I am a devout Christian writer, but I do not write Christian fiction.
Christ isn’t something in my life, He’s everything. This has been central to me for a long time, though I have undergone a kind of spiritual rediscovery lately, seeking to explore God and godliness in a deeper, more meaningful way.
My Bible occupies the same shelf as some really bad@$$ fantasy because where else would it be?
Second only to Christianity and my immediate clan is—you guessed it—books. I take in words like air, each story another breath. Fantasy literature just fits something in me like nothing else (cheesy as it sounds) and I can’t imagine being without it. Whether reading or writing, epic fantasy in particular is almost as much a part of me as my faith.
If you’re looking for it, one can spot Christian themes in Janir and Haddie’s stories. The religious system in the Argetallam Saga is not-so subtly based off Christianity and it’s implied that Janir is fairly devout. Over in Fanged Princess, Haddie plainly wears a cross as her quintessential accessory while it’s hinted her late boyfriend introduced her to the church. Then there’s the briefly mentioned “wall of crosses” in the Falkner house, but it’s still not Christian fiction.
Christian fiction involves far more open discussion, directly addressing God or His incarnation in the story as well as His ways. My books don’t do that. I write about faith in a lightly infused versus readily visible manner. As the title says, fiction written by a Christian, but still not Christian fiction.
My reasons for not writing Christian fiction are at once simple and complicated. For one thing, I don’t want my stories to be stuffed into the subgenre avoided by so many, even by the likes of my cousin who grew up a missionary. While I still incorporate religion as subtext, making it central would offer a whole new set of challenges—getting the teachings of Scripture straight whilst not being heavy handed, for one thing.
In truth, I started writing because it was fun and that’s still why I do it. All the same, before sitting down to work on a story, I pray and ask that what I write will be pleasing in God’s eyes, but most of all that His will be done. I believe it is possible to write godly fiction without it being Christian Fiction and in the end that is what I strive for.
Inkspelled Faery 