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We often get in discussions with fellow readers over certain aspects of the novels we read and write. If we're the author of the object of conversation, we're kind of suspect in our responses because of course we're prejudiced on our behalf. We like our novels and want to defend them. We want the reader to understand why we made those specific writing choices. It matters to us if we succeed or fail. The truth is, more often than not, we will do both.
As a reader, liking a story does not automatically insure we will like the writing used to tell it. Loving the writing does not guarantee we will like a story. Sometimes we tolerate that which we don't like in order to relish that which we do. This has happened to me on a few occasions, one way or the other.
And just because we spot what we consider weaknesses in a book doesn't necessarily mean we don't like it. Let me give you an example from my reading. Chris Fabry's first adult novel, having been a multi-published author of children's fiction, is Dogwood. I loved this book. I mean I loved it. However, that doesn't mean I saw no flaws or that it was perfect. In fact, the bad guy in law enforcement was the stereotypical bad guy in law enforcement. And I, to this day, still can't decide if I liked the ending. Most of the time I don't. But I love the book, recommend it and Chris Fabry to anyone who appreciates lovely and meaningful writing.
So. I must confess it hurts to hear what readers consider a weakness in my writing. That thick skin I'm supposed to adorn over this onion skin, barely layered over my emotional makeup, will not show up, grow, or cannot be conjured into existence no matter how much effort I make to manufacture it. Just a fact.
To illustrate my point, I'm going to share a few weaknesses in Breath of Life according to a couple of respected female readers who took the time to read the novel:
First of all, the relationship between the hero and heroine was not enough to sustain the story.
The story ended abruptly. These readers wanted more information about and reactions to the climactic event.
Valued opinions, and, yeah okay. Of course I can defend my decisions to do the story the way I did it, but my defense doesn't really matter because it doesn't change how they felt about the book.
Now from the other side, those who really enjoyed the story had zero complaints. One male reviewer gave it a stunning review and made no mention of these weaknesses.
The point in recognizing weaknesses is whether or not they resonate with who you hoped to reach and/or entertain with your story. If you fail your target audience, then those weaknesses will be a factor when another of your books is considered for reading. And if the weaknesses resonate with you as the writer after getting over the gut-punch reaction, then you can use that commentary to avoid similar weaknesses in your next effort.
Or at least try to . . .
God, thank you for every story. Help me tell them how you want me to. Help me honor you with my efforts. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
You know me. Passionate: right or wrong. All in or not at all.
I cry easily. At commercials. In movies. Over television scenes or episodes. Book incidents and endings. Memories. Instrumentals. Lyrics. Almost always anything concerning animals.
But I also cry hard when I fail the Lord - and that's not always definable to or for others. I just know. And when I fail those I love.
And I weep when people touch my heart.
Coming soon I will review Robert Liparulo's new novel The Thirteenth Tribe for the CFBA Tour. It's a wild and unusual ride as his stories always are. He recently stated the Lord was leading him in a little bit different direction. Faithful Liparulo readers will easily spot the "difference". More about that in the scheduled review.
With no inkling of the discovery in the Acknowledgements section at the end of the novel, which I deem important and often telling, after reading a few paragraphs of names, I saw my own in the midst of others receiving thanks for "constant friendship and encouragement". Somehow that touched me so deeply, I sobbed. Cried out loud.
I've been a fan of Robert's writing since Comes A Horseman. His voice is his own. His pacing is unequaled, his imagination fantastical, and his research impeccable. He's generous with his time and friendship like few bestselling authors are. I'm honored to call him a friend. And for him to acknowledge our friendship like he did, well, it speaks volumes about his character. Pun and cliché intended.
Thank you, Robert. You made me cry. Again. In a good way.
Father, you know Bob's heart and soul. You called him to write, and you designed him to ride the waves of his imagination which you stretch and bend into fantastic tales. I pray your continued protection and anointing upon his life, his family, his inspiration, and his actions that reflect you. For every blessing he provides for others, I pray you would return blessing to him tenfold. Reward his generous heart and soul. May he continue to hear your voice and use your insights. Encourage him as only you can do, Holy Spirit. Thank you for bringing him into my life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
What is story? Short, long, novella, novel, epic, saga. Simply stated all stories depict situations with characters, human and otherwise, experiencing something. The present, the past, the future, the imagined. Structurally, there's a beginning, middle, and end, none of which must be definitive and rigid but must simply create a continuity for whoever the intended reader is expected to be.
In the world of literature professional gatekeepers set standards for their publishing houses. It's accepted that Christian publishers' requirements are more stringent and within this category of publishing, some moreso than others. Few things in recent times have created more controversy within the industry. There's a call for opening up the reach of Christian fiction to eradicate the stereotype of "clean", "formulaic", "predictable", and "preachy" associated with the Christian fiction label.
I've included here a reprinted partial set of standards listed by a well-known Christian publisher. I had seen similar standards with a few more specifics in another romance line which is noted for its rigid rules for publication. This is not a romance imprint. I must admit this list surprised me because of the particular publishing house. I've highlighted specific instructions which suggest a certain hypocrisy and conflict.
Philippians 4:8 addresses the need to focus our thoughts on wise (godly) principles to preclude our actions with others and in general. To reel in those errant thoughts that lead to conflict and argument, emphasis on the flesh and world, and dependence on oneself instead of on what God provides spiritually, emotionally, and physically. To suggest that story must adhere to all of these perfect standards for thought and meditation which are supposed to lead us into right actions seems like a total stretch as requirements for publishing novels. And since we're in stretching mode, these requirements, as listed here for being in compliance with scriptural instruction for our mental and physical actions, really do not provide a realistic approach to story. However, they do contribute to a much criticized and often deserved stereotype for Christian fiction.
Reprinted in anonymity here:
Philippians 4:8 provides the inspiration for an expansive content program. It says:
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
Notice the word whatever. It is repeated six times and then followed by the word anything. Based on this verse, we believe that Christians are free to think, write, or speak about anything—whatever they want!—provided it meets eight minimal criteria:
1. It must be true. This means that it must be authentic and must correspond to reality. We want to promote content that embraces reality as God created it, not content that “sugar coats” reality or tries to make reality something it is not.
2.It must be noble. This means that it must raise us up and make us more like God. The opposite is to debase or degrade. We want to promote content that ultimately motivates people and calls forth their best qualities.
3.It must be just. This means it must be righteous or consistent with the commandments of God. It also means it must be fair. We want to promote content that promotes righteousness and godly living. By the way, this doesn’t mean that novels can’t have evil characters. (There are plenty of them in God’s story.) But it does mean that in the end righteousness is rewarded and evil punished—if not in this life, the next.
4.It must be pure. This means it must be chaste, modest, clean. We want to promote content that promotes holiness and offers a necessary corrective to current trends to sexualize everything. This does not mean that we are opposed to sex, of course. But we want to make sure that our content advocates a view of sex that is consistent with Christian morality. Avoid descriptions of the act, specifically the following: kissing below the neck; sexual touching; visible signs of arousal or sexual attraction; nudity; double entendre; sex outside of marriage.
5.It is lovely. This means it must be aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. We want to publish communicators who are committed to beautiful writing and speaking. Both what is said and how it is said are important. Beauty is not a means to an end. It is an end in itself, because it reflects the beauty of the Creator.
6.It is of good report. This means it must be commendable or of high reputation. Again, the emphasis is on that which represents the best, that which anyone could read or hear and agree that it is well-written or well-spoken.
7.It is virtuous. This means it must affirm behavior which is consistent with the highest values. Values that don’t manifest themselves in behavior are merely platitudes. We want to promote content that challenges people to live lives of moral excellence and virtue.
8.It is praiseworthy. This means it must be worthy of recommendation; something you can personally endorse. At the end of the day, we want to promote content we are proud of, books or conferences that we are willing to recommend to a family member or friend with the confidence that they will [be] wowed and grateful that they took the time to enjoy it.
The reason we have content standards is because we want to be faithful to Christ as we fulfill His call on our lives. And we also want our customers to be able to trust us. We want people to have confidence that our products are consistent with a Christian worldview, are created by people who profess to be Christians and are striving to walk the talk, regardless of the subject matter they may be addressing.
Works that do not conform to these standards will be rejected or cancelled by . . .
My only exasperated comment after reading this was: REALLY?!
Father, I know you expect reality to be portrayed honestly. May we look to you and not to man to do it according to what you have for us to do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
DiAnn Mills is a prolific bestselling author. You don't get to be either of those things without having a solid and abundant audience. The Chase is my first Mills' novel, and in reading this romantic suspense, not heavy on the romance, I can understand why she has steady readers. Reviewed here for the CFBA Tour, The Chase keeps what starts out as two simple plotlines evolving into complex issues with two primary conflicted characters leading the way.
FBI Special Agent Santiago Harris (Tigo) is the classic rogue player who will if necessary barge headlong into situations that could easily take him down. Successful author of women's fiction and former news anchor Kariss Walker has pursued the case of a young Hispanic girl coined "Cherished Doe" found starved to death near a Houston low-rent apartment district for several years. A now cold-case, she wants to write a novel about the girl, making it a suspense, and her uppity New York literary agent refuses to back her new effort. In order to re-investigate the case and do the proper research, Kariss engages her old friend in the FBI. He assigns her to the reluctant agent Tigo who's way deep in an investigation of gun running by a powerful Houston gang. Trying to figure out all the players through his informant turns out badly. When Kariss is inadvertently involved in a gang shooting at the hospital, Tigo now has to figure out how to protect her along with everything else.
A mutual admiration develops between the two with each one recognizing certain likable qualities in each other while respect forms. It isn't heavy-handed or silly attraction but it's there for both of them to fight off and deny. The wide net of all suspected involvements by wealthy investors into this gang activity presents the frustrating problem of connecting all the links in this complex chain. During this process, Kariss aids and hinders the investigation making some stupid and life-threatening choices because of her desire to rectify some serious wrongs.
If I had to fault the story, I might suggest Kariss's parents came off a little too spiritually dogmatic and stereotypical, and Kariss as a co-protagonist wasn't easy to warm up to which was probably intentional. Some of her decisions might have conjured up her journalistic history with TV reporting, but, really?
For DiAnn Mills' fans I'm sure The Chase will provide satisfying entertainment. It's cleanly written with a variety of well-illustrated characters, and as the investigations seem to merge, the intensity escalates. DiAnn knows her audience, and this one will provide them with what they want and expect.
Father, you've given DiAnn multiple stories to tell. I pray you would continue to bless her in every area of her career and life pursuits. May she always look to you for all of her needs. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
What comes to mind? A castle? A bunker? A fortress? A citadel?
Probably not the bastion of the mind. The place where we hide things we can't face. Or the place where we deposit painful experiences because we know the protection sustains those things not easily accessed.
Some are constructed hastily. In the moment. Others take years to build as we add onto the structure piece by hurtful piece. Containment. It's what we expect from our bastions. Protection from the life-thwarting daggers of certain episodes in life.
Who would've thought we'd need to erect a stronghold to keep us from ourselves? To deny us passage into the dark corridors we'd rather not admit exist.
Writing forces us to charge the barricade, to demand the drawbridge lowered, to storm into the chilling entance and stand transfixed by gaining entry. We look with wonder, our torches high and flaming, surveying what we've become and what we've failed to overcome. The story gushes forth like a frothy, foaming poison threatening to douse us in its liquid death, but since we seem planted - even paralyzed - by both its beauty and its horror, we stand still, and it comes right to us and infuses our nostrils with its hot danger but subsides before forcing us to breathe its annihilation.
We've trespassed our hidden limits. And survived. Recorded our innermost fears. Revealed our pungent emotions. Wondering who will be offended by our truths.
The bastions of writers: conquered. Again.
Father, we need you to reveal who we are at our core. You know us where we've hidden. We're desperate for you, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Guilt, real or perceived, eats us up from the inside out. If we choose to set it aside, attempt to ignore it, compartmentalize it, or blow it off, bad things happen. Maybe not right away. And maybe not to the point where some of us truly recognize the damage, but that collision of right and wrong causes reactions in the visible and invisible.
Doing something wrong is common to all of us from the time we're told "no" and do it anyway right up until the end of our lives. Maybe we get better at minimizing our wrongdoing, but we never quite master it. Hovering around those actions of error is confession.
The crux of crucifixion presented the horrific display of what guilt warranted and how the punishment delivered a sealed proclamation that the actions which produced guilt were no longer binding. Forgiveness was issued. In full. Requirement? Confess. Repent. Receive.
Writing fiction gives us an opportunity to confess. We bring characters to the page with all kinds of flaws and we commit them to errors, to cruelty, to joy, to devotion, to hatred, to . . . humanity. And in that humanity we openly display ourselves and reveal those things which must be confessed as wrong, as errant, as sin. We confront the depravity and the sweetness of the human soul and we allow readers to consume us. Some will spit us out, and others will hold the flavor of our words like their favorite Lifesavers. We may be what we eat, but we most certainly are what we write. Maybe not in physical demonstrations but in mental exercises. We simply must abide in those things we write in order to capture a measure of reality in the painted pictures of our chosen words. Think of the fragments of a broken mirror which remain in its frame. Look into that mirror and see the pieces of who you are: fractured, divided, still connected. It must be duplicated on the page.
Because at some point, we all must confess.
Father, I confess my struggles with sin everyday. And everyday I ask that you would continue to work in me, continue to forgive me, and I thank you for doing just that. Amazing love, how can it be . . . In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Higher, farther.
Oxygen sucked from air and words disappear in vapor.
Clawing at the cliffs of experience.
Waiting for the memory to form from the present
And the make believe.
Knowing perfection cannot come
But hoping its cousin will delight on the page.
Crushing the fingers pressing on keys.
Exhales that sound like the pounding
and whooshing of waterfalls.
The climb to the pinnacle vacillates
Between folly and failure.
Hoping for fanfare.
Receiving a whiff.
God, needing you in it all. So much. Always. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
"I write for adults who might have been broken along the way, who faced sexual temptations and failed, who clung to their purity but succumbed to what they thought was love; to those who feel passion but wonder how God feels about it; who've partaken of what the world offers and come up empty; for those who've stayed faithful, and for those who are waiting for the one God has for them no matter how lonely it can be."
I wrote the above description a few years ago. It still applies. Even in my new effort which is a police procedural, this general theme surfaces throughout the story. It's been said - and debated - ad nauseam "write what you know". I know what it's like to have noble intentions only to watch them erode and crumble away like the stalwart cliffs that meet the ocean's incessant pounding.
Life doesn't easily accommodate our best intentions. We, as individuals and collectively, continue to place obstacles in our paths because of our imperfections from our sin nature. Those who don't recognize Christianity's definition of the fallen state of man continue to believe in an attainable utopia where all things they think are possible can be accomplished by them with the cooperation of others.Oftentimes when things go wrong, it's the fault of others who fail to see things the way they do. There is nothing quite so arrogant as a staunch belief in one's own abilities or in the overall capabilities of mankind.
When you attempt to achieve love without the Creator, you find a self-serving relationship laden with sacrificial tendencies, usually one moreso than the other. Human love is rife with imbalance, narcissism, convenience, resentment, finger-pointing, and martyrdom.
Christian love is difficult enough. All the tendencies of human love warring against the kind of love that puts another before oneself grind on the souls of those who attempt to truly love. People break down in the process. They stumble, fall, and refuse to stand; some never recover, abandoning their character and returning to the mire of failure, of the world's version of love sans any form of sacred union. Others reach out for forgiveness and start the long and arduous trek back to spiritual solvency, to gain that sacred trust once again and to rebuild the shredded sinews of the heart of love.
I've stumbled so many times before and after Christ. I've contemplated staying in the mire, but when Jesus rescued me the contrast was so distinct the decision was made to never return. Sometimes the devastation of falling is so severe, I've doubted I could stand again, but submitting to the strength of heavenly arms willing to hoist me up and clean me off is unequaled to anything the world offers.
So. What am I really saying? I write for me. And people like me . . .
God, thank you is never enough. Jesus, thank you for being real. Holy Spirit, thank you for the whispers of truth. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Taking HHS to Federal Court in Defense of Religious Liberty
The ACLJ filed suit in federal court on behalf of a business owner arguing that President Obama's abortion pill mandate violates religious liberty by forcing abortion coverage.
Read it at the ACLJ's Docket Blog
Pastor Youcef Alive as ACLJ Launches Tweet for Youcef Brazil
Our contacts on the ground in Iran confirmed as of Friday afternoon that Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is alive just as the ACLJ launched a new Tweet for Youcef campaign for Brazil in Portuguese.
Read it at the ACLJ's Docket Blog
ObamaCare's Abortion Funding Rule Finalized
The Obama Administration finally admits that ObamaCare will use taxpayer money to fund abortions.
Read it at the ACLJ's Docket Blog
Majority Of Americans Oppose Obama's Abortion Pill Mandate
A recent poll reveals that a majority of Americans agree that no one should have to choose between their religious beliefs and breaking the law.
Read it at the ACLJ's Docket Blog
Engaging Iran at the United Nations to Free Pastor Youcef
Pastor Youcef's imprisonment is being brought before the UN at the Human Rights Council where Iran finally admitted the case against Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani involves his Christianity.
Read it at the ACLJ's Docket Blog
Father, we pray for your mercy on our nation. We pray you will intervene as you hear our prayers of repentance. Lord God, we're still and always desperate for you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
It's no secret I'm not a fan of the fantasy genre. Period. I can't sit through the Lord of the Rings films, and I've only watched the first in the Narnia movies all the way to the finish. Believe me when I say I can appreciate the talent involved in both writing the imaginative tales and constructing the elaborate films filled with magnificent special effects, but . . . I'm not into any of it. I can do science fiction before I can do fantasy, and sci-fi is definitely not my favorite.
My cyber-friend Rebecca Luella Miller has done her level best to convince me that I'm missing out on some wonderful literature by refusing to indulge the fantasy genre. The platform it presents for the universal good v. evil conflict is epic and allows for the creative genius of many to develop multiple scenarios to point to spiritual truths (among other things) in the demonstration of this ever present war. I know she shakes her head when I staunchly decline to budge on my views. Fantasy does not appeal to me. Not even remotely. Ranks right up there with Amish fiction in the least desirable category. Truth is I'd read an Amish novel before I'd read a fantasy novel.
This aversion does not apply to supernatural suspense. As long as the author doesn't veer too far away from the biblical perspective of the spiritual warfare we all face, bring it. Do it well and I'm so there. Why? Because it isn't fantasy. It's bona fide real. And contemporary. And ancient. And critical. And easily incorporated into stories of ordinary or extraordinary people, not made up creatures living similar to humanity with the same objectives, good or bad.
So. There you have it. Fantasy lovers, feel free to engage. However, you won't change my mind. Sorry.
Father, I know you spark the imaginations of your people in many ways. I guess I'm earthly and heavenly and nothing in between. Thank you for loving us all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Novels. Wow. Good ones, bad ones, mediocre ones. Readers and writers.
The best, the worst, those we forget. Characters we love and characters we love to hate. Fast-paced, slow meandering. Familiar places. Faraway lands. Back in time. Contemporary. Futuristic. Fantasyland.
Those who brand their work and those who refuse to be categorized.
First person. Second. Third and close third person. Omniscient. Points of view.
Rules and rule-breakers. Voice. Style. Cadence.
Category. Unique form. Breakaway looks.
Instruction books. Classes at conferences. Writing blogs and websites. Mentors. Teachers.
Agents, editors, publishers, copy-editors, proofreaders, marketers, publicists, networking.
Authors . . .
Father, help me to write what you planned for me. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Amen to that.
God, we're just so strange sometimes. Please have mercy on us, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.