Christmas is upon us. As the festivities and merry-making envelop our senses, Lisa Jordan, Christian fiction writer, reflects on her genre, and how her faith has shaped her writing. Let us join her as she brings us closer to...A Cradle for a King
Travel over two thousand years ago with me to a little town called Bethlehem. Our imaginary journey takes us to a stable where a tired husband and his wife, heavy with child, had been denied room at the inn. An ordinary woman has given birth to an Extraordinary Child. Instead of being surrounded by family and well-wishers, she and her carpenter husband have been greeted by noisy, smelly livestock. A feeding trough cradled their newborn Child. A cradle for a King. Such lowly surroundings for the Prince of Peace. Mary’s life has changed dramatically since the day the angel proclaimed her destiny. What went through her mind as she hugged this tiny infant to her breast? She was an ordinary woman whom God used for His extraordinary Purpose.
I’m honored to be a guest on Bhaswati’s wonderful blog. She invited me to share with her readers what it means to be a Christian fiction writer. The Christmas season is a glorious time for Christians, but as a Christian writer, it is also a wonderful time of reflection for me. God’s gift of His Son is the root of Christianity. Without His birth, my faith as I know it wouldn’t exist. Because of that faith, I have chosen to write Christian fiction.
Christian fiction glorifies God and promotes Biblical principles. The characters in Christian fiction stories are Christians or they have come to accept Christ as their Savior by the book’s end. Christian fiction novels and stories have a spiritual element woven into the plot. The characters rely on God to help them through their situations. The books are wholesome with no swearing, no premarital sex, or graphic content.
Christian fiction characters endure real life situations and writers of Christian fiction novels use realistic, and sometimes, edgy themes, such as abuse, adultery, addiction, child pornography, prostitution, rape. Christian fiction genres are broken into many of the sub-genres as secular fiction, such as romantic suspense, chick-lit, romantic comedy, women’s fiction, thrillers, science fiction/fantasy.
Some of my favorite Christian authors include Susan May Warren, Colleen Coble, Deborah Raney, Kristen Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, Trish Perry, Dee Henderson, Judy Baer, Allie Pleiter, Debra Clopton. There are many more. These women write in different genres, but they share the love of Jesus and their novels reflect their faith.
I’ve known I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was sixteen years old. Through the years, I’ve penned stories that will never see the light of day. However, each of those stories has taught me valuable lessons about how to develop three dimensional characters, setting, plot, conflict, etc. Even published writers will say they never stop learning. By listening to constructive criticism and accepting advice from other knowledgeable writers, I’m striving to write a novel that will catch an editor’s attention.
Belonging to reputable writing organizations has helped me hone my craft. I’m a proud member of American Christian Fiction Writers, the premiere organization for Christian fiction, and Faith, Hope & Love, the inspirational chapter of Romance Writers of America. I’ve had the opportunity to attend two ACFW conferences. Both have been vital in helping me understand the complex craft of writing.
Writing Christian fiction is a ministry. It is my desire to combine my faith with stories of my heart to touch the hearts of women who may read my future novels. I write Christian women’s fiction novels about ordinary women who are extraordinary in God’s eyes. After all, I have years of experience of being an ordinary woman, but I believe in an extraordinary God. I invite you to visit my website.
As the holidays approach, take a break from the shopping, the baking, the parties, the gifts, and remember Jesus is the reason for the season. Merry Christmas. May God’s blessings be abundant throughout the New Year!
8 comments:
Very nice post, Lisa. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. :)
This was very interesting. I love books that are wholesome, but still good. Thanks for the guest blogger.
Thanks for sharing these insights on the Christian fiction genre, Lisa. You know I love your writing; your faith and love shine through your words. More power to you!
I thoroughly enjoyed this guest blog. I had an idea of what Christian fiction was, but this made it clearer for me.
Jeff, thank you for reading and for your kind words. I had a lovely Christmas with family and friends. Have a blessed New Year!
Ashley, thank you for reading my guest post. Christian fiction novels keep the door closed on bedroom activities and the clean language is refreshing. My bookshelves are overflowing with Christian fiction novels. Some have made me laugh, some of made me cry, and some have made me do both. :-) If you would like some titles to read, let me know.
Bhaswati, thank you for inviting me to be a guest blogger for your readers. I've enjoyed the challenge and the honor. :-) You are one of my strongest supporters and I hope I don't let you down. Your encouragement keeps me going.
Alicia, thank you for reading. I'm pleased you enjoyed the post. Christian fiction is still a relatively new genre, but it has exploded in recent years. The writing is solid. I'm honored to be a part of the genre that glorifies God's name.
Dear Lisa,
I so enjoyed this post. A refreshing Christmas reflection in the true sense of the word.
I may be a bit late in wishing you seasonal greetings but may you and Bhaswati both have yourselves a splendid new year for 2007 and may all your writing dreams continue to come true.
It was nice meeting you, Lisa.
Great post! Continued success in your writing endeavor. Happy New Year!
Susan, thank you for reading and for your kind words. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post. God's blessings to you in 2007!
Vanessa, thank you for reading and for your words of encouragement! God's blessings to you also in 2007!
Lisa
Post a Comment