful commentary on the state of the world. They are full of cartoonish government bullies and kick-ass heroines. I think adult dystopians are deeper and require more thought.

But while all these genres offer different things, I also think there is one thing that almost all YA books do have in common, regardless of genre: hope.

YA books are aimed at teens, and teens are asking the big questions. Why am I here? Where am I going? How can I do something significant? Teens get involved in causes. They protest wars and picket abortion clinics and speak out against bullying. They are moved by songs about suffering and loss. They are idealistic. Seeing inequality and poverty in the world, they look for ways to fight those things. Teens still hope to find the love of their lives and they still think they can succeed at anything if they only believe.  

YA books don't all have happy endings, but most leave us with hope. (There are exceptions. Go scan the titles on the one and two-star reviews of Mockingjay if you want to see how betrayed many YA readers felt when the Hunger Games series ended without hope.)  I think adults might like YA novels because they end with hope. In a society where many have come to realize that we aren't in control and life is painful and people die and stocks lose value, adult readers might be looking for books that end in hope. 

Hope springs eternal in the human breast, not just in the teen's breast, after all.

So what about you? Do you read or write YA? What genres? Do you need a happy ending? Do you prefer stories that end with hope?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sally Apokedak is represented by Reclaim Management. Her short works have been published in various magazines, including Highlights for Children. She blogs about young adult novels at sally-apokedak.com. You can read a sample of The Button Girl, one of her YA manuscripts, here if you like.  

Inexpensive Research Travels by Henry Biernacki

Henry Biernacki has traveled to more than 120 countries and continues to travel as a pilot for Virgin American Airlines. A four-sport letterman in high school and a two-sport letterman in college, Biernacki holds a Bachelor of Arts in romance languages and international affairs. He lived in France, Germany, Taiwan, the West Indies and Mexico before settling in his current home in San Jose, California.“Global Henry” (Traveler to over 120 plus countries)

You are not eating local unless flies are eating with you! It was a grass hut fully equipped with generous mosquitoes, willing to suck the life out of any exhausted traveler. The room was unfurnished with nonexistent grand necessities, except the broken lamp in the corner, sitting on the floor next to an empty toilet roll left by the last traveler who probably gazed out the small window all night at the one big palm tree, leading to the beach on Penang Island. The ceiling was the ceiling for the entire guesthouse with only a piece of green synthetic material separating each room, a convenient way to hear people snoring. The curtains were old lungis.1 Ideally, by traveling away from the luxurious comforts of common basics, a traveler realizes the process is the destination and continuously redefining the destination is what feeds the journal when writing a story and ultimately pulls off inexpensive research trips. Most importantly, while traveling do not fall back on the pseudo comfort of money.

Airline tickets are set, that fee expected, and no way to dismiss that. Beyond the ticket, the rest of the journey is up to the traveler on how much is spent each day. When traveling without the reassurances of home, you immediately slash costs, while being on the road. Are you willing to stay in a guesthouse like this or even sleep on the streets to grab a story? This is the sort of traveling where you are going to question several times, “Why for the love of God do I travel?” Hotels, restaurants, cafes, and taxis know people will pay for the closeness, even for the slightest recollection of home. However, from those tension-free-easy-to-map-out-experiences you never draw an image, with words, that inevitably make you hunger to write and the reader is certainly never going to feel what you are attempting to create.

Extend yourself and learn by taking public transit anywhere you go, ask everyone questions, get lost in the confusion of a new city, and ultimately most of your day is consumed without spending money, but modestly gathering experiences. That is the reason why we travel: to grasp hold of the newness in a nation where people are going to offer you to sit, visit, and finally may request you to meet their entire family. The only important part of any trip to a destination is the entire process of going through a country.

Carry more books than clothes, which is admirable, since you are going to be in need of words, describing a situation, then you can sell the books to the guesthouse. Travel with things you do not mind getting stolen. Assume anything you have will be stolen. You are going to be distracted, lost, and trying to find your way around a capital. You are going to be asking a lot of questions and touts 2 can sense who is lost. Travel with a medium size rucksack. You will not be tempted to buy anything. Be sure to take a few Ziploc bags to keep your things dry.

Many people arrive at a destination to research their topic when research is in the travel itself. Tourists have a destination. That is why there is always somewhere to go for a tourist always paying for something else. A traveler knows that the somewhere does not matter and somewhere can catch up anytime, knowing a story is being cultivated.

The test of ones character is not doing something, an action, which you know you can perform; but rather having the sureness of undertaking something of which you are wholly naïve and still making it all work in your favor.

The flies circling dinner and the seedy mosquito-infested rooms reveal a classy charmed guesthouse. Do not mind the bloodstained synthetic walls marked by once living bloated mosquitoes. Blood skillfully runs down the walls as if an artist stayed in the room to paint his masterpiece only to leave it half completed with his blood smeared. Just before the light goes out, make sure you give one good smack to kill the last bloated mosquito buzzing around your head. You did save money.

When words make sense, time is in the hands of humans.

1 Bright colored cloth worn around the waists, as a piece of clothing, by men in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

2 Touts are local people who solicit business for hotels, bars, or markets, receiving a payment for the tourists who come to purchase items.

The winners of Tricia Goyer's book are

KC Frantzen and Henry McLaughlin.

Playing With Words

A child “can develop fully by means of experience in his environment. We call such experiences ‘work’. Such experiences are not play… . It is work he must do in order to grow up.” – Maria Montessori, Italian physician and educator

“Play is a child’s work.” – Jean Piaget, Swiss early childhood theorist

I had to write a new bio for myself recently to promote the upcoming ACFW Journal magazine. As I struggled to make the bio more than just a recapping of my activities in the world of publishing—yawn—I fell upon describing what I do as “playing with words.”

No, this is not a new thought, nor is it original to me. But it is attractive, is it not?

Since coming to work for the Christian Writers Guild just over a year ago, I have frequently felt that what I get to do is closer to play than to work. But, as Montessori and Piaget suggest, even play is a vital learning tool. I know I am learning more about writing and editing as I work.

So, let’s play together—and see what we can learn. I’m going to provide the beginning of a story and I want you to carry it forward. A couple rules, because every playground has them:

1. Write no more than two paragraphs or 2-3 lines of dialogue.
2. Do not lead those who will follow you into an abyss of extreme silliness—only mild silliness allowed.
3. You can make more than one comment, but you have to let another commenter carry the story forward before you contribute again.
4. No editing.

Ready? Go! And thanks to CWG mentor Christy Scannell for the seed to this story, which I played with and expanded:

If Everett Sloan has to preach one more sermon, he’s going to hit someone—probably Bertha McVie, his “EGR” (Extra Grace Required) board chair, who just plopped her overstuffed self into the metal folding chair across the table from him. The metal protested louder than Everett, but he meant it more.

“Pastor Sloan,” the ooze in her voice made him hate his own name. “Some of the ladies from the auxiliary—” no doubt she meant herself—“have been wondering something.”

OK, play!

"Let's Play" image (c) Jennifer Marr, stock.xchang.com

Michael Ehret loves to play with words and as editor for the ACFW Journal, he is enjoying his new playground. As anyone who has watched children play knows, play is how humans learn. By planning each issue of ACFW Journal and editing its articles, Michael is constantly learning. He also plays with words as the editor-in-chief of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and as a contributor to the blogsite, NovelRocket.com. He has edited several nonfiction books, played with words as a corporate communicator, and was a reporter for The Indianapolis Star.

When Listening to Others' Advice, Don't Forget the Fun

Tricia Goyer is an acclaimed and prolific writer, publishing hundreds of articles in national magazines including Thriving Family and MomSense while authoring more than thirty-one fiction and nonfiction books combined. Among those are 3:16 Teen Edition with Max Lucado and the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Book of the Year Award winners Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights. She has also written books on marriage and parenting and contributed notes to the Women of Faith Study Bible. Tricia hosts a weekly radio program Living Inspired and lives with her husband and children in Arkansas. You can find out more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com or www.facebook.com/authortriciagoyer

NR: Tricia will give away 2 books, so leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. Continental U.S. only, please.

When Listening to Others' Advice, Don't Forget the Fun

Often when people find out you want to be a novelist they give you the following advice:

Don't quit your day job.
Don't be disappointed by rejection, because it will happen.
Prepare for a long journey to publication.
Expect hurdles along the way.

Good advice, except that if you focus on all the warnings you're going to lose part of the fun of the process.

And why do you want to follow this dream if you aren't going to have any fun?

I remember going to my second Mt. Hermon Writer's Conference in 1995. I'd submitted a novel I'd JUST started working on and I had a big worry. What IF more than one publisher wanted it? How would I choose!! Oh my!

I laugh now because I was such a newbie. I had nothing publishable to offer, and I didn't realize that...but writing to me was fun. In the last 17 years I still have the same joy. Yes, writing is work but everyday I want to pinch myself. I really get to write books for people from around the world to read??? How cool is that!

So, as for that advice. Let's turn it on it's head.

Don't quit your day job. Of course you can't quit your full-time work (with full-time pay) and expect that you can support yourself with your writing income right off the bat.

But…treat your writing as if you will be doing it as a career for the next 20, 30, 40 years. Focus on what you enjoy doing the most—historical, contemporary, young adult, sci-fi. Don't let others tell you what you should write. Write what a book you'd love to read, and make a 5-year plan of where you want to go. Give yourself performance reviews and bonuses for a job well done. Build relationships with others in the business.

Don't be disappointed by rejection, because it will happen. Yes, rejection will happen but don't feel you have to shrug it off right away. Give yourself time to pout. Rejection hurts because writing matters.

I remember the day after my first novel went to committee and I received a “no.” I fed my children cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and I spent the whole day moping on the couch. I used a whole box of Kleenex on my tears, but you know what? The next day I got up, squared my shoulders and got back to work. That novel never did get published...but the next proposal that went to committee got a “yes.” And you can bet I celebrated then!

Prepare for a long journey to publication. The truth is that it takes an average of ten years for someone to start writing fiction until they have a novel accepted and published. For me it was eight years—pretty close! How did I not get discouraged and give up? Instead of focusing my getting a novel published, I worked on other things. I wrote articles. I did some word-for-hire projects. I even wrote study notes for a Bible. This wasn't the “publishing” I was dreaming of, but I learned some good skills along the way. I also build some great relationships that continue today!

Expect hurdles along the way. There are always bumps in the road. Problems we don't expect. Family situations that keep us away from the computer. Health problems that throw us for a loop. But on every journey there are unexpected surprises. Along the way to having your novel published you'll meet amazing people. You'll discover things about yourself you never knew. You'll grow closer to God as you lean on Him. The hurdles will come, but so will the triumphs and joys. Look forward to these, too.

(And finally, above all, do take at least a few minutes to worry IF more than one publisher wants to buy your work. It could happen...and it's a fun way to brighten your day!)

Chasing Mona Lisa

One enigmatic smile. Two passionate protectors. And a relentlessly ticking clock.

August 1944. Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country and steal countless pieces of irreplaceable art. In fact, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all--the Mona Lisa--as a postwar bargaining chip.

But the woman with the mysterious smile has some very determined protectors. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands?

With nonstop action and intrigue, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get your adrenaline pumping as you join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh Swiss chateau, the race is on--and the runners are playing for keeps.

The Open Hand Theory

www.christianphotos.net

After years of attending writers conferences, I was shocked to have an editor of a large publishing house ask to meet with me. She had my manuscript in hand and had offered up some editorial suggestions to make the manuscript stronger. Before I agreed to take a look, I felt it my duty to divulge the fact that I was likely going to be going with another publishing house.

She blinked at me a few times, then got to work explaining why she thought the changes she suggested would make the book better. At the end of the conversation, I told her that the other publisher was interested in buying the book on a partial, something she wasn’t willing to do. She then went on to say, “Gina, it doesn’t matter if we’re the ones who publish you, we just want to see you published. You’ve done so much for other writers over the years that we’re all rooting for your success.”

That’s the law of reciprocity at work, or as we prefer to call it, the open hand theory.

"One of the most potent of the weapons of influence around us is the rule for reciprocation. The rule says that we should try to repay, in kind, what another person has provided us." Robert B. Cialdini, author of The Psychology of Persuasion (William Morrow, 2006)

You can read books like How to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie), The above mentioned, Psychology of Persuasion, The Tap (Frank McKinney), and others, but I think it comes down to a pretty simple concept: By keeping an open hand, you’re allowing blessings to flow both in and out.

We’ve all read the story of the monkey trap. Folklore suggests that if you put a tasty treat inside a container with a hole just big enough for the money to slide its hand into, but not big enough for it to get it out once his fist is clenched, the monkey will allow itself to be killed or captured before he will let go of the treat. We writers can be a lot like monkeys.

So often we have ideas, talents or resources that would benefit others, but our natural inclination seems to be hiding these away for ourselves. Great phrases, marketing ideas, you name it. Our selfish self whispers, “Don’t share that, it’s valuable information. Do you want everyone doing it? It will lose its originality, it’s value.”

Christians, Jews and other faiths adhere to the principle of tithing. The Bible says in Malachi 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” New Living Translation

When you don’t tighten your fist around the prize, you leave it open for others to take, and for others to give. If you want to be a successful author, heck, a successful anything, you’re going to need some help from others. In return, you’re going to need to help others. 

Gina Holmes is the President and founder of Novel Rocket and the bestselling and award-winning author of Crossing Oceans and Dry as Rain. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her husband and children in southern Virginia. To learn more about her, visit www.ginaholmes.com.

From the bestselling author of Crossing Oceans comes a powerfully moving story that tests the limits of love’s forgiveness. Like many marriages, Eric and Kyra Yoshida’s has fallen apart slowly, one lost dream and misunderstanding at a time, until the ultimate betrayal finally pushes them beyond reconciliation. Just when it looks like forgive and forget is no longer an option, a car accident gives Eric the second chance of a lifetime. A concussion causes his wife to forget details of her life, including the chasm between them. No one knows when—or if—Kyra’s memory will return, but Eric seizes the opportunity to win back the woman he’s never stopped loving.