Guest Post: Writing the Line by Delia Latham



(Editor's Note: We are pleased to reprint this post first published at Delia Latham's blog.
What makes Christian romance "Christian"?

Writers, please understand before you try to write an inspirational romance: Placing characters inside a church building on Sunday mornings, or having them say grace before a meal does not make a novel inspirational.

If I had to sum up the essence of inspirational romance in one word, I'd use "relationship." The major difference in a secular romance and an inspirational one really is that simple: the emotional connection (relationship) between the hero and heroine, and between the characters and God.

Aside from the stringent expectation of quality writing, certain additional standards exist in the world of Christian fiction. A writer hoping to place a manuscript in this market would do well to become familiar with those finely drawn lines and stay well within their borders.

I can point out the right direction. You'll have to choose the roads.

1. The sensuality meter

I was once challenged by someone who felt the words "Christian" and "romance" conflicted.

"You cannot write about romance and call it a Christian book," he stated. "Christians don't partake in romance, at least not until after they're married. And no one wants to read about that stuff between a husband and wife. What's the point?"

How sad, this inability to distinguish between sex and romance!

Let me try to make it easy.

Romance is the wooing of another's heart and the emotions involved in that courtship.
Sex is the physical consummation of a physical attraction (no relationship necessary).

In a Christian romance, sex is off limits for the unmarried hero/heroine, and takes place behind closed doors for married ones. What's left? Relationship.

That said, eliminating blatant sexual activity is not the be-all and end-all of an inspirational novel. What is important is the interweaving of the characters' spiritual journeys into their lives—and that includes their romantic overtures.

Physical attraction should be a part of the story, but it will be communicated through emotions instead of hormones. He may notice the way the heroine's dress accentuates her curves, but he won't focus on those curves. He'll be drawn to her sense of humor, her generosity, her sweetness of spirit. Neither is she blind to how he looks in those hip-hugging jeans, or the way his muscles bulge when he ropes that heifer. But her emotional reactions will supersede any physical ones. She'll be moved by his gentleness with an injured animal…touched by the respectful way he handles an annoying elderly neighbor…moved to tears by his love for children.

2. Christian protagonists

A Christian romance will focus on two relationships:

the one developing between the hero and heroine, and
the one between those characters and Christ. (This one must be  clearly defined, either from the start of the story, or by the end of it.)

It is acceptable to start a book with a protagonist who doesn't know or is estranged from God, but that spiritual rapport will grow and evolve throughout the storyline and must be reconciled by the last page.

3. Dealing with sin

In real life, Christian people live with and among non-Christians. So it is within the pages of a book. Contributing characters may smoke or drink, get pregnant before marriage, have abortions, cheat, steal, lie…even murder. That's life. These characters' non-conformity to a godly lifestyle adds color to the storyline.

It is crucial, however, that the main characters either stay on the straight path or find it.

4. Preaching

Ultimate challenge: Do all of the above without turning the story into a sermon. Readers read for entertainment and escape - not a class on Christianity. Any message the author wishes to deliver must be woven seamlessly into the storyline. The reader should not be aware of any spiritual lesson…until it's already learned.

What makes Christian fiction Christian? The differences aren't many, but mighty. I like to think of it as giving my readers a touch of Heaven in an earthly tale. Why wouldn't I write on this side of the line?
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Born and raised in a place called Weedpatch, Delia Latham moved from California to Oklahoma in 2008, making her a self-proclaimed California Okie. She loves to read and write in her simple country home, and gets a kick out of watching her husband play Farmer John. The author enjoys multiple roles as Christian wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, but especially loves being a princess daughter to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. She loves to hear from her readers.

 You can find Delia's books at the Pelican Book Group web site. Delia also writes with fellow author Tanya Stowe

Tactical Tuesday: Advice for Self-Editing

I attended the Florida Christian Writer’s Conference this last weekend. This is a great conference, and if you’ve never looked it up, you should. When most of the states are covered in snow and ice, the writers at this conference might have to brave some sixty degree temps while attending a conference with the backdrop of beautiful Lake Yale.

I digress, though. This is about something that occurred to me at conference. Well, it didn’t just occur to me. I’ve touted deep point of view for years, but it never entered my mind that those who wish to write would not know about this concept from the very beginning of their writing journey.

Depending upon what I knew of the author’s journey toward publication, I asked three very important questions of those who scheduled appointments with me.

First, I’d lean forward, and I’d ask, “How long have you been writing fiction?”

Yes, there are authors who achieve success in a short time after deciding to write. Very little of their success was caused by a fluke, though.

I received many different answers. Some had never written fiction, but their non-fiction careers were established. They recognized that fiction and non-fiction are different fields, but they also understood that non-fiction does incorporate elements of fiction. Some writers were readers, and they had always wanted to be writers. Some had written for decades. Some were published.

After establishing the length of their writing journey, I tightened the trap I set. “What have you done to study the craft?”

Again, the answers varied. Some had decided to venture out for the first time to learn where to get started. Others were readers, and if they were readers, why couldn’t they write fiction? Still others had attended conferences, sat in classes, and had talked to those already successful; they were active in online writer’s groups and online and person-to-person critique groups; they’d studied their chosen genre; they knew the elements of storytelling.

The third question for me is like the salvation question, “If you were to die today, do you know if you would go to heaven?”

Okay, my question wasn’t nearly that important, but it was a trick question designed to know exactly where the writer sitting across from me was on his or her journey. With this question, I could almost put a pin in the map to show how close that writer was to the destination.

Again, I received all kind of answers. Some believed it was all about first, second, or third person. Others knew that point of view is about one scene per point-of-view character. Then there were those individuals who made the choir sing in my head when they said something like this: “Point of view is about bringing the readers as deeply into the story as possible, allowing them to be a part of that story. Oh, yeah, and doing it one point of view per scene per point-of-view character.”

“Hallelujah!” They got it. Most likely they had arrived at their destination or the train was just a little delayed. Their next journey would soon be on the other side of publication—at least for the book being pitched.

Those three questions allowed me to know, without fail, the level of story I would get when I read sample chapters.

You can imagine which authors were asked, and I should say that sometimes I almost begged, to submit their stories to me.

Point of view and deep point of view: remember those terms. I contend that they are 85% of story element because with an understanding of point of view comes the infusion of the other elements of storytelling. Yes, one point of view per scene is fantastic; understanding of that function of point of view is the beginning, but drawing me into the story is beyond marvelous. It doesn’t guarantee a contract, but it sure gets the interest of the editors, and I suspect a few agents would be grabbed as well.

When self-editing, examine your novel for deep point of view. If it is absent, you still have some work to do.

Happy editing.

Make-A-Story™ Monday - This Week's Writing Prompt

Writing to spec – you’ve heard the term. It means writing what the publisher wants. Can you do it? In our new feature - Make-A-Story™, we ask you to create a story with these elements. The story can be set in any time frame, any length, must adhere to our guidelines and have our standard Christian world view.
 
A bright orange blazer
2 cute puppies
Refrigerator magnets
 

Tactical Tuesday: Advice for Self-Editing

Write your best story. Great advice, but the sentiment is vague.

What is your best story?

The market (both traditional and indie) is flooded right now by writers who believe they have written their greatest achievement until their next story gets put down on paper. Some authors have reached their goal. Others have not, and they are the ones creating a vast problem.

Many authors have no idea what their best story can be because they haven’t studied the craft of storytelling. Increasingly the level for excellence has been lowered while the availability for publication has increased.

Yes, this business is a subjective one. An editor looks at a story and decides it doesn’t have what it takes. Another reviews the same manuscript, and he feel it’s the author’s breakout novel. Independent writers, so proud of their prose that they believe it can rise above the millions of other published works, place it in the market. Some readers love it. Others hate it.

How in the world is an author supposed to craft their best story in such an industry where beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder?

I used a key word in that leading question. Did you see it?
Right in the middle is the word craft.

Craft is vital to storytelling. Putting a story onto paper is only the beginning. The first draft, maybe even the second draft of a story does not mean it is a finished work of art. Much like a sculptor, the author needs to chisel away words, scenes, entire chapters. In the same way a painter does, an author needs to color the prose with conflict, emotion, and vibrant pictures. These are aided by voice, by grammar, by the proper (and sometimes improper) placement of punctuation, and by style.

I’m afraid that in today’s world of publishing (in both traditional and indie), crap instead of craft is the key word. Individuals who long to be authors aren’t satisfied with rejection, even when the rejections are specific enough to help a writer begin to craft a story into a masterpiece. They do not want to take the time it takes to learn how to craft a story. They lean upon the “subjective” nature of the work. “Well, not everyone is going to like it.”

Couple the authors inattention to craft with editors (both in-house and freelance) who haven’t studied the craft of storytelling, the art of punctuation, and the refinement of grammar, and the industry has a very big problem. Horrible novels are flooding the marketplace, tainting the industry—especially the Christian publishing industry, which has had to fight this stigma from the beginning.

The beginning of the solution lies in self-editing. To do so, though, an author must learn the craft of storytelling, the art of punctuation, the refinement of grammar and using it to tell the best story ever. He or she must also learn to discern good advice from bad, to lay aside his or her bias toward a manuscript and begin to realize whose subjectivity is the best to lean upon.

Happy editing.