October 2024 – Geek Gab

Friend Of The Show Brian Neimeier wrote an article titled “Why Christian Authors Shouldn’t Write ‘Christian Fiction,'” about some of the weaknesses of “Christian Fiction,” and it’s well worth reading (link right).

In addition to the weaknesses he described, one of the other weaknesses of writing “Christian Fiction” is that as soon as people know you’re a Christian, they think they own you. They think they have the right to lecture you, to tell you what you should do. “If you were a real Christian…” This happens to civilians, much less to authors.

Also, Christian fic is expected to be “nice.” And while you should definitely obey whatever moral limits your conscience tells you to, “nice” is fundamentally a code of dishonesty. It’s nice to ignore people’s flaws, to pretend they don’t exist, in a social setting. It’s perfect for a classroom, or a family get together.

But nowhere outside of those small social settings should you be nice. Kind, polite, gentle, but not nice. Especially in fiction.

Fiction should be honest. It should tell the truth about individuals and humanity. And humanity as a whole (individuals excepted) is, fundamentally, apathetic at best and brutal at worst. The only thing that has ever changed this is the gospel of Christ. So your fiction should depict humanity as fallen and cruel, with individual exceptions.

For your stories to feel real, you must, as Lester Bangs said in Almost Famous, “Be honest, and unmerciful.” Whether that means depicting slavery, warfare, idol worship, envy, hatred, vengeance, adultery, murder, addiction, tormenting a weaker person, stealing, or whatever—humanity is imperfect, and fiction must depict that to be honest. (This includes depicting certain valiant individuals as exceptions.) Watch some Shakespearean plays, like Othello or Hamlet. He understood this well.

So your stories may need to contain violence (as much as needed for the story and as explicit as suits your audience’s age level), harsh (-ish) language, and other not-nice content. This is how you speak to people’s hearts, by presenting a world they can believe in (no matter how fantastic) because the people feel real.

And when people tell you that you can’t do that because you’re a Christian and you’re not allowed to, thank them for the feedback, ignore any guilt they may have sparked, and continue to use your talents in a way that communicates truth. We are not sent to Earth to hide our light under a bushel but to use our talents, no matter how modest (Matthew 25:14-30). Using your talents to their maximum extent is a way of praising God.

Communicating truth is the only way to truly illustrate the principles of the gospel, and the only way to truly communicate truth is by being honest, not nice.

Don’t write “Christian Fiction.” Live your life as the best Christian you can be, then write the fiction that’s in your heart. What comes out will astound you.

Month: October 2024

Great Fiction Isn’t “Nice”