Got questions about how to use turmeric, the mating habits of penguins, or why water still drips out of the faucet when it should come through the filter you've attached? If you're like the majority of the curious today, you'll turn to the Internet for answers. Questions about the Bible are no different--people go online to find out who Paul was, where the remnants of Noah's ark might be, what deities the Israelites worshipped that made God so angry, and how many miracles Jesus performed.
Cookies. Candy. Coffee. Do you reach for them as easily as a paper clip, pen, or your style guide?
Along with the general popularity of the Christian and inspirational fiction genre, the visibility of African-American authors who write Christian-themed stories has increased. But some authors and editors complain that the category can present a dilemma. While African-American readers often actively search out Christian fiction, readers of other backgrounds may reject books with a blatant religious slant. And some black writers looking to attract nonblack readers feel stuck in a double bind, noting that often those readers are not only turned off by the "Christian fiction" label but sometimes feel uncomfortable looking for titles in the African-American section of the book store.
Creativity is our birthright. This is not just for some people; it's for everyone. We often get stuck in our routine, and when we even bother to think about that book we plan to write "some day," we tend to find excuses that prevent us from taking the first step.
Many people have asked me for advice on writing and publishing. I've written six books published by four different publishers, and thankfully, each one has done well. While I claim no expertise in this area, I can share from what I've experienced so far.
Writing fiction is an art based on important principles.
Here are five of them:
1. Character comes before plot.
Just as people still argue over the proverbial question,
Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?, writers of
fiction argue over what comes first, character or plot?
As a Christian poet, writer, or editor, you're probably aware that social networks were atwitter last year with words against the church in general and various denominations in particular. The media produced some valid concerns along with innuendoes, rumors, and slanted reporting, so you might be asking, "What can I do?" That answer depends on where you are in your faith and where the Holy Spirit guides you, but for starters:
A moment of silence, please, for the lost art of shutting up.
There was a time when you had to earn the right to draft a memoir, by
accomplishing something noteworthy or having an extremely unusual
experience or being such a brilliant writer that you could turn
relatively ordinary occurÂrences into a snapshot of a broader historical
moment. Anyone who didn't fit one of those categories was obliged to
keep quiet. Unremarkable lives went unremarked upon, the way God
intended.
