A couple days ago I posted a writing exercise and got some great feedback. I feel that I learned a lot and want to say thanks to everyone who commented or sent me an email with critique. I think some people were worried that I might be offended, but trust me when I say that I know I am not a great writer. I don’t have the training, which is why I put the exercise out there so I could learn, and I learned a lot more than I had expected.
I also got a lot of feedback suggesting that I pursue the story line, making it more than just a short story. Thanks to everyone who commented, tweeted, or emailed me encouragement. I don’t know that I will be published, or even actively seek to be published, but I am going forward with the story. I have written a few more scenes and the story is taking shape in my head and on paper, but I am still working on certain aspects. I feel that this story will ultimately have to deal with sin and consequences, but I’m wondering how well a Christian publisher would receive a book that deals with real sin, and the struggles from that. I’ve noticed that most Christian lit tends to kind of gloss over those kinds of things with oblique references to the sin.
Has anyone else noticed this? Can you think of a Christian Fiction story that deals with the dirty side of sin?
Chronicles of Narthan: A Tale of the Untainted Sons of God
39 Questions Your Parents Hope You Never Ask About Sex
The Camouflage Shrub Angel Squad
The Bible
Which by the way, if we only did things when the odds were on our side, what would that say about our God?
I think the Bible would be a few books shorter…
I agree that the Bible deals with nasty gritty sin. I love teh story of the woman who is dragged before Jesus. They say, "we caught her in the act of adultery." Holy freak that is a pretty clear picture of sin but Jesus does something even bigger, he shows real grace.
I've read a lot of Christian fiction and I find it generally doesn't deal with humanity the way the Bible does. I wonder if that is because the publishers want to play it safe but I think that ends up hurting Christian lit in the long run.
I struggle with this sometimes. I like sweet Christian fiction from time to time, but mostly, I'm looking to ache for others, think about the life I live, and how to help others come to Christ. And usually, helping others come to Christ involves true aching of some sort. And keeping the faith requires aching, so why don't we see this heartache in the books we read?
I think there should be sweet Christian fiction. I am not one to read it but apparently lot of people do. I'm not one to read romance or westerns either. There isn't anything wrong with any of those genres but I want to read a Christian book that deals with real people. I read these Christian "action" novels and find that real people don't die. How can people go to war but everyone lives. I might be exaggerating a little but Christian lit is about the same as Christian movies in my experience. It's all happy in the end and the "bad guy" that has to die turns out to be some weird none person (see most of Ted Dekkers latest books)
If Anne Lamott can pull of amazing sells with her Traveling Mercies / Faith serires, which is about as gitty sin as it gets – including lots of potty words, then a fiction book can do the same thing. People need this type of stuff.
One of my FAVORITE quotes by Anne is from an interview she did with Christianity Today
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/january/…
Anne says in the interview (and I just love this) ”I wish fiction by Christians offered more such realistic portrayals of Christians behaving badly.”
I support real faith from real people without masks, GO FOR IT !!!
Language is actually one of the areas I'm struggling with. I probably offend a lot of people because I preach the same way I speak, and I tend to say such offensive stuff, like crap and freakin. Still, I know people say a lot worse, I just don't. I never have. Since I don't then I don't know how well I would portray rough speech.
That article is great btw. Thanks.
Nick, I would love to see a book where people talk about sin in all it's filthiness. And not just, "The bad guy did this sin and paid for it," but Christians dealing with crap and reaping the consequences. We're not perfect, we get stuck in sin, we hide our sin, and our sin ultimately hurts us and others around us in a way that we can't even know. I think being real might help some of us come out of the closet with our junk before it hurts us.
My recent post The "Virgin" Mary
I really want to read that kind of book too. I was honestly hoping that someone could point out existing books like that. We need to get over our idea of "perfect little Christians" and get to know the God that loves us in our sin and as He helps us grow. That is pretty powerful when you see that.
I think it comes down to the humanity of it. That's the case with any story. If I can relate to it, really feel it, then I'll love it… even if it touches on some difficult topics.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
My recent post QUESTION: What are you doing this Christmas?
I think it is very true with any story, but I feel like a lot of Christian lit, if not all that I've read, doesn't really deal with humanity, at least nothing recent. I feel like the Chronicles of Narnia portray sin and consequences better than most modern Christian fiction catered to adults. That seems wrong to me.
I read 58 books last year, Christian and not and quiet frankly the best book I’ve seen that deals with sin was actually not about sin it self but a family and the results everyone’s choices makes on everyone else. I’m always in search of a good book to reivew though, so please write your book!