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| About Christian Fantasy To me, writing Christian fiction is one of the most enjoyable things I do. If you've ever been interested in doing the same thing yourself, and possibly getting your work published someday, read on!
The first thing we need to clarify is the difference between Christian and secular fiction, so that we know what we're talking about. Fiction covers a vast swathe of territory, with many different genres, and any of them can be successfully written by a Christian author who wishes to glorify God. When we speak of Christian fiction, then, we don't mean a unique genre. Instead, what we mean is any book or story written in such a way that it honors the Lord.
So the next question becomes, how do we do this? The most obvious thing is that we don't present sin or heresy or ungodly things in a favorable or approving light. This is among the worst failings of secular literature. Sex outside of marriage, lying, cursing, treachery, broken promises, revenge- any or all of these things are presented to the reader as something acceptable or even admirable, with the result being that the hearts of everyone who reads such work will be corrupted to a greater or lesser degree and pulled farther away from God.
Does this mean that a Christian author can never address these topics? Of course not. The difference lies entirely in the attitude and the approach. You may write a story, for example, in which the main character engages in an affair with a co-worker and even conspires with him to kill her husband. . . provided that she later has an attack of conscience and repents of what she meant to do. Such a story could be a strong testimony to the world about the power of love and forgiveness. . . if handled properly. This is not the type of story I personally enjoy, but it's a legitimate subject for those Christian authors who feel up to the task.
Always remember that your guiding principle as a Christian author is to glorify Christ in all things. As you write, ask yourself these questions: Does this work uplift my readers and draw them closer to God? Is it faithful to what is taught in Scripture? Does it honor God? If you can truthfully answer "yes" to all these questions, then you can honestly claim the label of Christian fiction for your work, no matter what subject matter you've chosen or what genre you best enjoy. |
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