The Difference Between "Preachy" vs. Christian & Clean vs. Real

*ATTN. teens & young adults: Stick around for the end of this post for a chance to enter a virtual book club!

Many people seem to believe that if a Christian fiction book deals with tough subjects, the spiritual element has been watered down; on the other hand, others read Christian fiction and then complain that the book was far too preachy for their taste. ➙ So where should CBA authors draw the line between being "too preachy" and watering down the spiritual element? 
Many Christian fiction authors hardly mention God in their stories in fear that they will come across as preachy. However, we have to remember that our books are in the Christian fiction genre for a reason. It's okay to incorporate a spiritual theme. It's okay to mention a scripture or two. Just do it in a way that is natural to the flow of your story.

  There are several CBA authors who have accomplished incorporating a strong spiritual element into their stories, and yet I didn't feel as if I were being preached to at all. (Karen Kingsbury and Francine Rivers, just to name a couple.) How can you tell if your book is becoming too preachy? 

• The story is only about your protagonist's salvation or learning a certain lesson.
• Your chapters are filled with scriptures and sermons.
• You're trying to get a point across rather than allowing a story to unfold.

However, if the protagonist's journey comes naturally without any of your interference, then it should be considered Christian rather than preachy.  Fiction should be allowed to present all kinds of real life stories, and a person's journey to find redemption and healing is one of those stories. It happens in real life. So in my opinion, it is completely fine for your protagonist to find Christ in your book--however, you should not have anything to do with his/her journey. It should be completely natural, and the character's salvation should not be entirely what the story is about. ➙ What is the difference between writing "clean" versus writing "real"?
As mentioned, it is possible for a book to be Christian rather than preachy; similarly, it is also possible for a book to be both real and clean. When one picks up a Christian fiction book, they shouldn't have to fear that the story may contain negative content. However, this does not mean that the story may not incorporate real issues that real people deal with in their every day life--it simply means that this content will be presented in a way that strengthens the person's faith rather than weakens it.

  Many CBA authors avoid writing realistically. In effort to write clean stories, they may construct flawless Christian characters who are living their too-perfect, unrealistic lives. But these are not the kind of stories that will minister. Instead, they might cause a reader to feel bad that they aren't as "good" of a Christian. Instead, the readers might stop reading Christian fiction altogether and pick up a secular book that they can actually relate with.

  The kind of stories that really minister to people are the ones that present real issues in a way that pulls people to Christ rather than towards the world. People need to learn how to face their every day challenges and temptations. They need to see how one choice might cause severe consequences. Just because a Christian author writes realistically does not mean that the book shouldn't be considered "clean".  So how is it possible to write both real and clean?

• Create characters that your readers can relate with: imperfect people who struggle with sin and temptation, just like every human. People who are in need of a Savior who can heal their scars, make them new, and offer redemption.
• Offer Biblical solutions to the struggles your characters may face.
• Present real issues in a way that pulls people towards Christ rather than sin. Have your characters learn from their mistakes. 
• "Tell" rather than "show". This may come as a surprise to you since writers are often told to show--but when there are certain "real" scenes that need to take place, it is often best to tell
  
  what happens instead. For example: He cursed rather than showing the actual word he said. Or telling an incident that happens--such as rape--without going into much detail. Or you can infer that it happens by ending the scene right before it takes place, although the readers are aware that it happens. (The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers accomplished this very well.)

Think of the Bible, for instance. If it were to become a full-length film, there is no doubt that it would be rated R. The characters are full of sin. It deals with issues that the world still faces today (adultery, rape, violence, just to name a few). And yet, it is still (obviously) the most popular and impactful Christian book in the world today.

Teens especially need clean, realistic stories. They're going to learn about certain issues one way or another--through music, television, school, friends, online, etc. We might as well present these to them first through the Christian perspective rather than through the world's. That way, they can learn about the negative impact and consequences before they may face the temptation for themselves.

(Side note: Being the youngest in my family, as well as the youngest of 13 cousins, I had the advantage of witnessing the consequences of certain actions before I was faced with them myself as a teenager. This is what a YA Christian fiction novel should accomplish--introducing an issue in a way that makes the young reader want to avoid going down that path. The world will make the sin look appealing; Christian fiction, on the other hand, should present these temptations in a way that influences the young reader to steer clear of it.)

Also, teenagers especially need to feel as if someone "gets" them. They don't like to feel alone. So when we incorporate struggles that teens face into our stories, they can then face their own situations by witnessing how the character dealt with theirs. (Which would then show them that the solution they are searching for can ultimately be find through Christ only.)

So don't be afraid of tackling tough subjects in your writing. You will probably accomplish more on a spiritual level when you write realistically rather than when you only write clean.

♡  ♡  ♡

Speaking of clean YA books . . . 

Would you like to:

• discover new, clean YA/New Adult books?
• discuss these books with other young readers?
• participate in a monthly giveaway?
• support authors and promote clean books?
• possibly win some prizes?

If so, head over to my new website, ReadingClean to join a 100% free virtual book club! You can find everything you need to know about this club on its about page. I hope to see you there! =)

Why Aren’t There More Teens Reading YA Christian Fiction, & How Can Authors Change That?

It seems as if every time I go to a bookstore it’s always such a struggle for me to find the YA Christian fiction section. And once I do find it, there are only a few shelves holding books from this genre. I then look at the YAF section and notice rows and rows of books, the covers of these novels filled with filthy images. For teens. And most of them contain all of the same storylines: teen drama, love stories, summer, and change. And vampires, of course. But most of these books are doing nothing but infecting the minds of teenagers. The authors are providing teens with the stories that we adore because it’s what we dream of or can relate to. If YAF is so popular now, then why isn’t YACF? Many teens have told me it’s because the books they have read in this genre have been cheesy, preachy, or boring. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Most of the time, a teen's view of Christianity and God is going to be based on the Christians around them, including the YA Christian fiction books that they read. And if they're boring and preachy, then they'll want nothing to do with Christianity. They'd rather read the YA fiction that doesn't preach to them, that reaches them on their level, that satisfies their desires accordingly. If they read even just one book in YACF that is cheesy/preachy/boring, they're not going to give this genre another try. Think about it. If you were a nonbeliever and knew someone who was a Christian who always tried preaching to you, shoving religion down your throat, and whose life is so boring because all that she/he does is read the Bible - would that attract you to God? No. That would only leave you with a bad impression of Christianity. And you’re going to want nothing to do with that religion.

I believe one of the reasons that YACF isn't as popular as YAF is because of these types of books. We have to keep in mind that it's not just Christians reading this genre, it is often non-Christians who pick up the book not realizing that it is Christian—or pick it up because of great reviews, a cool cover with an interesting back cover blurb, a recommendation from a friend, etc.

You don't want to preach to them. You want to offer them a story that believers and nonbelievers alike can both enjoy. But how can authors do this? How can we present Christianity in YA fiction without sounding cheesy, boring, or preachy?

1. Provide the same elements that teens love, except offer a clean alternative with a Christian perspective.

I'm not saying that Christian YA fiction books should be nothing but teen drama and vampire stories with the mention of God every now and then, but that we need to reach the teen culture on its level.

Reach out to the hurting.

There are many teens who have grown up in a broken family, teens who are barely getting through in life because they don’t know Christ. They may want to find encouragement by reading a book where the character is going through some of the same struggles as they are, because readers like to read stories that they can relate to. And they want to see how the character coped with the struggle and also to feel as if they’re not alone. So they pick up the book, and they find that the character deals with this situation by turning to God. Also keep in mind that not every teen is rebellious and against Christianity. There are some out there who are lost, confused, and hurting. Our books can offer the hope and encouragement they may be looking for.

Craft role-model characters.

Notice that I did not say craft perfect-Christian-unflawed-characters, but role-models that teens can look up to. This can be a very useful tool since we already tend to follow the lifestyle of those in movies and in books subconsciously. The character Christy from The Christy Miller Series by Robin Jones Gunn is a great example of a Christian role model that a teen may want to follow the footsteps of.

Don’t write YACF for the sole purpose of teaching youth how to handle situations in a Christian way.

As a teen,we can tell when an adult is trying to preach through fiction. And because of this, we’re reminded that it’s a made-up-story that we’re reading that was written by an adult. Instead, pretend that you’re a teen. Write because you want to write, not because you want to preach. Talk to a few teenagers and read other YA books to get a deeper understanding of the youth culture and teen struggles that are current to this time period—please don’t just go by your own view of the reputation that teenagers have. It annoys me so much when I read a book that I can tell is written by an adult, simply because it’s the perspective of the high school life from someone who hasn't been a teenager in years. It’s one of the things that makes YACF cheesy. However, I'm not saying that it's cheesy for any adult to write from a teen's perspective - just don't assume that you already know everything about the teen life based on the reputation we have.

Plant the seeds, but allow God to do the growing.

Although someone may not get saved just by reading your book, they probably will return to the genre and check out a few more books because of the fact that the story-lines are cool and they closed the book feeling inspired. The more one reads this genre, the more seeds that are planted. And the more seeds that are planted, the more God can work in them. Also, think of the new movie “Soul Surfer.” It reaches nonbelievers and believers. Why? Because it's an inspiring story with elements that people love. And even though a nonbeliever may not ask Jesus into their heart because of watching this movie, a seed was planted. The purpose of writing in this genre shouldn’t be only to get teens saved, but rather to plant a seed which can minister to them. It’s God’s job to do the rest.
The decisions teens make during these crucial years can affect us for years to come. It’s during this time of our life that decisions are made to set the course of our future. This is why I believe YA Christian fiction could be such a powerful ministry—if only authors knew which elements to include in their stories and how to use fiction to reach all of our youth culture in a subtle, yet profound way.

~~~

Why do you think this genre is small and not so popular?

If you’re teen, do you read YA Christian fiction?

Why or why not?

What other elements should YACF authors include

in their stories—

or perhaps leave out?

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

~~~

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?

Are You a Writer or a Preacher?

"The simple story can bring you a new awareness that can eventually be the key to turning your life and heart around... It may change your life!"

~ Sandy Muller

How can your Christian fiction change someone's life without coming across as "too preachy"? Many writers struggle with this question, including me. It's hard to relay a message to your readers that has to do with Christ without turning what you're writing into a sermon. But this is very important, especially in Christian fiction for YA.

Here's another question to ponder. Are you being to subtle with your message? If you're in the Christian fiction market, there should at least be one lesson to be learned from your story. It irritates me when I read fiction that is supposedly Christian but the book only mentions God a couple of times. If you're writing for teenagers, this is definitely something to think about. These years are probably the most influential period. Us teenagers have a lot of pressure, temptation, and choices to make during this time of our lives. Anything we read eventually becomes part of us and helps guide us to life after high school. There needs to be more life-changing books for teenagers. But it all comes back to the same question... how can I avoid being preachy - especially since most teenagers rebel against religion and consider it annoying?

Here are a few tips that I have discovered through research and thinking about this question.

1) Don't write sermons, especially long ones.

They come across as boring, and obviously preachy. If you need to include a sermon, show a couple of sentence that the preacher says in the story.

2) Avoid shoving religion down your reader's throat.

...unless, of course, you want the reader to immediately drop the book and possibly burn it. Think about it: why do teenagers ignore instruction and seem to get irritated with authority figures? Your Christian fiction can lead people to Christ or lead them away from Christ. Be real, not religious.

3) Don't create perfect little Christian characters.

Once again, this annoys people. Reach teenagers where they are in their life, don't create "religious" role models that just gets on your readers nerves since they can't relate to them. Give your characters flaws. Make them also rebel against religion. Shove some hard situations in their lives - have them make wrong decisions and mistakes, but let them learn from them and experience consequences.

4) Avoid adding too many scriptures.

Of course adding a few Bible scriptures every now and then in your story is a great way to "feed" the reader - but it's also a great way for the reader to stop reading. Make them feel like they're reading a story, not the Bible. If you really feel like you need to add a scripture, include it through dialogue, not narration.

5) Write a story, not a sermon.

If your characters are flawless, your plot is dull, and your chapters are full of scriptures and beautiful times your protagonist experiences with the Lord - you aren't writing a story that will reach where people are in their lives. You're writing a sermon, which is obviously a red flag that you are being too preachy. Weave the message through your story, don't come right out and preach it.

--

What ways do you avoid coming across as too preachy - or perhaps too subtle? Please share!

"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

Read Reviews Before Your Novel is Published

No author enjoys reading bad reviews on their novel. I've never had to experience that since I'm not a published author, but I'm sure it's not encouraging to have worked so hard only for people to give one star and say how much they hated reading your book.

If you watch American Idol, I'm sure you're familiar with Simon's cruel, sarcastic remarks. Although most people disagree with his comments, he's giving criticism for the singers to grow in their weakness. Yes, he often goes too far with his negative reviews, but I think that's what pushes those on American Idol to keep going and to prove him wrong.

We will never be able to please everyone. It's rare for all of the judges on American Idol to have loved the performance. The "idols" may have thought they did perfect in their performance, but Simon still says something like "it was like watching a cat die".

While you work on your manuscript, keep in mind that there are many Simons out there. Not everyone will give you a five star, but you have to give it your best anyway. I haven't had anything published yet so I don't have any reviews to read and grow by, but what I do is read other's reviews. Obviously it's not my work that they're judging, but many of the comments give detailed reasons on why he/she liked or disliked the book.

You can go to www.goodreads.com and type a book in the search bar that is within the genre you want to pursue and start reading the many reviews. While you're at it, add my new account that I just created: http://www.goodreads.com/tessawrites

Here are two reviews I found on Good Reads that can be useful for all authors. The first person gave this book four stars, and the second gave it three stars. They reviewed the same YA Christian fiction novel, but I will not give the title or the author of the book.

Four stars:

"All in all a beautifully written Christian novel that is uplifting and heartwarming with out being heavy handed. In fact the author is so subtle that I had to double check to see if the book was listed as "Christian fiction" which is great because sometimes kids think these kinds of books will be corny. They will never guess...they will just read a well written, very engaging, positive story about a teenage girl who learns to lean on God and her family when dealing with her problems. "

Three stars:

"This was an interesting book, but I wanted more details and descriptions. I didn't feel like I knew the characters very well and I thought the plot could have been more developed, it was a short book. I thought ___ was an intriguing character, but I never fell in love with her and her life, I wasn't anxious to see what would happen to her next. The book also could have ended better. I probably wouldn't recommend."

Now, pretend like those critiques were reviews of the manuscript you are currently working on. How can you use that criticism to polish what you're working on now? Are you characters developed enough? Are you being subtle with religion, or are you being a little too preachy?

The people on American Idol study the judge's comments and work hard at trying to use that criticism to grow as an artist. You can do the same even before anyone has a chance to give you a one star. So go and prove all those Simon Cowells out there wrong! Remember, don't try to please everyone. That's impossible. Just read the reviews, relax, and write!

~~

"I think you have to judge everything based on your personal taste. And if that means being critical, so be it. I hate political correctness. I absolutely loathe it."

~ Simon Cowell

For more funny Cowell quotes, visit: http://thinkexist.com/quotes/simon_cowell/ :)