![\"\"](\"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BibleResize-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Sticking God in as an afterthought<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
The solution to this problem is actually quite simple\u2026 begin with God. He should be the foundation not the embellishment. For a long time, writers have used concepts like the Lie and the Truth to craft great stories. These elements form the very heart of a story, as we\u2019ve learned in our Plots and Characters Arcs series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, when you want your faith to be the foundation of your story, the Lie and the Truth is the best place to start. The secular world defines the Lie as a misconception of the world, and the Truth as\u2026 well, the truth about the misconception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, in Christian fiction, I would propose that the Lie should not only be a misconception of the world but, ultimately, a misconception of God Himself. Once this is done, our faith will be woven naturally throughout the story right alongside the Lie and the Truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn the Bible, we are faced with many mini-Lies, but the greatest is that man can sustain himself without God\u2014and, therefore, God is not worthy of glory. Of course, by the time the book ends, we have seen that God brings everything together to glorify His name, and He is truly the master of the universe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nSymbolism and allegories are also great tools to help you get your message across in a very natural way. When we are telling stories about a physical world, we sometimes have to use physical things to portray the spiritual. But, when you\u2019re using allegories, make sure they themselves are woven into the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For instance, a medieval story about knights could deal with the Christian warfare. Or perhaps an atheist detective discovers \u201cclues\u201d to God\u2019s existence. A romance could deal with the question of what love really is\u2026 and reveal that the greatest love of all comes from God Himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Bible is full of allegories and symbolism. Examples include the story of God providing Abraham a sacrifice, the story of Passover, Rahab and the scarlet cord, Jonah and the whale, and Hosea and Gomer. Notice that all of these allegories have points to them. They aren\u2019t just there for the cool plot twists or dramatic sequences\u2026 they\u2019re ultimately used to point people to the Bible\u2019s Truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nA bonus example is \u201cThe Pilgrim\u2019s Progress,\u201d one of the most famous Christian books ever. This book doesn\u2019t just use symbolism\u2026 the entire thing is an allegory of the Christian life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Everything turns out alright as long as you trust God<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s be honest\u2014this is the real world. And sometimes (many times), God allows bad things to happen even when we trust him. So maybe the MC\u2019s mom, whom the whole church is praying for, still succumbs to that head injury and dies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if the plot doesn\u2019t end up where the MC wants it to, they will come forth believing the Truth. No one wants to read a book where everything immediately becomes better after the MC trusts God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A more realistic approach would be that the MC trusts God (or, in a Positive Change Arc, learns to trust God) through<\/em> the trials. Things may not always work out exactly like your MC planned, but that\u2019s life, and that\u2019s God. He never promised a smooth road\u2014He only said He would be there to guide us through it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t get me wrong, I believe in happy endings, but there should be plenty of hard trials in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I mean, no one\u2019s going to care that the MC lived happily ever after when things were going their way for half of the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then there\u2019s also the fact that God does send discipline to those who disobey Him. And those consequences don\u2019t necessarily disappear even if the MC ends up repenting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn the Bible, I think it\u2019s safe to say that the bad times definitely outweigh the good. God\u2019s people go through a lot of trials\u2014many of which are because of their own sin. But there are also times where a believe suffers even though they might not have done anything wrong\u2026 in fact, maybe they even stood up for what was right. Jesus Himself went to the cross even though He was perfect in every way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God doesn\u2019t always reveal why He allows certain things to happen, but He gives us plenty of reasons to trust that He knows what He\u2019s doing. And, for us, the ultimate \u201chappy ending\u201d of the Bible\u2014reigning with Christ among the new heavens and earth\u2014hasn\u2019t happened yet. But because God said it was going to happen, we know it\u2019s as good as done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Unsaved people are always the bad guys, and the Christians are always goody-two-shoe Flat Arcs<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
If you find yourself falling into this trap, remind yourself that the world is not all black and white. Yes, good and evil remain the same throughout the ages, but people don\u2019t always adhere to just one or the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So make your characters realistic and somewhat gray. The antagonist can pet a dog or help an old lady cross the street. (Since we already know good deeds cannot save him, we can still be convinced of his evilness.) However, don\u2019t overdo it too much. He might do some<\/em> good things, but he\u2019s still the antagonist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your Christian characters (especially Positive Change Arcs) can do wrong things like get into a fist-fight, or steal. Remember, we won\u2019t ever be perfect until we get to Heaven. However, we are <\/em>being sanctified, so, again, don\u2019t overdo it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think about the people you see every day. Do any of them always do right or wrong? Thinking about it in a real-world perspective can cause you to realize that a purely good or purely evil character is unrealistic. (Of course, some people are closer to either end of the spectrum than others.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe more I read the Bible, the more clearly I see this truth. Even David, the man after God\u2019s own heart, messed up badly and brought lasting consequences on him and his family. And Balaam, who was by no means a righteous man, refused to go against God\u2019s commands and curse Israel. But you\u2019ll notice that there was a still a difference between the two men. David repented of his sin and begged God for forgiveness, while Balaam went on to cause the entire nation of Israel to stumble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Ultimately, a great idea (or even a not-so-great idea) is sacrificed for the sake of an easy way out<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
The solution to this is just to do your best. Work hard. Research. Take advice. Read good books. And, above all, seek to glorify God. I truly believe that, if you are called to be a writer and you seek to do your very best, you will succeed in your goal to praise God\u2019s name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There will never be a perfect book outside of the Bible. Don\u2019t be hard on yourself because you missed a typo, messed up the sentence structure, or misplaced a major plot point. However, you should<\/em> be thorough\u2014you should<\/em> sweat a little (at least, in a sense\u2026 I\u2019m not sure you should be sweating over your keyboard).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As with everything you do throughout your Christian life, your writing will constantly be improving. But if you take the talents and resources you have right now and use them to the very best of your ability, I believe God will bless that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nBefore I finish for today, here are some bonus tips that can help you write Christian fiction:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Use subtext<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Of course, your characters should definitely make statements about God, but don\u2019t make it a sermon. Probably most of your Christian characters won\u2019t be preachers or anything like that. And even if they are, most preachers don\u2019t speak in sermons all the time (at least, the ones I\u2019ve talked to).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just beware of unreal situations and how you bring up subjects of faith. Definitely<\/em> bring them up, but make sure you\u2019re doing so in a natural way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You could<\/em> even have an outspoken Christian who doesn\u2019t obey the above rule, as long as other characters seem somewhat uncomfortable or awkward during the conversation. (The level of awkwardness will decrease a lot if all of the present characters are Christians, especially mature ones.) The rule of thumb is to make sure that everyone\u2019s behaving as they would in the real world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use a lot of subtext and somewhat vague dialogue to create better-flowing scenes. You\u2019re probably still going to have some<\/em> long conversations about spirituality. But readers are often smarter than what you give them credit for\u2026 their memories can be jogged by just the slightest bit of subtext. So, when you can, try to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s hard to explain exactly how much subtext to use, but I encourage you to experiment to find what best suits your story, your voice, and your audience. Subtext is also useful in stories for many things outside of the spiritual realm, so learning how to use it is a must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe Bible often uses subtext in its dialogue, especially during long conversations or exchanges. If you want to further study it, I would suggest starting with the gospels. Jesus speaks to many different audiences, whether the disciples, the multitudes, the Pharisees, or a lost sinner. Often, not much more is given except the dialogue, but readers are still able to understand and comprehend the scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Use foreshadowing<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s another problem within (though not exclusive to) Christian fiction that I haven\u2019t addressed yet. And is what is referred to as deus ex machina<\/em>, which is Latin for, \u201cGod from a machine.\u201d This basically represents a person or event in a story that swoops in out of the blue to rescue the MC and solve all their problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is typically a big no-no for writers because these events happen for no reason at all and have no grounds in the story. However, some Christian authors still use deus ex machina <\/em>simply because they believe it does<\/em> have grounds in their books. (And this goes along with Problem #2 that we addressed above.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since deus ex machina <\/em>means \u201cGod from a machine,\u201d some Christian writers think that the presence of God in their stories gives them the liberty to use this technique. Therefore, their MC ends up being rescued<\/em> from all of their troubles during the Climax, as opposed to overcoming<\/em> them through the Truth (and, ultimately, through God\u2019s power).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Typically, God does not just swoop down and rescue us. Instead, He gives us the strength we need to battle through the trouble. So don\u2019t use God as an excuse to be lazy and not do the proper setup for your story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of using deus ex machina<\/em>, you can use the technique of foreshadowing, which shows different elements early on in the story, then brings these elements back during the Climax. Using foreshadowing enables you to write a fast, smooth-flowing Climax without<\/em> throwing in a bunch of random objects, characters, and events to save the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nFor example, in the movie \u201cTreasure Planet,\u201d there\u2019s a scene at the beginning where Jim flies his skateboard contraption into a restricted area, which the scriptwriters utilized as a great Characteristic Moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, this scene also serves as foreshadowing for a scene later on in the Climax. This is where Jim ingeniously uses scrap metal to forge a skateboard (much like the one he flew during the Characteristic Moment), which he hops aboard to save the entire ship\u2019s crew. Along with the skateboard, there are also a few other elements in this Climatic Moment that mirror the Characteristic Moment earlier in the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThere\u2019s also the Climax in \u201cA Bug\u2019s Life,\u201d where the ants use a mechanical bird to chase off the grasshoppers (and then later get chased by a real bird). This was foreshadowed by the ants\u2019 constant fear of birds throughout the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThere are examples of this all<\/em> over<\/em> secular movies. Sadly, there aren\u2019t many Christian movies or books out there that use foreshadowing, but the movie \u201cFireproof\u201d is a rare example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nDuring the Climax, Catherine finds out that Caleb paid for her parents\u2019 medical expenses with his boat money. This was foreshadowed in a scene earlier on, when they argued about Caleb buying a boat. It was also foreshadowed throughout the film by Caleb\u2019s obvious selfishness and his struggle to overcome it. Using his boat money to buy the equipment showed both Catherine and the audience that he truly had changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nSo, bottom line\u2026 don\u2019t just throw in something to rescue the MC at the Climax. Instead, foreshadow. Take those amazing elements from the beginning of your story, and give them a place in the Climax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn the Bible, there\u2019s actually a whole section dedicated to foreshadowing, and that\u2019s the Prophets. However, foreshadowing is not limited to this. In fact, we find it in the very first book of the Bible. After Adam and Eve sinned, they blame the serpent for deceiving them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God then turns to the serpent and says, \u201cBecause thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is direct foreshadowing of when Jesus would die on the cross and rise from the dead, defeating sin and death forever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThat\u2019s all for this post today, but I would encourage you to use these tips as you write your own stories. They\u2019ve helped me a lot, so I\u2019m glad to pass them on to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nComment below what your favorite Christian writing technique is!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Two weeks ago, in the post \u201cGod in Writing, Part 1,\u201d we identified some of the problems within Christian fiction. Today, we\u2019ll be looking at how to solve those problems, using examples from the Bible itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[31,29,80,84],"class_list":["post-466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible-analyses","tag-bible-analyses","tag-christian-writing","tag-god","tag-god-in-writing"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=466"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":468,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466\/revisions\/468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Use foreshadowing<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Use subtext<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Ultimately, a great idea (or even a not-so-great idea) is sacrificed for the sake of an easy way out<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Unsaved people are always the bad guys, and the Christians are always goody-two-shoe Flat Arcs<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Everything turns out alright as long as you trust God<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n