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Author: Iola

I provide professional freelance manuscript assessment, copyediting and proofreading services for writers of Christian fiction and non-fiction books, stories and articles. I also review Christian novels at www.christianreads.blogspot.com.

The Celtic Stone by Nick Hawkes

Chris Norman finds himself in possession of a strange object after almost losing his life in an airplane crash. It’s a celtic cross, and this leads Chris on a journey to the Isle of Skye, where he has inherited the croft his forebears farmed, and where he still has one distant relation. That relation is a small boy, Ruan, and Chris arrives on Skye to find himself the next-of-kin to a complete stranger.

Morag Daniel has retreated to her family home on the Isle of Skye after being blinded four years ago. She has taken Ruan in following the death of his father, and is suspicious of this newcomer, but finds herself drawn to him as they work together to keep Ruan in his home community, find the story behind The Celtic Cross, and fight for their island family.

The twisting and turning plot is one of the strengths of The Celtic Stone. The other is the characters. These are, without exception, well-drawn with real personalities: likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. The plot has complexity not always found in Christian fiction, and the writing is strong and occasionally beautiful. Nick Hawkes has a background as a research scientist and a pastor, and both come through in his writing. The Christian aspects have the ring of a pastor and teacher, and there is a real gentleness in the way different characters experience and present their faith journeys.

The Celtic Stone is the first book I have edited by Nick Hawkes, and you’ll have to believe me when I say the next two have equally compelling characters, with strong suspense plots, a solid Christian message and a touch of romance. There seems to be a small but growing readership for Christian novels with unique settings, and The Celtic Stone is a valuable addition to that genre. You can find out more about Dr Nick Hawkes at his website.

Spiralling Out of Control by Michelle Dennis Evans

Stephanie’s family have moved from Sydney to Toowomba, a move that forces her to leave her best friend, her school and her passion in life: dance lessons. While the rest of the family settle easily into their new lives, Stephanie is teased and has trouble fitting in to her new school until Jason, one of the senior boys, asks her out. Stephanie falls in love with Jason, and doesn’t see the way he is manipulating her to the point where she has turned her back on everything she once valued. Her descent is not helped by her parents, who seem to have little time for her and no appreciation of the difficulties she is facing.

Stephanie is a well-written but challenging read. I think the strong and consistent third-person point of view has captured Stephanie’s descent into mistreatment and exploitation very clearly, as well as detailing the consequences of her decisions. It’s an interesting story, because although Stephanie was forced in some respects, this was still clearly a consequence of the decisions she made, a series of seemingly-insignificant decisions that compound in an almost-ruined life. And she loved him, which was her excuse for going along with everything he wanted. I don’t entirely understand this mindset, but I know it exists, and Stephanie illustrates it well.

This is not a pretty story, nor is it an easy read. There are several unsavoury characters and a number of scenes where Stephanie, Jason and others are falling headlong into sin (to use Christianese—a trap Stephanie does not fall into). It’s not graphically portrayed in that there is little or no description. But the images are still there. In fact, parts of Stephanie are a study in how much can be implied with a few well-chosen words.

Stephanie’s descent is very well portrayed. But what is missing for me, as a reader, is Stephanie’s change of heart. In my view, the resolution came too quickly and conveniently to feel real. Despite this, Stephanie is well worth reading.

I proofread Spiralling Out of Control for Michelle Dennis Evans, and have subsequently edited the sequel (and have just had a sneak peak at the final book in the trilogy). I’m happy to say that the plot lines will all resolve themselves, but you’ll have to read all three books!

 

How to Write a Christian Novel: Defining Your Genre 11

Step Six: What is your target word count?

The ‘sweet spot’ for a modern novel seems to be 90,000 words (which equates to around 300 pages), but there is variation by genre:

  • Category romance (e.g. Love Inspired): 55,000 to 60,000 words, but can be up to 75,000 words depending on the imprint (e.g. Love Inspired Historical);
  • Romance: 85,000 to 100,000 words;
  • Cozy mystery: 65,000 to 90,000 words;
  • Science Fiction: 90,000 to 110,000 words;
  • Fantasy: 90,000 to 120,000 words;
  • Chick lit: 80,000 to 100,000 words
  • Mystery: 80,000 to 100,000 words
  • Thriller: 90,000 to 100,000 words
  • Crime: 90,000 to 100,000 words
  • Suspense: 90,000 to 100,000 words

These figures are taken from posts from publishing industry experts such as Rachelle Gardner, Chuck Sambuchino, Colleen Lindsay and Book Ends literary agents. However, a recent post by literary agent Chip MacGregor suggests many contemporary stand-alone novels are in the 70,000 to 80,000 word range, with some going up to 90,000 depending on the project and the publisher.

Historical novels tend to be a bit longer than contemporaries, as they are more likely to be epics or sagas (which are over 110,000 words). Young Adult novels tend to be shorter than adult novels, so between 45,000 and 80,000 words, although they can go up to 100,000 words. Middle Grade can be anything from 20,000 to 50,000 words or more, but average around 35,000 words.

There are always going to be exceptions. Elizabeth Kostova’s debut novel, The Historian, is 240,000 words. George RR Martin’s Song of Fire and Ice books are a similar length, but he had already published several standard-length novels, so had a track record of sales to build on. And if you are going for a longer novel, make sure you are telling more story, not just adding more words. The last two 450-page novels I read could have told the story more effectively using fewer words (and has turned one of those authors from a must-buy to a don’t-bother for me).

As a first-time author, the advice is always going to be to take as many words as you need to tell the story, but count on being the rule, not the exception, and keep within the general word count limits for your genre and target market.

Paper costs money, so the longer your book, the less likely a publisher will pick it up (or, should you choose to self-publish, the less likely you will be able to sell paperbacks profitably). Equally, don’t go too short. Readers get annoyed paying what they consider to be full price for an ebook only to find out it’s little longer than a short story.

For reference, anything shorter than 40,000 words isn’t a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula awards dictate that novellas are around 17,500 to 40,000 words, between 7,500 and 17,500 words is a novelette, and below 7,500 words is a short story. Between 100 and 1,000 words is flash fiction (the kind often included in magazines), and a story that is exactly 100 words long is a drabble. Really.

Calculating Word Count

In the distant past, before the invention of the word processor with the automatic word count, there used to be great debate about how to calculate word count. After all, no one actually wanted to count each and every word, so it was agreed that the average double-spaced typewritten page was 250 words (25 lines at an average of 10 words per line).

That formula worked on a typewriter or when using Courier font in a word processor, but now we have multiple fonts to annoy people with, all of which take up different amounts of space on the page. But it doesn’t matter. We have Microsoft Word and the automatic word count feature.

Older versions of Microsoft Word would calculate word count differently depending on the font: Word 2010 is more sophisticated and gives the same word count regardless of font. Is the word count correct? I don’t know, and I don’t much care. It’s not as though I (or anyone else) is actually going to count the individual words. The word count from Word is good enough unless your agent or publisher wants you to use a different method (in which case, listen to them).

A couple of hints: in Word 2010, an American ellipsis ( . . . ) is three words, while an Australian ellipsis (… using three full stops or … using Alt-0133) is only one word. And * * * in your scene breaks adds three words with each new scene. If your word count is getting too high, cut the pretty scene break markers.

How long is your book? What do you think of these guidelines?

This concludes my series on defining your market and genre. Next week we will starting a new series looking at point of view.

How to Write a Christian Novel: Defining Your Genre 10

Step Five: Is your novel a stand-alone or part of a series?

My personal opinion is that, where possible, authors should plan to write a series of books. This has advantages in both the writing and the marketing:

Research

You can utilise your research into time and place for more than one book, reducing average research time per book.

Characters

You can utilise characters in more than one book, which means you have a more complete characterisation for minor characters (as they will be major characters in another book in the series). This gives your reader a better sense that she knows your characters and can relate to them.

Publishers

Publishers like a series, because a successful first book provides a ready-made audience for subsequent books. Publishers often take advantage of this to include teasers for the next book in the series, whetting the appetite of the reader.

First Book Free

Many publishers (and self-publishers) will make the ebook edition of the first book in a series free or very cheap (say, 99 cents) to encourage readers to try an new author and hopefully purchase additional books in the series, or some of the author’s back list titles.

Additional Editions

A series also gives publishers (or self-publishers) the option of increasing the overall sales by producing a reduced-price series-in-1 volume after the publication of the final book in a trilogy.

The current trend in a romance series is for each book to focus on one couple, who get their Happy Ever After at the end of the book. Subsequent books will feature a different couple as the hero or heroine, but will include some scenes with the characters from previous books. A series may follow:

  • Siblings or family members (e.g. Kaye Dacus’s Brides of Bonneterre trilogy);
  • Close friends or work colleagues (e.g. Irene Hannon’s Heroes of Quantico trilogy);
  • A specific location (e.g. Gayle Roper’s Seaside series or Susan May Warren’s Deep Haven series);
    A common theme (e.g. DiAnn Mills’s Call of Duty series). This can be less popular with readers, as we don’t get to see any of the characters we have come to know in the earlier books;
  • A family through time (e.g. Gilbert Morris’s Wakefield Dynasty, Jack Cavanagh’s American Family Portrait, or Roseanna M White’s new Culper Ring series). Each successive book follows one member of the next generation through their defining moment. These are usually romances, in that the family member meets their future spouse, and one of the advantages is the ability to refer back to previous characters (generations) to give a sense of continuity. One of the disadvantages (from the point of view of the author) is that these series require a lot of research, as each book is set in a different time period.

The trilogy that takes three or more books to tell one story has fallen out of popularity, although authors such as Jamie Carie are still using this format. Personally, I don’t favour it as I don’t like cliffhanger endings, but it can be successful.

Not all series fall in the romance genre (although most do). Mysteries are often written in a series, with the focus of each novel on solving the mystery. Authors such as Mindy Starns Clark or Julianna Deering will include a romantic subplot that sees some movement in each story with a full resolution only at the end of the series.

How many books in a series?

Trilogies are the most popular, although some series will have four or more books. Other authors will set more than one series in the same character universe, which allows them to keep up with previous characters while focusing on a new set. Susan May Warren is currently trying this with her Christiansen series (set in the same location as her Deep Haven series), and Karen Kingsbury took it to a ridiculous extreme with the Baxter family: a total of twenty-three related books across the Redemption, Firstborn, Sunshine, Above the Line and Bailey Flannigan series.

Read in order or stand alone?

It can be very annoying for the reader to pick up the second or third book in a series and find it difficult because they don’t understand the backstory that was covered in previous novels. Equally, the reader who has faithfully followed the series doesn’t want to be drowned in repetitive backstory (see the Amazon reviews for Coming Home by Karen Kingsbury).

So does the reader have to read the books in order to get the full story, or can each novel function as a stand-alone story? Ideally, both. And this is the trick in writing a successful series: to include enough information about the previous novels to ensure the story is a well-rounded stand-alone novel, but still satisfy those series readers who want to know what has happened to their favourite characters.

Are you writing a stand-alone or a series? What advantages do you see in writing a stand-alone novel?

Next week we will discuss how understanding your genre will help you determine the ideal word count for your novel.

How to Write a Christian Novel: Defining Your Genre 9

Step Four: When is your novel set?

The key question to ask in writing a historical novel is: Is the time period an integral part of the plot? If not, consider a contemporary novel. Successful historical novels are almost always set in a time of social, political or religious conflict. Perhaps this is why there are relatively few novels set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I: this was a period of relative calm between the religious turmoil of the early Tudor period and the political upheaval of the English Civil War.

Research is vitally important in any historical period. There will always be a reader who has read everything about this period and who will point out all the inaccuracies and anachronisms in their review (I admit: sometimes this person is me). Sometimes this reviewer will be a historian who writes an essay-review detailing the factual errors and citing the original Latin scrolls in London’s National Archives (I’ve read this review—and the author’s unsuccessful attempts at rebuttal).

Wedded to WarWonderland CreekThrough Rushing WaterYesterday's StardustGlamorous IllusionsStardustBefore the Scarlet DawnCourting Morrow LittleThe Frontiersman's DaughterThe Fire in EmberA Tailor-Made BridePaper Roses

However, this does depend on genre to a certain extent. An author writing genre romance will be forgiven for not including all the historical details (but the ones she does include should be correct). An author writing historical fiction and holding herself out as an expert should check and double-check all facts against reputable sources (i.e. not just Wikipedia.com or Victoriana.com).

There is an element of worldbuilding in historical fiction, as the author has to introduce the reader to a different culture and (often) a different set of values. The further back in time and the more foreign the location, the more difficult this worldbuilding will be.

One fault I find over and over again is authors getting the language wrong when writing outside their own culture. This is especially the case when Americans write about England—they have a tendency to inject Americanisms into the speech of their English characters (which can be a problem in contemporary fiction as well). I find it less of a problem when non-Americans write about America, probably because so much Christian historical fiction is American that we all have a good idea about the historical and cultural context.

Popular historical periods in fiction include:

Scotland (1300-1600)

Americans in particular seem to have an enduring love of Scottish highlanders (probably based on the success of the Outlander books and the sight of Mel Gibson with a broadsword in in Braveheart).

Tudor England (1485-1603)

I loved this period when I was about seventeen. Several authors are bringing it back for a new generation (perhaps due to the popularity of The Other Boleyn Girl). Personally, I’m over it. I’m especially over Anne Boleyn, because it’s all been done before (and we all know the ending). The religious issues make it a fascinating period, but I’d like to see more from the lives of the everyday people. Or anyone who isn’t a Boleyn (and calling her Nan Bullen doesn’t make it any better).

Colonial America (up to 1783)

Covering the first American settlers up to the War of Independence or Revolutionary War, and dealing with the difficulties of settling a new country and the struggle for independence from England.

Regency England (1811-1820)

This is a popular period in general romance, but one that has not yet been fully explored in Christian romance (and some of the authors who have written in this period show a woeful lack of understanding of the basics, to the point where I can’t take them seriously as a reader. For example, it’s called the Regency because the King had been declared unfit to rule and his son ruled in his stead as the Prince Regent).

Victorian England (1837-1901)

Victorian England was a period of huge social change through migration as a result of the Industrial Revolution, the Irish Potato Famine, and the colonisation of Australia and New Zealand. Authors writing in this era include Jennifer Delamere, Kaye Dacus and Australian authors such as Amanda Deed and Carol Preston.

American Civil War (1861-1865)

Gilbert Morris saturated this period with his 60-book House of Winslow series, but there are still a large number of novels set either during the war or just after (e.g. Jocelyn Green and Elizabeth Camden).

Gold Rush (1848-1911)

The Californian Gold Rush started in 1848, and miners moved north and east through the United States and Canada over many years, including the Klondike Gold Rush in Canada’s Yukon Territory in 1896-1899. Tracie Petersen and Deeanne Gist have both written about this era.

Westerns/Frontier Fiction (1850-1880)

Set west of the Mississippi River, usually in the time of wagon trains (although some westerns feature the coming of the railroad. This is currently a very popular time setting for romances from authors such as Karen Witemeyer, Carol Cox and Mary Connealy.

Gilded Age (1877-1900)

The period following Reconstruction, when the rise of the railroads and wealthy industrialists hid serious social problems. Often set in among the Four Hundred, those families considered most worth knowing in New York high society, or among the society leaders in a smaller community. Siri Mitchell and Judith Pella both have books in this period.

Edwardian England (1901 to 1910)

This is a period that is rising in popularity, as a result of the success of Downton Abbey. For examples, see Carrie Turansky and Murray Pura.

Generally speaking, historical novels cover periods up to an including World War II, with anything more modern being considered contemporary fiction. I don’t entirely agree with this view. I wasn’t alive during the 1960’s, and my memories of the 1970’s are filled with sunshine and sandpits, not the impact of the Vietnam War, the American Civil Rights movement, or the rise of women in the professional workplace. This is a period that is ripe for the attention of novelists, and more are focusing on this era (e.g. Pamela Binnings Ewen).

Do you write contemporary or historical? When is your story set? Is that the most appropriate setting?

Next week we will discuss the next step in defining your genre: stand-alone or series?

How to Write a Christian Novel: Defining Your Genre 8

Worldbuilding Genres

Many bookshops have a section called ‘Sci-fi/Fantasy’ or similar, which annoys writers because they see the genres as being quite separate—and they are. What these novels do have in common is the requirement for world-building: the ability of the author to create a credible imaginary world in which the story takes place. This includes developing the physical characteristics of the world (e.g. geography and ecology) as well as the history, culture and religion of the different people groups in the story.

AnomalyAfloatSneakFire ProphetSoul's GateThe 13: FallDigital WinterH2O the NovelSwipeSpirit FighterIllusion
 
The world might be a long time ago on a faraway planet (Star Wars), it might be a futuristic version of Earth (Star Trek), it might be post-apocalyptic Earth (The Hunger Games) or it might be contemporary Earth but featuring a sub-culture hidden from the rest of us (Harry Potter or Twilight). Each of these require a different type and level of worldbuilding.

This genre isn’t heavily represented in Christian fiction, although publishers like Marcher Lord Press and Splashdown Books specialise in what is generally referred to as speculative or visionary fiction. In Christian fiction, speculative or visionary fiction includes some aspect of the supernatural, and this may or may not be biblically accurate (which can cause problems). While speculative fiction might have a romantic sub-plot, the main plot is almost always an action plot.

 

Science Fiction

Usually set either on another planet or system (Star Wars), or featuring star-travelling humans in the distant future (Star Trek). Science fiction novels usually feature an adventure plot rather than a romance plot, although there are some exceptions. There is usually a heavy reliance on technology, but the key to a successful sci-fi novel is the same as for any other novel: plot, character and conflict.

There’s not a lot of Sci-fi the Christian market—Kathy Tyers is the only author I know who specialises in this genre, although Christian authors such as CS Lewis and Lynne Stringer write general market sci-fi from a Christian world view.

Fantasy

Fantasy usually has an Earth-likes etting. Where a science fiction novel depends on science and technology, a fantasy world often incorporates magical elements (e.g. Lord of the Rings), or mythical creatures (e.g. dwarves, elves and dragons). Technological advancement is often similar to medieval Europe. There are a lot of authors writing Christian fantasy, many of which feature an allegorical romance representing Christ’s love for the church.

Paranormal

Stories featuring vampires, werewolves and other shapeshifters, mermaids, zombies, witches, wizards, or humans with psychic abilities. Paranormal novels tend to be contemporary, and paranormal romance is especially popular. The author needs to define the ‘rules’ of their paranormal society and ensure that characters obey these rules (or face the consequences). There’s probably a little less world-building in a paranormal novel than other genres discussed here, because there are a number of long-standing genre conventions (e.g. Stephenie Meyer faced a lot of criticsm for her sparkly vampires).

Paranormal romance (PNR) has been rising in popularity in the general market over the last decade, but predominantly in the general market. It doesn’t usually fit with a Christian worldview. The only examples of PNR I’ve seen in the Christian market are novels like The Widow of Saunders Creek by Tracey Bateman (traditionally-published speculative fiction with a romantic element) or Barbara Ellen Brink’s self-published Amish Vampire series (which I haven’t read, so can’t really comment on their Christian element).

Dystopian

Stories set on some alternate version of a future Earth. Classic examples include The War of the Worlds, The Day of the Triffids, the Tripods trilogy by John Christopher, and The Running Man by Richard Bachmann (better known as Stephen King). They tend to have an adventure plot, often centred on a chase or survival, and are particularly popular in Young Adult fiction (e.g. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins). Christian authors writing for this market include Jerel Law (Son of Angels) and Krista McGee (Anomaly).

Time Travel

Features the hero, heroine or both travelling back or forward in time, having to adjust to a new way of living. Time travel romance was popularised in the general market by novels such as Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, and Christian authors to have used this plot device include Tamara Leigh and Meredith Resce.

Do you write fiction that requires some level of worldbuilding? How do you describe what you write? What do you feel are the essential ingredients in a novel of this type?

Next week we will discuss the next step in defining your genre: time period.

How to Write a Christian Novel: Defining Your Genre 7

Action Genres

Ronald Tobias distinguishes between plots of the body and plots of the mind, and action plots are plots of the body. They are focused on providing suspense, surprise and fulfilling expectation, and the main character doesn’t necessarily change and grow as an individual (think James Bond or Jack Reacher).

Rules of MurderHand of FateFear Has a NameStress TestWoundsA Plain ScandalIf We SurviveEvery Breath You TakeDouble BlindChasing the Wind: A NovelTrinity: Military War Dog

 

Mystery

The essence of a mystery novel is that there is a mystery to be solved, usually a murder. The reader is introduced to a small group of characters in the beginning of the novel, one of whom becomes the detective, one (or more) the victim, and one the murderer. Writing a good mystery requires a significant level of skill: the reader shouldn’t be able to easily identify the murderer, but there should be a logic to the plot so the reader says, ‘of course!’ when the culprit is revealed at the end (as they always are).

Cozy mysteries are popular, and generally feature a bloodless off-stage murder, little sex, violence or profanity, and a female amateur investigator (with Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple being a classic example). Other sub-genres include hard-boiled (featuring the classic male detective), and police procedural (which might investigate several related crimes, and where the reader may know who the criminal is, in which case part of the suspense comes from wanting the police to catch the criminal before another crime is committed).

Fans of classic detective fiction will want to read Rules of Murder by debut author Julianna Deering. Other authors writing Christian mysteries include Mindy Starns Clark (cozy), Stephen James and J Mark Bertrand (police procedural).

Thriller

If a thriller does not thrill, if it doesn’t give readers an adrenaline rush, it’s not a thriller.

A thriller is usually some kind of chase to find a criminal (such as a kidnapper or murderer), often before they commit another crime. These are the books that keep you awake at night—because you have to finish them before you can sleep, just in case the unthinkable happens and a major character is killed (it does happen. Not often, but it does happen). Prominent Christian thriller authors include Alton Gansky, Steven James, Creston Mapes, Robert Whitmore and Liz Wiehl.

Medical Thriller

Medical thrillers are usually centred in or around a hospital, and involve some kind of threat or crisis, whether medical or physical. Christian authors writing in this sub-genre include Hannah Alexander, Candace Calvert, Jim Kraus, Richard Mabry and Jordyn Redwood.

Legal Thriller

The protagonist is usually a crusading lawyer out to prove a client innocent, or investigating a corrupt organisation or system. The legal system is a vital component, and the ring of authenticity is important to the reader—there is no room for factual errors in a legal thriller. Christian authors writing in this genre include James Scott Bell, Pamela Binnings Ewen, and Randy Singer.

Crime

Crime novels, in contrast, are usually from the point of view of the criminal. As such, there is little in the way of Christian crime fiction (although a thriller or romantic suspense novel may well include the criminal as a viewpoint character).

Horror

The objective of horror is to scare the reader. Personally, I don’t see the thrill in that, and it seems I’m not alone, because it’s not a common genre in Christian fiction. Authors in this area include James Rubart, Mike Duran and Ted Dekker.

Speculative

In Christian fiction, speculative or visionary fiction includes some aspect of the supernatural, and this may or may not be biblically accurate (which can cause problems). While the plot is a thriller, it also requires a degree of worldbuilding, which will be discussed in the next post.

Based on these examples, you’d be forgiven for assuming that almost all thriller authors are men (one of the female names listed above, Hannah Alexander, is actually the pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team). Women are more likely to combine an action plot with a romance plot: romantic suspense is an important genre, featuring authors such as Susan Page Davis, Irene Hannon, Dee Henderson, Kristen Heitzman, Dani Pettrey, Camy Tang, Diann Mills and Susan May Warren, (although many of those also write romance and women’s fiction).

Do you write action or adventure? How do you describe what you write? What do you feel are the essential ingredients in an action novel?

How to Write a Christian Novel: Defining Your Genre 6

The Romance Genre

The biggest genre is romance: biggest both in terms of the number of books published, and the number of books sold . Romance novels, according to Romance Writers of America, have two defining qualities : they have a love story that is central to the plot, and they have an “emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending”—the Happy Ever After, or HEA. If it only has one of the two, it’s probably be Women’s Fiction, not romance. There are several major sub-genres within romance:

Just Between You and Me: A Novel of Losing Fear and Finding GodHatteras GirlA Bride for All SeasonsGone SouthTrust Me TwiceBarefoot SummerThe House that Love BuiltWeb of LiesJennifer: An O'Malley Love StoryCatch a Falling StarUndeniably Yours

Contemporary

Contemporary romances can be set any time after World War II, but are usually set in the present day. They can date very quickly, both in terms of the technology (cassette decks or dial-up internet) and in terms of the social norms they espouse. There are numerous sub-genres within contemporary romance: military romance and cowboy romance are currently popular, as are books set in small towns with old-fashioned values of friendliness and community.

Romantic Suspense

Romantic suspense novels are more plot-driven, and usually feature the hero and heroine working together to solve some mystery (or may feature one trying to rescue the other from evildoers). One or both protagonists usually work in either law enforcement or serve in the Armed Forces (FBI agents and Navy SEALs are especially popular). Note that for a novel to be considered romantic suspense, the love story must be central to the plot. If the suspense is more important than the love story, the novel is likely to be a thriller/suspense with romantic elements. The same holds true for other romance sub-genres.

Historical

Historical romance can be set in any period prior to World War II. The most popular period in Christian fiction is probably novels set in the American West in the late 1870’s, while both Regency and Victorian England are popular in general market romance. Edwardian fiction is gaining traction in both markets, probably due to the popularity of Downton Abbey. The key challenge for authors in historical fiction is blending historical accuracy with modern-day sensibilities, particularly around sexist or racist attitudes.

Erotic Romance/Erotica

The focus in these novels is the sexual relationship, often featuring same-sex couples, ménage or non-consensual sex, which makes Christian erotica a contradiction in terms (I don’t read these books, but I’ve seen enough online discussion to what they are, and why I don’t want to go near them). A small number of self-published Christian authors do include explicit sexual scenes in their books, but this is why they are self-published. And let’s not get into why Christian readers will read novels featuring a rape or other explicit violence, but not novels with sex between a married Christian couple.

Chick-lit

Chick-lit isn’t really romance, as the heroine’s relationships with family and friends are often as important as her romantic relationships . The origin of the phrase is chick (young woman) lit (literature). It’s not chic lit. Classic (!) examples include Bridget Jones’s Diary and Sex in the City, and these exemplify my issue with Chick lit: they often feature and glorify infidelity and promiscuity.

Chick-lit has a slightly different meaning within the Christian market: it refers to novels that are humorous or ‘light in tone’ with a colloquial voice. Examples include Sandra Bricker and Lisa Wingate. This was popular in the 1990’s, but has now fallen from favour.

Bonnet Romance

Romances featuring Amish or Mennonite characters. Amish romance is a genre quirk: it’s a hugely popular sub-genre of Christian fiction, but not in the general market. It is usually contemporary, set in one of the various Old Order Amish communities in the United States, and often features a teenager falling in love for the first time as she struggles to come to terms with the rules of her faith .

Do you write romance? How do you describe what you write? What do you feel are the essential ingredients in a romance novel?

Next week we will discuss some more common genres: mysteries, suspense and thrillers.

What Makes A Good Book Review?

Following on from my post last week about getting book reviews on Amazon, I thought I’d address a related question: What makes a good book review?

Looking at Amazon, it appears that a lot of authors automatically consider a five-star review to be good and a three-star or lower review to be bad. I disagree. As a reader, a bad review is one that doesn’t give me enough information to make a decision, regardless of the rating. Here are some examples of bad reviews:

I love this book! Even better than Twilight!! Smith is the best author EVA!!! and I could just swoon over Jamie all day!!!!

This book was okay. Amazon makes me write at least twenty words for a review so now I’m done. Yay.

Reviews are for readers.

The objective of a review is to help a potential reader decide whether or not they will like a particular book. Should they spend their hard-earned money buying this book? Is it worth their time to read? My time is valuable. I don’t want to waste hours reading a bad book, even a free book, when I could have been doing something more enjoyable (like scrubbing the toilet, or better still, reading a good book).

Over the years I have come to the conclusion that there are five main aspects that contribute to my enjoyment of a book, and these are the questions I try to address when I write a review:

  • Plot: Does the plot make sense? Is it exciting? Romantic? Do the sub-plots add to the overall story? Is it believable? Is it original, or do I feel I’ve read it before?
  • Characters: Do I like the characters? Are they people I’d want to know and spend time with in real life? Or are they too-stupid-to-live clichés?
  • Genre: Does the book conform to the expectations of the genre? If it’s Christian fiction, does the protagonist show clear progression in their Christian walk? If it’s romance, is there an emotionally satisfying ending? If it’s fantasy or science fiction, has the author succeeded in convincing me the world they have created is real?
  • Writing and editing: With many books, especially those from small publishers or self-published authors problems with the writing or editing take me out of the story (like a heroin wearing a high-wasted dress). Bad writing or insufficient editing makes a book memorable for all the wrong reasons.
  • The Wow! Factor: Some books, very few, have that extra something that makes them memorable for the right reasons. The Wow! factor is usually a combination of a unique plot and setting, likeable and intelligent characters (I loathe stupid characters), and a distinct and readable writing style, or ‘voice’.  This is highly subjective and other readers might not agree with my taste. And that’s okay.

Some reviewers, especially Christian reviewers, are of the view that “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”. I disagree. That doesn’t mean I’m going to be cruel, but it does mean I’m going to be honest. Reviews are for readers, and readers deserve honest reviews. They want to know whether a book is worth their money and time—or not.

It’s hard to write a less-than-glowing review. It’s much easier to write a four-star ‘I liked it’ review (and even easier to write a five-star ‘I loved it’ rave). I wish I could write more five-star raves, but a lot of books are missing that Wow! factor, that originality that takes them from a four-star like to a five-star rave.

I will, on rare occasions, not publish a critical review—usually when another review already covers all the points I was going to make. But I publish reviews for around 75% of the books I read—and over 95% of the books I accept as review copies (because this is a condition of accepting a review title with most online book blogger review programmes). If I accept your book for review, I will review it. I might take a while and you might not like the review, but I will read it, and I will review it.

Critical reviews are especially hard to write if the book is from a lesser-known author with fewer reviews. I don’t enjoy writing a review saying a book was full of cliché characters, a predictable plot and editing errors. It’s not my fault I’m the first person to notice a book refers to Barnaby’s Star when it’s actually Barnard’s Star (true story. The author said even his NASA beta-reader didn’t pick that up).

Reviews are not book reports or a critique. They are not a way for authors to get free feedback on the quality of their writing. If you want feedback on your writing, ask an objective reader, find a critique partner, get a free critique through a writing organisation, or get a paid critique from an editor. I provide manuscript assessments as part of my editing services. They are far more detailed than my reviews, and provide concrete advice in how to rectify the weaknesses. I can’t do that in a short online review.

Because reviews are for readers.

 

How to Write a Christian Novel: Defining Your Genre 5

What genre are you writing?

In this post we are addressing the traditional understanding of genre, as opposed to the market segment (described in the previous posts). Christian fiction is a market segment, like Young Adult. There are different genres within the Christian fiction segment, just as there are different genres in the general market.

It is important that you are well-read in your chosen genre. Don’t just read books by established authors (which get published because of the author’s track history, not necessarily because of their quality). Read books by debut authors, because you need to understand what publishers are choosing to publish now, and what readers buy.

It’s also important to be widely-read: Nicholas Sparks reads 100 books a year. Some authors don’t like to read while they are writing, as they are afraid they will subconsciously ‘borrow’ (plagiarise) from the books they are reading. If this is a problem for you, then read outside your genre while you are writing, then go back to reading in your genre when editing.

Read Amazon review for books in your genre, because you also need to understand what readers do and don’t like. Read the glowing five-star reviews, the critical one-star reviews and the middle-of-the-road three-star reviews. Think about the themes that come through in the reviews. What do the readers like? What don’t they like? What makes them stop reading? While reviews are for readers (to help them make a decision as to whether or not this a book they will enjoy), they can serve a useful purpose for authors as well, by telling them what not to do.

Some authors want to blend genres , either because they believe it makes for a more satisfying plot or (more commonly) because they don’t understand genre and want to appeal to everyone. If you fall in that second group, I suggest you read the first post in this series again. By seeking to appeal to everyone, it is likely you will end up appealing to no one .

Fiction is generally divided into literary and genre fiction. Literary fiction has been defined as “complex, literate, multi-layered novels that wrestle with universal dilemmas” . some is challenging; I often find it is so focused on the writing and ideas that it fails to convey the story. One good place to look for literary fiction is the Man Booker Prize long list. Don’t expect to find any in your local Christian bookshop, as Christian fiction is most definitely genre fiction.

Genre (or category) fiction is something literary authors look down on as inferior writing, because it is literary fiction that wins major awards. Be that as it may: genre fiction sells books. Literary fiction may win awards, but rank and file consumers only buy it when it wins a big award (and then can’t always finish reading it).

At the highest level, there are three main genres:

Romance: developing a romantic relationship between two people, with a happy-ever-after ending;
Action: mystery, suspense or thrillers, where the primary focus is on the action, not the character relationships;
Worldbuilder: genres such as science fiction, fantasy, dystopian and paranormal, set in another world.

Note that many genres have a range of sub-genres , and I will be discussing the major genres in future posts, starting next week with romance. But first I’m going to cover one major and one minor genre that don’t fit easily into the three main genres above:

Women’s Fiction

Women make up approximately 85% of the market for Christian fiction (and are still a majority of general market fiction). The novels are focused on women (although they are not necessarily written by women, e.g. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks), and they explore the nature of character, human nature and relationships without the requirement for a romance or a happy-ever-after ending. Characters are searching for meaning, for an answer to a problem of the mind. They may cover more than one generation, and the ending may be bittersweet. While women’s fiction might be difficult to define, it’s had a place in the bookshop for years and will continue to do so.

Men’s Fiction

You’ve never heard of the term? That’s not a surprise. I made it up. Only 13% of members of American Christian Fiction Writers are men , and that’s reflected in the books that are published. So Men’s fiction isn’t so much a genre as a possible gap in the market. The problem is that, as a woman, I have no idea what men like to read. Of the men I know well enough to know what they read (all three), all of them read the same kinds of books as their wives (if they read at all). Is this because they like the genres their wives read, or is it because they don’t read, therefore don’t buy books, so are stuck reading whatever their wife brings home?

The other issue, especially in Christian fiction, is that the major publishing houses don’t know how to sell to men, as discussed by Mike Duran regarding mystery writer J Mark Bertrand.

So, men. What do you like to read? If there really was a men’s fiction genre, what would it be?