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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.

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?

How to Write a Christian Novel: Defining Your Genre 4

Are you targeting the Christian market or the general market?

My previous post attempted to define traditional Christian fiction, and looked briefly at some of the issues people (Christians and non-Christians) have with the conservative evangelical approach of most Christian fiction. This week we look at the alternatives:

  • Inspirational fiction
  • Crossover fiction
  • General market fiction

Christian Fiction (Inspirational)

Just as there is no clear definition of Christian fiction, there is no clear definition of inspirational fiction. I waver between liking and disliking the idea of ‘inspirational’ fiction. Some people find Christian fiction too preachy, full of too-perfect characters treating each other with sickly-sweet holiness, never doing anything wrong.

These people might even be Christians, but non-Christians are certainly not interested in this kind of fiction. They might be interested if there was a little less focus on preaching and a little more focus on reflecting real-life situations. Many non-Christians won’t knowingly read a Christian novel and will complain if they accidentally download a Christian novel as a Kindle freebie, accusing authors and publishers of being unchristian by not properly categorising their novel.

This is where Inspirational fiction can play a part.

I like the idea that fiction can reflect a Christian world view and inspire thought without descending into sermons, but without gratuitous sex and violence. I like the idea that writers can explore some of the more gritty issues of life, like drug or alcohol abuse or the consequences of lust.

But I dislike the term ‘inspirational’. It doesn’t necessarily restrict itself to Christian. Many self-help books are inspirational, but could in no way be described as Christian.

And I haven’t liked some of the Inspirational Christian novels I’ve read, because in getting rid of the praying and preaching, some authors have removed everything overtly Christian, leaving a story that could be published by anyone except for the fact there is no sex, violence or swearing. I like this in general market fiction, but if I’m buying from a Christian publishing house, I expect the book to be, well, Christian.

Yet there have been other inspirational novels I have enjoyed, although these are more likely to be thrillers than romance: perhaps because I can believe God not being front-and-centre of a murder investigation, but I can’t imagine leaving Him out of a romantic relationship.

Crossover Fiction

Crossover fiction is a relatively new term used to refer to novels written from a Christian world view (and often published by an ECPA-member publisher), but one that doesn’t specifically refer to Christianity. The characters may or may not be Christians, they won’t quote Bible verses and they won’t go to church. It’s not that they don’t ever, just that they don’t within the timeframe of the novel (or if they do, it’s a minor plot point). This may be another way of describing Inspirational fiction, or it may be a way for Christian publishers to market books they hope will appeal to a wider readership.

General Market Fiction

In On Moral Fiction, John Gardner rejects God who is the basis of our worldview and values, yet argues that good fiction is underpinned by some form of morality. Gardner then goes on to complain that “our serious novelists, like our painters and composers, are short on significant belief”, that “their works lack conviction”.

As a Christian, I see this as a contradiction in terms: you can’t throw God out of fiction then complain fiction has no significant belief, no conviction and no true morality. After all, “spiritual growth and the search for truth are also integral issues in human life, issues that are sometimes ignored altogether in general-market fiction” (Penelope J Stokes).

There are many Christian authors publishing in the general market whose “books reflect the reality of God and the depth of their own spiritual experience” (Penelope J Stokes). Examples include John Grisham, Mary Higgins Clark and Maeve Binchy.

And if we remember that as Christians we can only ever write with a Christian worldview, then maybe we will find a way into the general market, which might actually give us the opportunity to share the good news, (to paraphrase St Francis of Assisi) by preaching the gospel at all times, using words where necessary.

What do you think? What do you read? What market does your novel target?

Next week we will discuss the next step in defining your target audience: genre.

How to Write a Christian Novel: Defining Your Genre 3

Are you targeting the Christian market or the general market?

“Anything a Christian writes must reflect the truth of God’s account. If as a Christian we don’t write from a biblical worldview, we’re not portraying reality as it is.” Ann Tatlock

What is a biblical worldview? It the opposite of the post-modern view, which says that God is dead, we are a product of chance, reason alone will build a better society, there is no hope of life after death, and all paths lead to god . Penelope J Stokes defines Christian fiction as fiction that tells the truth. She goes on to comment that what we typically call Christian fiction is actually conservative evangelical fiction, which has not just an “acknowledgement of God, but a distinctly religious viewpoint, usually marked by the conversion of one or more characters”.

Christian Fiction (Evangelical)

The US-based Evangelical Christian Publishers Association require that books are consistent with their Statement of Faith (which is essentially the same as the Statement of Faith of the National Association of Evangelicals. American Christian Fiction Writers has a list of Recognized Publishers , which specifies that books must be written from a Christian world view, and must conform to the generally accepted standards of the CBA:

  • Main characters will be practicing Christians. Any character who isn’t (especially in a romance) is expected to have an on-page conversion during the course of the novel;
  • Christian characters do not gamble, play cards, drink alcoholic beverages or dance (although they might drink a little or dance in more ‘edgy’ contemporary stories). Love Inspired does not permit any mention of Halloween;
  • Conservative Christian values, but without mentioning a specific denomination;
  • No swearing;No strong violence, especially towards women;
  • Romantic relationships emphasise the emotional side of love rather than the physical (too much emphasis on the enjoyment of the physical will earn a Christian novel the ‘edgy’ tag, even if it’s no more than a kiss, yet there is an apparent contradiction in that Christian fiction may feature rape).

Some Christian novels tread close to the line in one of more of these traits, which is likely to earn them an ‘edgy’ tag. Others might consider ‘edgy’ to be more realistic: it’s a sad truth that Christians can still be victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, and it makes sense that our fiction should address these issues.

“We may have high and noble hopes of spreading the gospel to the world, but in most cases evangelical novels are read by other evangelicals; only rarely does a religious novel find an audience among the unconverted.” The exception might be Jewish author Chaim Potok: when asked why atheists and agnostics would read his novels but not read Christian fiction, he replied “Jewish authors do not proselytize.” Evangelical fiction certainly proselytizes. The conversion scene is a central focus, particularly in a romance which has a strong theme of not being unequally yoked with unbelievers.

What do you think? Should Christian fiction authors ‘preach to the choir’ or convert the masses?

Next week we will discuss the look at Inspirational, Crossover and General Market fiction.

How to Write a Christian Novel: Defining Your Genre 2

Step One: What age group are you writing for?

The standard industry age categorisations are:

  • Middle Grade: approximately 8-12 years of age.
  • Young Adult: approximately 13-18 years of age
  • Adult: Over 18

Young Adult (YA) is not a genre: it is an age range, as is Middle Grade. Books for children and teenagers cross a range of genres, as do books for adults.

Middle Grade

Middle Grade targeted at readers approximately 8-12 years of age. They are solid readers, able to cope with chapter books with few or no illustrations, and some in-depth in plot and characterisation. The lead characters should be a year or two older than the target audience: if your hero is sixteen, it is likely that the book is Young Adult, not Middle Grade.

Middle Grade fiction for girls will often feature teenagers in their middle school or early high school years, and will focus on relationship issues (e.g. bullying, mean girls) or growing up issues (e.g. physical changes). Fiction for boys is more likely to be adventure-based, and will probably feature two or three protagonists. It may well have a main female character so it will appeal to girls as well (at this age, it seems that girls will read anything, but boys won’t read ‘girl books’).

Prominent Christian authors writing for this age group include Nancy Rue (Lily and Sophie books), Jerry B Jenkins (Left Behind: The Kids and Red Rock Mysteries). Newer authors include Evan Angler (dystopian fiction) and Jerel Law (speculative fiction). Both Angler and Law have a male protagonist and a female secondary lead, to appeal to both genders.

Young Adult

Young Adult novels are written for teenagers, although many adults purchase and read YA fiction (one study found that 55% of YA fiction is purchased by adults). The themes in young adult literature are often very anti-Christian, with a lot of paranormal elements, including vampires, werewolves, mermaids and witchcraft. Dystopian novels are also popular. Those YA novels that are set in the ‘real’ world are likely to promote lust over love and sex over abstinence, glamorise abusive relationships, or endorse politically-correct alternative lifestyles.

Plots are typically consistent with the age and experience of the main character, who is usually in their mid-to-late teens, and may deal with issues such as peer pressure, divorce, illness, alcohol or drug use, gangs, violence, sex, pregnancy, incest and rape. Needless to say, there is a lot of debate around the suitability of these topics to the age group, but supporters argue that reading about these social issues help readers deal with real-life challenges.

Melody Carlson is probably the best-known Christian author for girls in this age group. Most Amish novels and Christian historicals also feature girls in their late teens, and are suitable teenage reading even though they are nominally targeted at adults (I think this is one of the reasons I don’t like Amish fiction: I find it rather juvenile).

I’d like to be able to suggest some solid YA authors for boys, but had trouble finding any. Is this why Omega authors such as L D Taylor and Lynne Stringer are targeting this age group?

Adult

The standard genre classifications for adult fiction are:

  • Literary
  • Mystery, Thriller and Suspense
  • Religious & Inspirational
  • Romance
  • Science Fiction & Fantasy

There are numerous sub-classifications within all of these (and note that ‘Religious and Inspirational’ is not restricted to the Christian religion). We will go into more detail in future posts.

New Adult

New Adult is an emerging genre, featuring protagonists in their early to mid-twenties facing ‘new adult’ problems such as college, relationship issues, starting work or sharing a flat or apartment. New Adult novels are invariably contemporary: the concept doesn’t work as well in a historical context, because people were typically working and/or by this age, so there was no idea of a time between finishing school and taking on the full responsibilities of adulthood.

Are you clear what age group your novel is targeting?

Next week we will discuss the next step in defining your genre: market segment.

How to Write A Christian Novel: Defining Your Genre 1

As a reviewer and editor, I read a lot of fiction, mostly Christian fiction. I see a lot of the same mistakes over and over, especially from first-time authors. My intention with this series of articles is to address some of these common errors to enable fiction authors to improve their writing.

The first issue I want to address is genre. Books from traditional publishers fall into a range of defined genres, which enable readers to easily pick books they will like. The rise of self-publishing makes it more difficult for readers to understand what they are buying based on the brand of the publisher, and many self-published authors haven’t thought through what they are selling. What genre are they?

Before you begin writing your novel, you should know what genre you are writing in. The number one mistake of beginning writers in this area is to not consider genre at all. – Angela Hunt

I agree the first step in writing a novel is to consider your genre. This may be similar to the plotter vs. pantster debate: is it better to plot out the novel in advance, or to have only a broad idea and write by the seat of the pants? Do you need to understand your genre before you start writing, or will it become obvious as the story comes together?

Author Karen Baney maintains the importance of defining your target audience before you begin writing. It is tempting to say ‘my story is targeted at people aged 8-80’ (yes, I’ve seen that). What is more likely is that story isn’t designed to appeal to anyone. A good book may well appeal to people outside the target market (think of the number of adults who buy and read Young Adult fiction), but first you need to meet the needs of a target reader. This could be defined as some or all of:

  • Age;
  • Gender;
  • Religion;
  • Race;
  • Geographic location;
  • Education and occupation;
  • Hobbies and interests;
  • etc.

Can you describe your target reader in these terms? If not, try. If you can’t define your target audience, how will you sell your novel to a publisher? Or to readers? Genre underpins the publishing world:

  • Publishers publish by genre;
  • Agents acquire by genre;
  • Readers purchase by genre.

And readers review by genre. If a book doesn’t meet the expectations of the genre, you can expect low-star reviews with comments about not meeting expectations (I know. I’ve read many, and even written a few myself.) There are advantages to having a broad idea of your target audience before you begin.

Understanding your target reader will:

  • Provide insight into your target market, which will help with determining the most appropriate marketing strategy and developing your platform;
  • Inform some of your writing decisions, including the most appropriate point of view, the number of viewpoint characters, tense, voice, style and word count;
  • Help ensure you don’t stray off-topic as you write;
  • Inform the length of your story.

Whatever genre you write in, make sure you are widely read in that genre so that you know you are following the rules of the genre.

Future posts will cover each of these aspects of genre, starting next week with target age.

What do you write? And what do you read?