People often ask me where I get the ideas for my novels. Usually, I come across the seeds for future ideas as I’m doing research for other stories. The idea for Unrivaled, this spring’s release, came as I was delving into the history of candy for my 1890s historical, She Walks in Beauty
A guest post by Rita Gerlach
Not long ago I read one of the best definitions of Christian fiction from the ‘The Calling of Christian Writers’ by Richard Doster. Doster wrote, “Christian fiction”—the books we find in the back of the bookstore—often edify and inspire us. And just as we need composers to create hymns, the church needs writers —novelists and theologians alike—to build up the body, to enhance our worship, to delight us with stories that exemplify the truths of the Christian faith.
Still—it may be time to confess that we’ve left literature in the hands of those who have no hope to offer. It might be time to reconsider our… Continue reading
By Lawrence Waymire
From Burden To Rest
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
This is a call to the spiritually broken and poor of this world. Those who have come to the end of their ropes and finally realized that the tempting pleasures of this world ultimately lead… Continue reading
by Diane Chase
“Why write a book?” I’ve been asked. Why surrender weekends and holidays to critique groups, rewrites, and the rest? Simple answer: I want to share what God does. (Or did, depending on how you see it.)
That’s what our hearts long to hear, even in fiction. What’s He up to? I want that nugget of wisdom you heard, that answer you received to a long-awaited prayer. Whether it’s shared in song, conversation, or books, your testimony goes straight to my heart and builds my faith. So many times I’ll read a Christian novel in bed and go “whoa.” That’s where I turn out the lights and let some bit of truth, some wonderful… Continue reading
Any worthwhile endeavor requires consistent ongoing effort to accomplish. For example, watching television isn’t any worthwhile endeavor and subsequently requires no real effort.
Writing a novel, however, is a worthwhile endeavor and will require consistency in your effort if you’re ever going to finish.
That’s why my New Year’s Resolution for 2013 is consistent effort toward my pursuits.
I’ve discovered that I get the most accomplished when I have a daily plan of action.
Without one, I find that I either end up watching TV, spend excessive time trying to figure out what I should do next or I get focused on just one activity, such as writing this blog and neglect everything else… Continue reading
Recently Michael Sauret posted a great article titled A Christian-Shaped Hole in Literary Fiction. In it he wrote about why much of today’s Christian fiction is cheesy and predictable. I believe this, most likely, stems from authors who are not being creative in how they implement Christianity into their novels.
I would be willing to suspect that many christian fiction authors find a niche that sells and stick with it because it’s easier to write for an established genre than to implement greater degrees of creativity that yield the necessity of more effort in marketing.
For me, I’d like to learn how to write fiction that is not only incredibly well written, implementing the various… Continue reading
“And now look, I free you this day from the chains that were on your hands.” Jeremiah 40:4
Saints, it sometimes concerns me that so many of us state that we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior but continue to walk around shackled with the chains of this life. We don’t exhibit the attributes, physical or otherwise, of a people that have been set free.
Our eyes do not shine with expectation. We continue to be deaf to what God has already promised us as part of His family and as a result, can’t hear His voice when He is trying to move us into something that will enhance us for His glory… Continue reading
©2012
While listening to the March 12, 2012 Christian Fiction podcast with author Terri Blackstock, I related so much to her comment about God using our crises, not only to grow us, but so we can in turn pass on what we’ve learned to others through our books. I’ve found that to be true in reading Christian fiction, God’s Word, and in the stories I’ve written.
The first time I read Francine Rivers’ Redeeming Love, I sobbed. I remember thinking how Michael Hosea’s love for Angel was exactly like God’s love for sinful mankind. Throughout the ages humans have continually committed spiritual adultery, but God in His grace and faithfulness still provided a way for our… Continue reading
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