So Why Write A "Christian" Novel?

By Rachel Hauck

I started building new characters for a new story the other day and as I considered the journey on which my characters would embark, I thought, "Why do I write Christian novels?"

Christian stories get kicked around for being preachy, soft, not well written. Often its friendly fire, too. Accusation from within our ranks.

Sadly at times, those accusations are not without foundation.

Yet, I've read plenty of books in the secular market that were not well written. They were soft. Preachy.

Word on the street is 50 Shades of Grey, the top selling novel of all time, is not well written. I've not read it so I can't personally attest, but criticizing a whole publishing space, Christian publishing, for being "not well written" falls a bit short.

There are many amazing Christian novels, very well written and inspiring.

Yet I can't launch a dog into that larger fight, you know?

It's too broad. Too generic. Too ambiguous.

I have to stay in my wheelhouse. Write what's on my heart. Write WHO I am.

So that's why I write novels with my Christina faith in mind.

Because I cannot deny the hope that is within me.

I want to write stories that inspire people to seek out Jesus.

That give the readers hope. Inspiration.

I write in the romance genre and of all Christian novels, romance has taken the biggest hit.

Critics proclaim Christian romance novels create unrealistic expectations and send women off to fantasize about what they don't have.

This is from More To The Point by Russell Moore:

A lot of this genre, though, is simply a Christianization of a form not intended to enhance intimacy but to escape to an artificial illusion of it. Granted, there’s no graphic sexuality here. The hero and heroine don’t sleep together; they pray together. But that’s just the point.

How many disappointed middle-aged women in our congregations are reading these novels as a means of comparing the “strong spiritual leaders” depicted there with what by comparison must seem to be underachieving lumps lying next to them on the couch? (Newsflash: They can do that every week by comparing their husbands to the pastor!)

This is not to equate morally “romance novels” with the grave soul destruction of pornography. (Shew, glad he cleared that one up!) But it is worth asking, “Is what I’m consuming leading me toward contentment with my spouse (or future spouse) or away from it? Is it pointing me to the other in one-flesh union or to an eroticized embodiment of my own desires? Is this the mystery or a mirage?

Trust me, Mr. Moore's, you don't need a Christian romance novel to point out to some "middle age woman" that her husband is an underachieving lump on the couch.

Women can get that image from a myriad of places if that's what she's looking for.

However! In a Christian romance novel, our characters deal with their own weakness and frailty, and each one, hero and heroine, has their own journey with God.

My characters rarely if ever "pray together."

Christian novels inspire hope. To trust God's will and pleasure in each of us. I've heard from readers and not one has ever said, "I read your book and now I can't stand my husband."

In fact, here are a few examples from readers. All three of these women wrote me from other countries. Indonesia. Poland. Brazil.

After I read your novel. I promise to myself to keep love (my husband) with my way. Unconditionally. Just like Jesus did. I don't expect anything in return. He can love me with his way. I tell to my friend about this also. to encourage them to do the same thing.

I didn't think the Gospels had anything else for me. I'd read them. But after I read your novel, I changed my perspective and I sat and prayed for a long time.

(This reader was 17) I didn't know Christian romances like this existed. I can't wait to read more. I'm going to tell all of my friends. And tonight, I'm going to pray for you.

Tear. Lots of tears while reading these letter.

Do you know how long it might have taken me as a missionary to impact these women in the same way one story did?

Look, I love our missionaries! We need boots on the ground. But look at the power of story to get straight to the heart.

Christian romance inspired them to love. To be kind. To pray. To hold to their virtue. To wait for "the one" God has for them.

I pray for my books to make a difference in this age as well as the age to come. I want them to last for eternity! Not just this life.

That's why I write Christian novels. I'm selfish I guess. I want to put my hand to what will endure forever! Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has written eternity on our hearts.

I'm not saying every Christian novelist has to write "Christian" novels. Please hear me on this. Each one of us must follow the calling on our heart.

I have many Christian author friends making a difference in the secular market!

I'm saying this is why I write Christian novels.

Those letters from international readers beat any best seller list or award. They affirmed what I do and why.

So why do you write what you write? You write the stories on your heart! All I ask is that you seek the heart of Jesus before, during and after.

Write what will endure. Write to entertain. Inspire. Draw the reader into hope.

Now go be brilliant!

***

Rachel Hauck lives in sunny central Florida with her husband and ornery pets.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, she worked in the corporate software world before planting her backside in uncomfortable chair to write full time eight years ago.

She’s the author of EPCA and CBA best sellers, RITA and Christy nominated books. 

She also co-authored the critically acclaimed Songbird Novels with platinum selling country music artist Sara Evans. Their novel Softly and Tenderly, was one of Booklists 2011 Top Ten Inspirationals.

Rachel serves on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a mentor and book therapist at My Book Therapy, a conference speaker and worship leader.

Rachel writes from her two-story tower in an exceedingly more comfy chair. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan.

Visit her web site: www.rachelhauck.com.

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A Visit to a Friend's Home Births a Novel

by +AneMulligan  @AneMulligan

Jo Huddleston is a multi-published author of books, articles, and short stories. Her debut novels in the Caney Creek Series and her latest book, Wait for Me are sweet Southern romances. She is a member of ACFW, the Literary Hall of Fame at Lincoln Memorial University (TN), and holds a M.Ed. degree from Mississippi State University. Jo lives in the U.S. Southeast with her husband, near their two grown children and four grandchildren. Find Jo on her website, her blog, Facebook, and Goodreads.

What sparked the story for this novel?

When I wrote my latest novel, Wait for Me, I had been to a real coal mining community one time. One memorable time. I went home from college with a friend for a weekend. Her home was in the coal mining region in southern West Virginia.

We had arrived at my friend’s home after dark and I did not see any part of the coal community until the next day. My friend took me to the company store. When we left the store and stood on the wide porch, I saw the tipple. An imposing structure towering above all else around it.

The memory of that tipple burrowed deep within my mind. When I began writing for publication, I wanted to write a book about a coal camp and its tipple. I write sweet Southern romances with settings I know. My first published fiction series, the Caney Creek Series, was set in the southern Appalachians of East Tennessee. I decided to release that memory of a coal tipple and set my second fiction series in the coal-mining region of West Virginia.

Share a bit of your journey to publication. Was it short or long?

My journey to publication was interrupted. I had traditionally published three nonfiction titles and over 200 articles and short stories in more than fifty well-known periodicals. I had begun to mull over a novel idea but then I experienced a health issue that prevented me from writing with pen and paper or on a keyboard.

For seven years my body wouldn’t do what my brain told it to do. But I recovered somewhat and could get back to the keyboard. During those seven years I had a lot of time to meditate. A relative marvels that I’ve never questioned “God, why me?” I have not become bitter because of the health issue. I think God just gave me time to understand a lot of things when I was inactive.

I’m a more peaceful, patient, and faithful me. The writing journey is never-ending. How could I not write? What writing ability I have comes from God and I must be the best steward of that gift that I can be.

What would you do if you didn't write?

I’d have more time to read!

What makes you struggle as an author? How do you handle it?

Marketing causes me to struggle a bit. Writing is not a struggle. As for the marketing, I just buckle down and do it. I don’t stress over it and I know how much I can do and what I cannot comfortably do.

Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy nook?

In a corner of a bedroom I have a desk that’s anchored by a laptop, printer, lamp, and ordered stacks of paper. I used this desk while in high school.

Do you prefer the creating or editing aspect of writing? Why?

I prefer the creating aspect of writing. I’m a pantster writer—I plot only in my head. When I write, my story is a stream of creativity that I want nothing to slow or stop. I see my characters say and do things that surprise me and I smile. Writing is a joy. The editing aspect of writing is more like work.

Do you consider yourself a visual writer? If so, what visuals do you use?

Visuals in my mind, from my personal experience or research, not physical visuals I need to see.

What are your top 3 recommendations for a new writer?

1.   Ask God to help you write before your fingers touch the keyboard each day.

2.   Be teachable.

3.   If writing for publication, be patient.

Then what 3 things would recommend not doing?

1.   You can benefit from reading other authors in your genre, but don’t try to copy them. Use your own unique voice to write your story.

2.   Heed the rules of the writing craft. But don’t get so hamstrung by the rules that your creativity suffers.

3.   Don’t try to write for the trends that may appear to be popular. By the time you would finish your manuscript, that trend may have vanished.

What's next for you?

Book 2 in the West Virginia Mountains Series. I don’t have a title yet—I usually get my titles from a scene or chapter in the book as I write.

Wait For Me

Can Julie, an only child raised with privilege and groomed for high society, and Robby, a coal miner’s son, escape the binds of their socioeconomic backgrounds? Set in a coal mining community in West Virginia in the 1950s, can their love survive their cultural boundaries?

This is a tragically beautiful love story of a simple yet deep love between two soul mates, Robby and Julie. The American South’s rigid caste system and her mother demand that Julie chooses to marry an ambitious young man from a prominent and suitable family. Julie counters her mother’s stringent social rules with deception and secrets in order to keep Robby in her life. Can the couple break the shackles of polite society and spend their lives together? Will Julie’s mother ever accept Robby?

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Understanding Work-for-Hire

By Elizabeth Ludwig

I started a new project last year…one that I have been fairly quiet about as I learned the ins-and-outs of the subject I was about to tackle. You see, for the first time in my career, I was undertaking an Amish cozy mystery (see below for a preview of my new book cover!). And it was a work-made-for-hire project for Guideposts. Two things I had never before done! God has certainly been stretching my boundaries and making me see beyond what I thought was possible. 

But what exactly is a work-made-for-hire, and why did I agree to do it?

Weighing Work-for-Hire

A work-made-for-hire (sometimes abbreviated as work for hire or WFH) basically just means that the author agrees to create a work as part of their job and that both the author and the company they are writing for agree in writing to the WFH designation. The author does not own the work, but is contractually obligated to submit the work on the same basis as they would any other standard publishing agreement.

I should also note that in standard publishing agreements, the person who actually creates a work is the legally recognized author of that work. According to copyright law in the United States and certain other copyright jurisdictions, if a work is "made for hire", the employer—not the employee—is considered the legal author.

Confused yet?

Where Hope Dwells, 2015

So then, what are the benefits to WFH? I admit, there is some disagreement over this. For me, the benefits were simply signing on to work for a major publishing house and everything that entails, IE: access to marketing, promotion, readership, networking, etc. It also enabled me to expand my publishing credentials, earn valuable writing experience, and finally, to “get my foot in the door with an attractive publisher”, for lack of better explanation. All of these swayed me in favor of the idea of a WFH project.

 Others would disagree and say that they are not willing to give up ownership of a created work, especially if they were not going to get credit for the work by having their name printed on the cover (which can also happen, but didn’t in my case).

Both views are arguably correct. I suppose the bottom line would have to lie in the heart of the author and what they are attempting to achieve. What do you think? Is a work-made-for-hire something you would ever consider? I’d love to hear what you think! 

 

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Elizabeth Ludwig is the bestselling author of Christmas Comes to Bethlehem, Maine and the highly successful Edge of Freedom series from Bethany House Publishers. Her popular literary blog, The Borrowed Book, enjoys a wide readership. Elizabeth is an accomplished speaker and teacher, often attending conferences and seminars where she lectures on editing for fiction writers, crafting effective novel proposals, and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Along with her husband and children, she makes her home in the great state of Texas. To learn more, visit ElizabethLudwig.com.

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A Michener Epic Writing Journey ~ With a Happy Ending

by +AneMulligan  @AneMulligan

Camille Eide writes tales of love, faith, and family. She lives in Oregon with her husband and is a mom, grammy, church office & preschool administrator, bass guitarist, and a fan of muscle cars, tender romance, and Peanut M&Ms. 

Her debut novel, Like There's No Tomorrow, a contemporary love story, released September 30, 2014 from Ashberry Lane Publishing.

This is your debut novel. What sparked the story?

When my friend’s Norwegian sister visited the US, she met my brother at a BBQ. After she returned home, they began corresponding, fell in love, and soon married. My friend and I thought that was very romantic and played around the idea of me writing their story as a novel. Because, you know, anyone can write a book. Although Like There’s No Tomorrow isn’t my brother and his wife’s story, their meeting and falling in love through correspondence did inspire it.

What would you do differently if you were starting your publishing career today?

I can be transparent here, right? “Today” is much different from the day I began writing to publish in 2007. Back then, while traditional publishing contracts for unknown writers were becoming available, competition was quickly growing. So whenever an editor asked to see a full manuscript of mine at a conference, I felt a ticking clock to get my book finished or shaped up and sent in as soon as possible. Which means I spent a LOT of time in my writing cave (locked away from family) intending to follow through as promised and strike while the iron was hot. I wanted to send an irresistible manuscript and have a chance at an open slot before others filled it.

But today, things are different. The opportunities for new (and not so new) novelists with traditional houses seem to be fewer, while the competition continues to grow. Today, writers are taking a step back and weighing all our options—and there are many. The timing for publishing a book is also different now, so the pressure to “strike” the traditional market has changed.

What would I do differently if I were starting my publishing career today? I’d probably back off on the 24/7 write-a-thon (though it was a valuable learning lab) and balance my time better between writing and being present with people. Take a walk. Invite the adult kids over for dinner and laugh myself sick at the comedy ricocheting around the table. Take the motorcycle out for a spin. AND continue to work on my craft, write the best books I can, and pray for the right avenue for publishing them.

Share a bit of your journey to publication.

My publication journey is a novel. Not a pretty, slender Love Inspired that you can tuck into your pocket, but one of those fatty ones. A Michener epic. With chocolate smudges on tear-stained pages, flaking creases on the spine, whole chapters missing from being ripped out and shredded, nicked corners from being flung against a wall. It’s a 7 year journey from birth to gut-wrenching surrender to death to second birth.

I think that’s about all you have room for.

I love the Michener reference and can relate to that. Where do you write: In a cave, a coffeehouse, or a cozy nook?

A tidy little haven. The wallpaper on my monitor screen is a photo of Jane Austen’s writing desk, my little added inspiration. J

What would you do if you didn't write?

Probably shuffle in little circles in a corner while clutching a ratty copy of Catcher in The Rye and muttering.

What issue makes you struggle as an author? How do you handle it?

Gotta be honest again — you okay with that? I struggle with the temptation to make Tidy, to wrap up with the answers. I have to remind myself life isn’t tidy, I don’t have the answers, and even if I did, that’s not why people pick up a novel. I try to remember to lay down my little ego and give God the lead as I’m crafting a story, and remember it’s a collective journey for us all — the reader, the characters, and me.

What are your top 3 recommendations for a new writer?

1. STUDY the craft until your fingers bleed and your brain falls out.

2. READ excellent writing to train your instinct. 3. Then TRUST your instinct.

Then what 3 things would recommend not doing?

1. Don’t lock yourself away with a typewriter and a fifth of bourbon and tell yourself you’re the next Ernest Hemingway. He could do that and sell books because he’s Hemingway. You’re probably not. Do the work, learn from others, get feedback.

2. Don’t dismiss correction and instruction. Stay teachable. Some of the most prolific writers in my acquaintance impress (& humble) me by taking classes alongside noobies and admitting they always have something to learn.

3. On the other hand, Don’t listen to everyone when it comes to flaws with your story or your voice; learn to distinguish helpful feedback from impulse-driven, opinionated flap. Which is not always easy to do. Since useful advice can be just as tough to hear as flap, you can’t judge its merit by how hard it is to hear. Ask God to help you stay teachable about the things you need to hear, and confident about the things that make your voice yours and your story a strong one.

Some say a writer is born and others say anyone can learn. What do you think?

If you’re talking about fiction, anyone with a fair grasp of language can learn to string words together into a story. Some people are gifted Wordsmiths, and if they study Story, they can write fiction well enough. I believe others are blessed with the gift of storytelling — Storysmiths. They can spin a tale and captivate an audience with little understanding of grammar or The Rules. (Boo. Hiss. Oops, sorry.) If you are a storyteller by nature, and are willing to learn wordcraft, you can potentially do very well. (Debbie Macomber is a great example.) If you are crafty with words but not a storyteller by nature, you too can learn, but I believe it’s a tougher road to be as captivating. All this is one fool’s opinion, by the way. You did ask. J

What's the strangest or funniest experience you've had in writing?

Strange: When I was just starting out as a novelist, a friend of mine was in a bookstore at the mall (20 miles away) and met a woman in the Christian Fiction aisle who said she writes novels. My friend told her about me wanting to write, so this nice lady gave her some helpful book titles for me. Then she told my friend a story about meeting Francine Rivers under a tree at a writer’s conference.

Meanwhile, I joined an online writers’ group. I was welcomed by several members including Kellie Gilbert, who rarely visited the group, and who was at that time the president of a new local ACFW chapter. She saw I was from her area and invited me to attend. At my first meeting, Kellie started the meeting by telling a story about how she met Francine Rivers under a tree at a writer’s conference. Kellie was the woman my friend met in the bookstore—in an entirely different town from where I live. I ended up joining Kellie’s critique group. That strange coincidence was the first of several divine appointments that helped affirm my call as a novelist.

Do you prefer the creating or editing aspect of writing? How do you feel about research?

Creating gets the story rolling, but I probably do my best work while tweaking/editing (word freak). I confess I am research-challenged and lapse into evasive behavior (grazing for chocolate, fainting spells, etc) when any real research needs done.

What are your writing rituals?

I keep a little dish of peanuts and raisins nearby (ok, some of the raisins are chocolate chips), especially if I’m trying to push through something difficult. Actually, I have no idea if it helps writer’s block, but the carb rush is fun.

Do you work best under pressure or do you write at a leisurely pace??

I’m slightly OCD, so there’s always pressure and no such thing as leisure.

What are your thoughts on critique partners?

If you are lucky like me, CPs are reeeeally helpful and can turn critique sessions into mini workshops, drawing valuable lessons for everyone from all the writing samples. Or maybe that’s only if your group leader is Randy Ingermanson. Oops. Sorry. J

I think critique groups and partners are potentially priceless, if you get a good fit for your style and genre.

Any final thoughts?

I’ve been a fan/follower of Novel Journey/Novel Rocket since my own journey began, and I consider it a great honor to be invited to hang out here among some of the coolest and finest authors on the planet. (Can we get a group selfie?)

Like There's No Tomorrow

What if loving means letting go?

Scottish widower Ian MacLean is plagued by a mischievous grannie, bitter regrets, and an ache for something he’ll never have again. His only hope for freedom is to bring his grannie's sister home from America. But first, he'll have to convince her lovely companion, Emily, to let her go.

Emily Chapman devotes herself to foster youth and her beloved Aunt Grace. Caring for others quiets a secret fear she holds close to her heart. But when Ian appears, wanting to whisk Grace off to Scotland, everything Emily is trying to protect—including her heart—is at risk.

Like There’s No Tomorrow is an amusing yet heart-tugging love story about two kind, single caretakers, two quirky, old Scottish sisters bent on reuniting, and too many agendas. It’s a tale of family, fiery furnaces, falling in love, faith, and the gift of each new day.

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