Deal Breakers

Sharon's post on Wednesday was a God-thing.  I'll be honest - through a snafu on our part (it happens) we did a bit of scrambling and Sharon came in to pinch-hit.  She wasn't on the schedule to post, but God had it planned that she should. What a stirring, honest post and what thought-provoking responses! We would love to keep the conversation going, so please feel free to comment on Sharon's post if you still want to contribute.

If someone asked about the main distinction between books in the CBA and ABA, I would say that at the core, CBA books present a Christian worldview.  Some ABA books meet that qualification also, although not as many, or at least some of their characters respond from a Christian worldview.  Further I might add that books in the CBA don't usually contain swear words or blatant sexuality because publishers are too smart to offend their target audiences.  Big picture words might include redemption, forgiveness, healing, self-sacrifice and love.  The story's closure may be a bit open-ended, but it will have hope. Many readers expect to see their characters' faith in action and this, I think, is where readers can become disappointed in Christian fiction.  It's either too much or not enough.  Interestingly, my books have been accused of both.

As writers, we project bits of our own perceptions and personalities onto our characters.  For me to create a character that is overly demonstrative, flamboyant or outspoken as a Christian would be a caricature, and would simply not ring true.  I come from a long line of very private people with quiet faith.  Quiet faith does not mean ineffective. My character is not going to stop and pray over every minor decision or meal or problem, and she won't speak 'Christianese.' Will my character sense God's leading in her life and ask Him for help? Most assuredly.  Will she understand that Jesus loves her even though she's imperfect? Yes. Will he help her solve all her problems? No, but he will show her she's not going through them alone.

This won't be enough for some readers and it will be too much for others.  I can't please everyone, but  I understand that this can be a deal breaker.  Sometimes a theme is so subtle and understated that it runs through the story like a whisper instead of a marching band. That doesn't make it less effective and may be more appealing to an intuitive reader.

So, please feel free to continue your comments here for Sharon's post or get specific about what is too much or falls short in regard to today's. We'd love to hear!

Casting the Net

Latayne's post on Monday generated some good comments and good reading selections that I added to my summer reading list. Blue Hole Back Home by Joy Jordan Lake was mentioned, which happens to be one of my very favorite novels. Thank you all for your contributions.
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A paragraph in the comment by Anonymous was something I could really relate to. In speaking about a recently read novel, Anonymous said: "I understand that this is only one sample by one author. I have read many excellent CBA novels. But if I were new to Christian literature and this were the first I'd read, I would perhaps share some of the stereotypes and misunderstandings that cling to the genre." I'm going to go out on a limb here and give my own honest opinion about what Anonymous said.

I believe some years back, CBA cast a relatively wide net in an effort to appeal to a relatively broad audience. I realize I twice qualified my statement. But "relatively speaking" is the best I can do. With their relatively wide net, they caught an audience to which a few genres appealed in a big way, and because publishing is a business like any other, they focused on that audience to the exclusion of any others to any real degree. That left those of us who don't write in those genres without contracts; and what's so much worse in my opinion, they disenfranchised a much larger audience not inclined to read the pet genres that CBA decided to major in.
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There. I said it. Gulp. And what's more, I believe it.
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There are a number of authors who previously published with CBA that have in recent years begun to publish with ABA. Most of them are who I considered to be the top authors of Christian fiction. I even know of one who has stopped writing altogether because she couldn't begin to make a living with her writing. And she was well-published and extremely well-known. It's a travesty, in my opinion, that someone of her caliber would throw in the towel because she either could no longer get past the gatekeepers, or couldn't get a reasonable share of the marketing budget of her publishers. Others, as Patti touched on last week, are taking the indie route. I happen to be one of them, and will have a new release to launch in the next couple of weeks, which I look forward to sharing with you.
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So I'd like to have an open forum today and an honest discussion about CBA and where you fit as a reader. Do you agree with the comment by Anonymous and/or my assessment? If so, in part or in whole? If not, why not? We've skirted around this issue in the past. Now I'd like to throw wide the doors and really talk about it. Please. Let us hear from you.

I suspect. . .

We love it here at NovelMatters when a stimulating discussion -- such as the one about "Keepers"-- sparks the kind of comments that make people think.

Well, we -- Bonnie, Debbie, Katy, Patti, Sharon and I -- often discuss the discussions in a flurry of emails. And after the "Keeper" discussion, Sharon noted the high percentage of non-CBA novels in the overall list that you readers provided.

Why is that, Sharon wondered.

I spent several years as a book reviewer for the CBA market with my own column in a publication called Release, as well as freelancing for America Online, A Closer Look, and other publications. One point of pride was that I read, cover to cover, every book I reviewed (except for two Bible reference books.) I tried to find good fiction to review because I love mystery and suspense and literary fiction.

It was an uphill battle. The Christian novel, overall, was not a keeper. In fact, looking over my library now, 15 years later, I can say that most of them were tossers. There were notable exceptions -- the Buechners and Blackstocks and Paul Maier-- but most of them I gave away.

Fast forward to now. A new generation of excellence in Christian fiction is hitting its stride. But even we, the tuned-in and sympathetic who want Christian fiction to be known for that excellence, still see ABA fiction often in a class above.

I have some suspicions about why we see things that way. Here are some of those suspicions.

1) Both secular and Christian readers are sensitized to any story that even smells like it has religion tacked onto it without being an inherent element in the story.

2) We have been infected by the secular world's images of religious people (for instance, most evangelical-types are depicted as intolerant and often oppressive on network television.)

3) If the sales figures are accurate, we are not as comfortable with contemporary Christian fiction set in the present among "regular" people. That's why Amish novels are so hot right now. We can read about being a courageous Christian woman during the first century or World War I. Or in a rural setting or among an ethnic group of which we are not members.

4) Much Christian fiction isn't well-written? (Yes, the font size was intentional.)

Now, I may be WAY off base in what I'm thinking. Maybe it's all statistical -- there are a bazillion secular writers compared to published Christian writers.

What do you think? Are there other factors afoot?

Fine Line or Green Belt?

I was intentionally quiet on the comments this week as I prepared for my post on this topic. Ethics in Christian fiction covers a broad range of ideas with very subjective opinions covering both ends of the spectrum and everything between.

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We've talked about Christian conversion and violence in CBA fiction, but other issues that fit the topic are sex, profanity, the fear factor -- how far to go with disturbing or frightening material -- to name a few.

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I've racked my brain this week trying to recall a conversation I recently had with someone about edgy fiction in CBA. I can't remember who the conversation was with, but I remember the essence. The person I spoke with said she doesn't believe getting as close to the edge of the cliff of decency is what defines "edgy." Rather it's addressing the really tough issues with honesty while preserving the Christian standard. That's the finest definition of "edgy" I've heard and it's given me a new way of looking at things.

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Debbie and Katy mentioned a Mount Hermon keynote speaker from a few years ago who said if we soft-pedal darkness, we diminish God's glory to overcome it. (Yes, Katy, it was Ted Dekker, and his address was amazing.) I completely agree, but there's a way to do that without crossing the line. Which brings me to the title of this post. Is it a fine line between the standards of CBA and ABA fiction, or is it more of a greenbelt, a span between the borders? Do we come as close to the line as we can possibly get, falling within Christian publishing guidelines by a hair's breadth? Or do we leave a gulf fixed between us? After that conversation with my elusive friend, I'm not so inclined to think of it as a fine line anymore.

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I just finished the latest novel of a best-selling Christian author, who most definitely addressed several tough subjects -- and came as close to publishing profanity as I've seen in CBA. First letters followed by the appropriate number of dashes left little to the imagination. The publisher might as well have spelled out the words and been done with it. In my opinion, it wasn't edgy it was gratuitous. The same novel also talked about sex in a way I've not read in CBA, yet I didn't have a problem with it, because it was germane to the story. It wasn't there to titillate.

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There are so many gray areas when you get into a topic like this and countless opinions as to how they should be addressed. I think Lori Benton said it best in her comment: "That niggling voice was telling me I'd crossed a line." As Christians we answer to God, so it's best we listen to Him. There's a world of difference between believers and unbelivers, and I think it should be clearly evident in our writing. Do you agree or disagree? I'd love to hear your thoughts.