Staying Content, Whether Or Not You Get Published

Currently I'm reading the writing how-to book, "The Art & Craft of Writing Christian Fiction" by Jeff Gerke. At the beginning, he talks about how as Christian fiction writers, our main goal is to be published. And for most of us, it's not until we reach that goal will we are fully content and fulfilled.

Of course, this discontentment isn't obvious, which is why Jeff Gerke advises us examine our desire to be published. Not just to see if you want it for the fame, money, and success - but to ask yourself if you subconsciously are in this because you feel as if your life will finally be "complete" when you see your name in print.

"Do you want it so desperately because you feel it will make you content? Can you be content with your life if you never get published? Or will you not be 'happy' until you achieve this goal?"

~Jeff Gerke

This discontentment leads to greed. And greed, according to Colossians 3:5, leads to idolatry. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Am I going to be happier when/if I do get published?
2. Am I focusing more on writing than on God?
3. If this isn't God's will for my life, will I bet upset with him or trust that he has a plan?
4. Am I trying to control based on/off my strength and the way I want things to go, or am I allowing God to direct the path?
5. How often am I praying, putting God first in this career?
6. Do I want to get published to serve myself, or to serve Christ?

If you learn to put God first in your life, then you will always have enough to be content - no matter where your writing career takes you.

"I have to go through my life firm in the knowledge that God has given me everything I need for contentment. I have to believe I'm operating from a place of fullness, not a place of lack... If your attitude is correct, then I think God loves to grant us the desires of our hearts - having placed those desires there in the first place!"

~Jeff Gerke

~~~

For me, I tend to control things instead of trusting God and allowing him to direct my path. What about you? Is it a shocking realization that being published may not be what God has in store for you?

The Difference Between Being "Too Preachy" & Staying Within Your Genre

If you love reading or writing Christian fiction, then you probably can tell when an author is being too "preachy". Or perhaps you've read a few CF books that were nice clean stories, but they lacked spiritualness. There are always many complaints about this matter in the CF genre. So I've decided to do a little survey.

I randomly searched five different CF books on Goodreads.com and found that three out of five books were reviewed at least once as being too "preachy". Two of those books had at least one person complain in the reviews that the Christian aspect of the novel was too "watered down". And out of these five Christian fiction books, eight people considered it being too "cheesy/corny".

Here are some of the comments made on these books:

• "I liked the story, but it was heavy on the religious side."
• "It’s an inspirational romance that at times is quite heavy on the religious aspect in my opinion. " Another person said (on this same novel): "I think the purpose of this book was overshadowed by the very dark subject matter. A lot of people have called this a Christian Romance, I find that very hard to believe... For the subject matter and details given I would have give it at R rating."
• "The writing is very heavily Christian; there's lots and lots of talk about God.”
• "This book is sappy and overly religious. (Some Christian, Evangelical type religion) "
• "First of all, this book was PG 13--which I didn't know when I purchased it... I probably should have mentioned this first--she takes her clothes off way too much... I would not recommend this book."
• "Christian romance novels are just not my thing--too cheesy too often."
• "But, honestly. Christian Romance Novels?!?!? Who wants to like those? They're so cheesy, so...naive."

As you can see, we all have different opinions and beliefs. So if you are writing for the CF genre, there will most likely be someone out there who will think that your book is too "preachy”, "cheesy” or "subtle" for the Christian market.

How can we draw the line between sounding too preachy and simply writing a Christian fiction story, but without having to water down the Christian aspect?

1. First of all, understand the principles of how to avoid sounding preachy

. However, there will still be those who will consider your book too religious - simply because it's labeled under Christian fiction. I wrote this post a few months ago explaining a few tips that I have learned on how to stay away from this.

Don't be afraid of mentioning God.

Your book is, in fact, labeled under Christian fiction. I believe that CF is powerful and authors shouldn't shy away from using this power just because they don't want to offend their readers. Yes, we should weave the book's message around the story instead of weaving the story around it’s message - but still be able to write a story that is inspiring, uplifting, encouraging.

Don't abuse the power you have in writing Christian fiction

by trying to "save" people. Instead, reflect God's love without coming out and trying to shove religion down your reader's throat. No one likes this. Be nice to your readers.

Don't cross the borderline of Christian fiction.

What I mean is, people read books in this genre to draw nearer to Christ. Give them an inspiring story that they can come away from feeling encouraged, not having to question whether or not it is labeled under Christian fiction. If you're going to write in this genre, you shouldn't just mention God every now and then. He must always be the main focus of your books.

Avoid sounding legalistic,

and instead be real. One of the things that scare non-believers away are Christians who are judgmental, have unrealistically high standards, and act that they are much holier than everyone. The best way to stay away from sounding this way in our writing is by using real people with real issues that others can connect with, even if they do have different beliefs. Show love, not legalism or "religion".

Last but not least, allow God to direct your writing.

It is, however, His story. We're only typing it for Him.
Keep in mind that you can’t please everyone, so don’t try to. If you have a story to tell (that happens to be Christian), then write it. Of course, you should know the tips to avoid on being too preachy and use common sense when deciding which details to expose to your readers; but most of all, write the kind of book that you would love to read. Who cares if your readers consider it cheesy, or if they think that it should be an adult rating. Your purpose in writing CF is to please God, not please people. So do it for him.

“You can present truth through fiction. People love a good story,

and if they can come away from it with a stronger sense of spiritually,

the writer has done a good job.”

~Teresa Gayle

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What are some other ways that Christian fiction writers can try to add just the right amount spiritualness without sounding preachy?

What are some other ways that Christian fiction writers can try to add just the right amount of subtleness?

Do you mostly read Christian fiction or secular fiction, and for what reasons?

Book Review: "Me, Just Different" by Stephanie Morrill

This year I've decided to include book review as apart of my blog. The reason I haven't yet is because, first of all, there are so many other book review blogs out there. Why would anyone want my opinion? And that's the other reason that I haven't... it's just an opinion. Right? Everyone has a different taste in books that they enjoy or don't really care for.

For this reason I'm going to to post my reviews a little bit differently. Instead of creating another summary of the novel in my words, I'll post the back cover blurb, what I liked about the book, what I disliked about the book, and final comments. Every book has it's pros and cons, and I will be reviewing from my point of view - based on my opinions, my taste, and the author's writing style.

The first novel I'm going to review is "Me, Just Different" by Stephanie Morrill, the first book in the "Skylar Hoyt" series.

Back Cover Blurb:

"Getting a fresh start is harder than it looks. Skylar Hoyt is a girl who seems to have it all--she's pretty, popular, and has a great-looking boyfriend. Her senior year should be the best one yet. But a horrible experience at a summer party has changed everything. Now she's vowing to make better choices, including going back to church. But as Skylar tries to gain new perspective on life, the world as she knows it begins to fall apart. Her parents are constantly fighting. Her younger sister has a big secret that Skylar is forced to keep. The guy she's dating is annoyingly jealous. And the new guy down the street is just plain annoying. In the midst of the chaos, Skylar starts to wonder who her real friends are and, even more importantly, who she is."

What I liked:

I love how this story weaves real-teen issues into it's content, which is what many YA Christian fiction books lack. It also wasn't too in-your-face preachy, and the spiritual side of it seemed real, not at all cheesy. I think the message is one that could relate to many teens. You could also tell that the author is very in tuned with the teenage lifestyle today. The pace of the story was nice, and the writing style was a fairly easy read.

Final Comments:

I would love to read the rest of this series, because I did like this book and would recommend it, especially if you're a fan of YA Christian chick-flicks. Although the plot was very similar to other high-school-drama novels, I liked how the author seemed to understand the spiritual side to personal teenage issues such as pregnancy, rape, alcoholism, etc.

~~~

Have any of you read "Me, Just Different"?

What did you think about the plot, the themes that it portrayed, the writing style, etc.?

Would you recommend this book as well?

Order this novel by clicking here.

To read more of my book reviews, check out my Goodreads account here.

Stretching The Imagination

Probably by now plenty of you have already created your new years resolutions' for 2011 and are currently striving to achieve those goals, and I'm sure that at least one of these resolutions have to do with getting in shape - such as losing a certain amount of pounds by a certain date, or running laps around the block three times a week. Working out is a great way to start out the new year, especially when you keep it up and don't slack in your exercise routines. I often find myself not trying as hard as I should in working out, such as skipping the warm-up just because I want to get the exercise over with as quick as possible. However, the warm-up is just as important as the exercise itself, and should never be skipped.

Writing can many times feel like a work out routine for me. There are goals that must be met, and I have to dedicate a certain amount of time each day to writing. If I do, I will eventually become stronger and it will become easier for me to write. And, likewise with working-out, I tend to skip the part that warms up my writing muscles - the part that is so necessary. Just as stretching before exercising can help get your heart pumping, stretching your imagination before writing can help get your creative juices flowing. Here are a few "warm-up" exercises that I've found very helpful:

• Writing prompts. There are many of these you can find on various websites, such as this one. Challenge yourself. Do the one that seems to stretch your imagination to it's limit.
• Write a scene based on a picture. Photography has always been a big inspiration for my writing. You can search images on websites such as Flickr, Photobucket, and even Tumblr. I've written a six-page short story before, all based on one photograph. Ask yourself questions such as "how did the person in the photograph end up there?" or "who are the people at this location, and why are they there?" If there is a person/people in the picture, observe their facial expressions. Write the scene based on that mood.
• Take a song and write a scene from that. I love doing this. It helps me to put myself in someone else's shoes and search the meaning behind the lyrics a bit further, thinking about what type of person would feel this way and why.
• Read books. Study the author's writing. Dissect the books that you read. Study them like a text-book, highlighting the parts that stand out to you the most. As writers, we have to be constantly reading others' work. Have you ever heard of a musician or singer who doesn't listen to anyone's music except their own?
• Read self-help books on writing. My personal favorite is "A Novel Idea", because it is written specifically for Christian fiction authors, explaining the ministry of writing and how we can learn to write for the Lord. "Revision & Self-Editing" by James Scott Bell and "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers" are also very helpful books that explain the craft and techniques of writing.
• Write a diary entry from one of your character's point of view, or make up another character and write from their perspective. This is always a great way to get outside of our own head and into the heads of others.
• Think of story ideas based off a certain scripture. I find reading Bible verses very inspiring - not just for my spiritual journey, but for my writing journey as well. It is possible to tie a scripture into a story idea without ever mentioning it in the book itself. The Bible is full of interesting story ideas. All we've got to do as writers is dig them out.
• Read news stories, and ask "what if?" questions. "What if" the guys who started the high school shooting were teens who wouldn't normally do something like this, but were forced to or else their families lives would be at stake because of a threat?
• Write a scene from one of your favorite memories. This could be a memory as a kid, teen, or a recent memory. Live life, then use life.

The more you stretch your imagination, the more flexible it will become. Make sure to always set aside time before your writing routine to warm-up. That way, when you do begin to write, your voice will come across as strong, as well as your writing "muscles". This may help your thoughts to become more clear also, allowing yourself to meet your goal faster than you originally had planned.

Oh, don't forget to always keep a full mug of coffee or tea nearby before beginning your daily writing work-out routine. =)

~~~

There are several other ways you could "stretch your imagination". What are some other writing warm-ups that I didn't mention?

Do you often skip this part of writing?

Can you tell a difference when you do this?

Do You Write To Serve Yourself, Or To Serve God?

"Martha was distracted with much serving... But Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

~Luke 10:40-42

The other day as I was reading a Max Lucado book, I came across something that made me stop and think about the reason that I write. Sure, I love writing. But am I writing to serve, please, and bring glory to my Father - or to serve, please, and bring glory to myself?

In the above Bible story, Martha was having Jesus over for supper. She did everything she could to prepare dinner so that it would be perfect. Meanwhile, she became so distracted and obsessed with the serving part that she completely forgot the One she was serving.

I think many times we do the same. The reason I chose to write Christian fiction was so that I could use the words that God gives me to encourage those who hurt, and in the process draw people nearer to Christ. That was my main desire, as I'm sure it was for many of you. As time goes on, though, the focus shifts. We begin to spend more time concentrating on getting the work done and making it perfect instead of praying for God's guidance as we type. He is, in fact, the main reason that we write in the first place - so how can we, as writers, bring our attention back to the one who gave us this gift?

1. Don't focus so much on your writing schedule, trying not to be too hard on yourself if you don't meet your daily word count. Sure, it's important to be self-disciplined. But sometimes to-do lists become idols. Don't allow them to control your life. Instead, pray and allow God to lead you through the day. He is the one in control of your "writing journey". Everything is in his timing only, not yours.
2. Avoid losing yourself in the work, but instead remember the reason why you work. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that we must do everything for the glory of God. Disaster is guaranteed to come whenever we become obsessed with our job, or allow our job to control us instead of God. If we put unnecessary stress on ourselves to get the job done just right, we may be drowning out the voice of God trying to guide us as we type.
3. If you seem to be going nowhere in your "writing journey", don't fret. Being fretful can also lead to discouragement and obsession with your work, wanting to succeed rather than allowing God to lead. He often tests us just to see if our heart is in the right place, to see if we write to honor him, or to honor ourselves. Put the scripture Philippians 4:6-7 to action and pray about the situation instead. He knows where you stand in your career, and he's willing to help if you let him.
4. Remember that it is not through our works, but through his. Sure you may work hard to create the perfect story, but don't forget that the Creator is the one who put this gift inside of you.
5. Spend time in prayer and worship before putting your fingers to the keyboard. Not only will doing this bring you peace and clarity as you write, but you're putting God first instead of yourself. If you become stuck at some point, ask God to lead you. There have been many times that God works something out in my story that I had been worried about. It just came together perfectly after praying, without any effort on my behalf. Had I tried to figure it out, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere. If you make sure to spend time with the Lord each time before writing, our focus shifts from ourselves to God. Click here if you'd like to read a "writing prayer/poem" Karen Kingsbury wrote that I find very inspiring.

Now that it is a new year, we should all take a step away from our work and shift our focus back to Christ. As Christian writers, it's important that we don't get so caught up in trying to achieve a dream and become a well-known name in the industry, that we miss out on using this gift to serve Christ better.

"It's easy to forget who is the servant and who is to be served."

~Max Lucado

~~~

Is this something you seem to struggle with often?

In what way?

What are some other ways that writers can shift the focus from ourselves to our God?

Endless Writing Journeys

A new year has begun.

Aspiring authors have their fingers tightly wrapped around their pens, ready to either begin or continue their writing journey.

You have new goals set, goals that you hope will actually be met this year.

You may have spent too many years facing rejection, or too many years wondering if you should just give up.

This time last year is when I began to brainstorm and write the first draft of the manuscript which I am currently editing. I have yet to reach the finish line of my writing journey, but I'm much more closer than I was this time last year.

As I look back at 2010, a lot has happened along my journey. I started this blog, began and completed my third manuscript, went to my first writing conference where I met a publisher interested in my project, was offered a contract from this publisher, researched the industry and read many books on the craft of writing. Some of my writing goals were met, some are still in the process of being met, and many were not met.

This year is full of endless opportunities, and we have the privilege to decide what we want to do with this year. That may mean beginning your writing journey or continuing along the path that God has designed for you.

Some of you, though, may have been stumbling along this path for years. Each January, you make a new set of writing goals. You write down more agents to submit your manuscript to, and research which writing conferences you hope to attend. But does it every feel like you're walking in circles?

Perseverance, rejection. Perseverance, rejection. The pattern is the same.

And when you've been travelling along the same road for too long, you become exhausted. You start to have second thoughts about God's promise for you just like the Israelites did on their journey to the Promise Land. They never reached the land God had promised for them because they started to complain along the way. (Exodus 3:8)

They didn't reach the Promise Land not because it ceased to exist, but because they chose to give up.

Caleb and Joshua, however, did reach the land, but only because they kept having faith that God would eventually lead them out of the wilderness and into the land that had been promised to them, despite how long they had been travelling.

Some writing journeys may seem to take much longer than others. Some may seem much shorter. But if God has placed in you the desire to write, then he has a plan to use it. Reaching your goals depend on your willingness to persevere and have faith, or whether you choose to complain, lose hope and just give up.

Whatever happens this year along your writing journey, trust that God is still in control. It is still in his timing. Sure, it may seem long and exhausting. But each year you're closer to your destiny than you were the year before.

Don't follow the Israelites' example. Follow Joshua and Caleb's example. Keep a positive attitude when things look hopeless, and don't quit when things look tough.

Just like the children of Israel, your destination could be much closer than you realize.

~~~

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me..."

~Psalm 138:8