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Time for another
WRITING RANT
So, what's the problem of "Christian Fiction"?
As with hanging or beheading, it's all in the execution.
my friend @TheBrometheus spelled it out in a review of Hell Spawn ( https://amzn.to/2R4T6sb )
Time for another
WRITING RANT
So, what's the problem of "Christian Fiction"?
As with hanging or beheading, it's all in the execution.
my friend @TheBrometheus spelled it out in a review of Hell Spawn ( https://amzn.to/2R4T6sb )
As @TheBrometheus put it:
"Most #Christianfiction is a chore to read, a tedious task to endure with gritted teeth for the sake of feeling like a good Christian. Finn is incapable of writing such lukewarm tripe."
"Most #Christianfiction is a chore to read, a tedious task to endure with gritted teeth for the sake of feeling like a good Christian. Finn is incapable of writing such lukewarm tripe."
Most of the books that use the Christian Fiction label usually mean their heroes are spineless doormats.
Or that the premise is so saccharine that there's little to no conflict.
It's basically a lesser Hallmark movie, only with more religious platitudes.
Or that the premise is so saccharine that there's little to no conflict.
It's basically a lesser Hallmark movie, only with more religious platitudes.
In fact, a lot of the "religion" elements are excuses.
Excuses to not stand up for self or loved ones ("turn the other cheek" and "meek" don't mean that).
Excuses for bad writing ("you didn't like my book? You're anti-Christian!").
Excuses for padding with empty platitudes.
Excuses to not stand up for self or loved ones ("turn the other cheek" and "meek" don't mean that).
Excuses for bad writing ("you didn't like my book? You're anti-Christian!").
Excuses for padding with empty platitudes.
Worst of all, they all violate the rule: show, don't tell.
Characters WILL NOT SHUT UP about what they're doing, & their "super duper hard choices" that...aren't.
I've always been struck by Jesus saying "If you want to pray, don't do it on the street corner. Pray in a closet."
Characters WILL NOT SHUT UP about what they're doing, & their "super duper hard choices" that...aren't.
I've always been struck by Jesus saying "If you want to pray, don't do it on the street corner. Pray in a closet."
So many of these stories are praying on street corners.
One of my favorite parts of writing Saint Tommy, NYPD, is...he's a hilariously good person. Whenever someone hears he's a wonder worker with charisms from God, they go "That makes sense" -- and it drives Tommy nuts.
One of my favorite parts of writing Saint Tommy, NYPD, is...he's a hilariously good person. Whenever someone hears he's a wonder worker with charisms from God, they go "That makes sense" -- and it drives Tommy nuts.
Because Tommy thinks he's nothing special.
Why SHOULDN'T he loan out a spare room to the homeless?
Why SHOULDN'T he participate in his church functions?
Find jobs for people?
The more prosperity, the easier his job is. Duh. It's all common sense to him.
Why SHOULDN'T he loan out a spare room to the homeless?
Why SHOULDN'T he participate in his church functions?
Find jobs for people?
The more prosperity, the easier his job is. Duh. It's all common sense to him.
**Obviously** (to Tommy) he can do more. He's just doing the bare minimum.
As opposed to some of these books that want a medal pinned on them for making common sense decisions in no-risk situations.
As opposed to some of these books that want a medal pinned on them for making common sense decisions in no-risk situations.
In Christian Fiction, everyone is the Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14, https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/18 ).
No one is the Tax collector.
A few go to the extreme where they're the tax collector 24/7, which is as unrealistic as the other end!
It drives me nuts.
No one is the Tax collector.
A few go to the extreme where they're the tax collector 24/7, which is as unrealistic as the other end!
It drives me nuts.
Not to mention how little conflict or adversity takes place in most of these stories.
The stakes are so LOW.
And yikes. I hate the plaster saints.
They have NO personality aside from "Good pure and holy." They have no pet peeves. No complaints. They're martyrs for existing.
The stakes are so LOW.
And yikes. I hate the plaster saints.
They have NO personality aside from "Good pure and holy." They have no pet peeves. No complaints. They're martyrs for existing.
Real saints are all over the place.
Saint Francis was a little on the manic side.
Aquinas was your standard genius--he probably needed a minder.
Saint Jerome... didn't like anybody except for his pet lion and Saint Ambrose.
Saint Francis was a little on the manic side.
Aquinas was your standard genius--he probably needed a minder.
Saint Jerome... didn't like anybody except for his pet lion and Saint Ambrose.
There's a reason I have Tommy Nolan making jokes about various & sundry orders: because these are the jokes I grew up with.
My father's a third order (lay) Dominican (from the Order of Preachers, not the DR).
My Christians have a sense of humor.
And will do the dozens...
My father's a third order (lay) Dominican (from the Order of Preachers, not the DR).
My Christians have a sense of humor.
And will do the dozens...
In this case, they're less "you're mama" jokes, and more inside baseball.
(EG: Not even God knows how much money the Franciscans have, or how many orders of nuns there are.)
In "Christian Fiction," by and large, the plaster saints have no personality.
They have no grudges.
(EG: Not even God knows how much money the Franciscans have, or how many orders of nuns there are.)
In "Christian Fiction," by and large, the plaster saints have no personality.
They have no grudges.
They have no anger. They have no life.
For the love of God (literally) even Jesus braided a whip and used it on blasphemers!
And He probably spent hours making it from scratch.
If you're a purely secular reader, you might have glommed onto the problem within the genre.
For the love of God (literally) even Jesus braided a whip and used it on blasphemers!
And He probably spent hours making it from scratch.
If you're a purely secular reader, you might have glommed onto the problem within the genre.
If not, let me ask: Because how much of this can be summed up as "message fiction"?
Probably all of it.
But instead of the usual Leftist agit-prop, it's feel-good agit-prop.
I wouldn't even call most of it Christian.
Lines from the Bible are thrown out like Fortune Cookies.
Probably all of it.
But instead of the usual Leftist agit-prop, it's feel-good agit-prop.
I wouldn't even call most of it Christian.
Lines from the Bible are thrown out like Fortune Cookies.
Is this an unfair generalization?
Please note that use qualifiers: "By and large," "usually," "most of," "some of."
Then you look over at the "Christian Fiction" at @SilverEmpirePub ( https://silverempire.org/.../christian-fiction/ref/274/).
Please note that use qualifiers: "By and large," "usually," "most of," "some of."
Then you look over at the "Christian Fiction" at @SilverEmpirePub ( https://silverempire.org/.../christian-fiction/ref/274/).
I put it in quotes because I don't wish to insult the books of Silver Empire with the label.
When one considers that the "best" of the genre has been... what? The Left Behind series? I feel like it's insulting.
Why?
When one considers that the "best" of the genre has been... what? The Left Behind series? I feel like it's insulting.
Why?
Because @SilverEmpirePub follows the first rule of writing.
WRITE.
GOOD.
STORIES.
Look at War Demons by @rnewquist.
(My review: http://www.declanfinn.com/2018/12/war-demons.html
Publisher link: https://silverempire.org/product/war-demons/ref/274/
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2L1gBR7 ).
WRITE.
GOOD.
STORIES.
Look at War Demons by @rnewquist.
(My review: http://www.declanfinn.com/2018/12/war-demons.html
Publisher link: https://silverempire.org/product/war-demons/ref/274/
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2L1gBR7 ).
Sure, if I wanted to, I could throw @rnewquist into a Christian lit course & prattle on about how the lead is an imperfect man who has to put himself against incredible odds to save those he loves, and finds redemption along the way.
Keep in mind, I could say the exact same thing about Die Hard.
Because good character, good plotting, and character arcs SHOULD NOT be special.
(Also, John McClane is a Catholic action hero. So there.)
Because good character, good plotting, and character arcs SHOULD NOT be special.
(Also, John McClane is a Catholic action hero. So there.)
There's John C. Wright's Somewhither
(My review: http://www.declanfinn.com/.../review-somewhither-by-john... /
Publisher link: https://silverempire.org/product/somewhither/ref/274/ /
Book 1 link: https://silverempire.org/.../the-door-into-nowhere/ref/274).
(My review: http://www.declanfinn.com/.../review-somewhither-by-john... /
Publisher link: https://silverempire.org/product/somewhither/ref/274/ /
Book 1 link: https://silverempire.org/.../the-door-into-nowhere/ref/274).
It looks like standard epic fantasy... until you realize the entire premise is that "The multiverse can only happen if the Source of Creation is involved" ... so alternate universes happen only because of miracles (X universe is where Y miracle didn't happen).
Sure, our hero is relatively sinless, but wow is he not flawless. It's a coming of age story... with monsters, swords, magic, armies of darkness, and an X-Men SWAT team. It's awesome. And it's John C Wright, so you can probably get college lectures off of his casual one-liners.
Keep in mind that @SilverEmpirePub's Christian fiction section includes @lampwright4's Rachel Griffin Series (Amazon: https://amzn.to/34SSPSE
My review: https://silverempire.org/product/somewhither/ref/274/
Publisher link: https://silverempire.org/.../the-unexpected.../ref/274/). The series hints at Jesus, but He is inescapable....
My review: https://silverempire.org/product/somewhither/ref/274/
Publisher link: https://silverempire.org/.../the-unexpected.../ref/274/). The series hints at Jesus, but He is inescapable....
Even in a world where He's been erased from memory.
It's about as Christian as Narnia, and about as much of a Rorschach test.
Seriously, Aslan is a running character, only with some of the serial numbers filed off.
(not done yet. Almost there)
It's about as Christian as Narnia, and about as much of a Rorschach test.
Seriously, Aslan is a running character, only with some of the serial numbers filed off.
(not done yet. Almost there)
@AnnMLewis' Nephilim: Corruption, is where the Nephilim were moved to another planet.
And if they fall, they fall hard. ( https://silverempire.org/product/nephilim-corruption/ref/274)
There's also my stuff, which is in the Christian Fiction section. All of it. Though the #PulpRev crowd would recognize it
And if they fall, they fall hard. ( https://silverempire.org/product/nephilim-corruption/ref/274)
There's also my stuff, which is in the Christian Fiction section. All of it. Though the #PulpRev crowd would recognize it
The Pius Trilogy ( https://silverempire.org/series/the-pius-trilogy/) is 1 part shoot-em-up, 1 part historical research paper.
Even when I wrote it, I didn't see it as explicitly "Christian."
I mostly saw it as an action yarn & a chance to redeem the memory of a good and just man.
And fight a small war
Even when I wrote it, I didn't see it as explicitly "Christian."
I mostly saw it as an action yarn & a chance to redeem the memory of a good and just man.
And fight a small war
In Love at First Bite ( https://amzn.to/2VGbSK0 ) I used metaphysics as a way to explain vampires.
I have some themes of redemption.
I was more interested in exploring different ways for a human being to outfight a vampire. I still send said human to hospital at least once a book
I have some themes of redemption.
I was more interested in exploring different ways for a human being to outfight a vampire. I still send said human to hospital at least once a book
Because I don't feel like the hero has made an effort unless he needs a good week-long liedown.
Saint Tommy, NYPD ( https://amzn.to/2UWVKqA )... do I need to explain that one?
There are 38 books in the Christian Fiction section of @SilverEmpirePub , I've covered the bulk of them.
Saint Tommy, NYPD ( https://amzn.to/2UWVKqA )... do I need to explain that one?
There are 38 books in the Christian Fiction section of @SilverEmpirePub , I've covered the bulk of them.
(No, I didn't cover all of them. I have other things to read.)
Other people to read are Stephen R Lawhead.
Or Tim Powers at @BaenBooks
Or Ralph McInerny) RIP.
Or John Zmirak ( @jzmirak).
Or @TheBrometheus
You know what NONE of them have?
Other people to read are Stephen R Lawhead.
Or Tim Powers at @BaenBooks
Or Ralph McInerny) RIP.
Or John Zmirak ( @jzmirak).
Or @TheBrometheus
You know what NONE of them have?
None of them have preaching.
Or long chapters of navel gazing.
None of them try to pass simple black and white decisions as life or death stakes.
Decisions are ACTUAL life and death stakes.
None of them have "What if people don't like me?"--it's "If we do this, we die."
Or long chapters of navel gazing.
None of them try to pass simple black and white decisions as life or death stakes.
Decisions are ACTUAL life and death stakes.
None of them have "What if people don't like me?"--it's "If we do this, we die."
Because good writing is a priority.
There can be good "Christian Fiction," but it's all in the execution.
There can be good "Christian Fiction," but it's all in the execution.
