I'm writing a Fantasy novel and I'm a Christian.... http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482 MandydeMeta So I'm trying to write a fantasy novel, and I'm a Christian, and I wonder, when you right about the religion of your imagined world, does your story include a Christ type? Mine might not, so I suppose it would be more Jewish than Christian fiction... What books do you suggest, which you would call Christian Fantasy? Are they all based on European landscapes, or are there differences? Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:27:01 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_127590 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_127590 White Lily I'm a Christian, and everything I've ever written is fantasy. Building religion(s) for my worlds are almost the thing I like the most =) I rarely set out to make any kind of similarities to the established religions in our world, though. Of course, I often end up with (un)intentional parallells anyway... I've never purposefully included a Christ-like figure/character. I came close once, but then it was a character that had lived several centuries before the time of the story, and legends were abundant. The trilogy I'm working on now (second part will be this year's NaNo) is inspired by the story of Moses, but are really not very recognizable as that anymore except for some things that happens. It's outlined, some parts better than others - and frankly I'm not 100% decidedat the end. Mateo (who is the Moses-figure) will be killed, that's for certain, and his brother Akir will be leader of their people. I've yet to decide if I want Mateo to stay dead. I just might let him come back, but if so it's going to be in a Christ-like way (not continuing a normal life) and possibly he will become some kind of semi-godlike character .... If I do that, he'll be the most Christ-like character I've ever done - and up to that point he certainly is nothing like Christ in thoughts and behaviour ..... Christian Fantasy? No idea, actually..... Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:39:58 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_128768 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_128768 lurgee I don't see how a writer's religious affiliation categorises a fantasy novel as Christian fantasy or anything else, unless they are setting out to write some sort of reworking of Christian idea, like the Narnia books. If you're just writing about Orcs and stuff, then it isn't really religious fiction. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 06:10:55 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_131335 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_131335 Kuroloki It's not a novel, but there's a fantasy game I enjoy with various religions across the country, and one of them appears to be loosely inspired by Christianity (at least in part). The lore goes that there was a woman named Andraste, a prophetess who spread the word of the Maker (God). She was burned at the stake, and afterwards a religion was born from her teachings. I'll just link you to the wiki, actually, since it has so much more detail than I could give you here: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Chantry I hope that gives you some ideas! Thu, 20 Oct 2011 07:59:09 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_132683 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_132683 chrisdd Jeffrey Overstreet The Auralia Thread - Auralia's Colors is the first book. Wayne Thomas Batson - The Door Within Series (so good) Ted Dekker - Black, Red, etc series and there is a prequel that I read that I can't recall the name. There are LOTS of Christian fantasy writers. Overstreet has a sorta Christ figure but it's a girl, kinda. Batson has one in this series; he's the prince/the leader in charge. Dekker has battles against evil forces; it's so good. I don't think there's one way to tell a story, right? As a Christian, you let God lead you and He will guide you. I am going to be writing a Fantasy story and I am a Christian. There will be Christian elements in there but I don't know what it will look like until I write it. If you want to buddy up, let me know. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:01:11 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_136388 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_136388 winterbloom Tolkien and Lewis both wrote strongly Christian fantasy. Lewis made Narnia a Christian allegory. Tolkien made Middle-earth a world that adhered to his Catholic values and sense of how the world worked -- hence the general lack of explicit religion in the text, especially in Gondor. Middle-earth, for Tolkien, was a far off mythic past of Britain, and so his mythology for the world directly echoed what he believed to be the greatest religious truths: the oneness of God, the status of world as created and Creator as supreme deity, the intercessory ability of lesser powers (ie saints and angels) on the behalf of mere mortals, the important of memorial and morality in the world, the reality of evil, etc etc. Tolkien especially is the place to look for fantasy written with Christian ethics in mind, but never made explicit. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:13:55 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_143383 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_143383 Agran Velion I'm not adding a Christlike character, but the main (Human) religon is strongly based off Catholicism. Cathedrals, saints, angels, rites and rituals, etc are all major parts of the religon. I'm probaly a bit biased, considering I'm adding several Saints reutnring to the world to help the race of men against the orcs. Of course, this assuming I go with this story. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 02:31:54 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_143644 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_143644 TheTabster Hey MandyMeta, I think it really depends on the goal of your fantasy novel. For starters, not every fantasy is technically a Christian novel just because it's written by a Christian. The first thing to look at would be whether or not your in-world religion is a reflection of Christianity, or if it's just it's own thing altogether. Referring to the Circle Trilogy, which someone else already mentionned; Dekker sets up a Christ-like character in his fictional world that is a direct representation of Jesus Christ. You have Tolkien, who used a wizard (Gandalf) as his representation of Christ, and of course, Aslan in Narnia. The majority of Christian Fantasies do usually have someone who represents Christ, but again, it depends on what your focus is. You could easily write a Christian Fantasy that follows the Old Testament ideals, where a saviour has not yet come and they have to work by abiding the law, or you could use New Testament with Christ -- but really, I would say go where your heart leads you. A couple of years ago I wrote a Christian Fantasy for NaNo (sadly it's still not finished), which takes place both in our world and in a fantasy world that operates more or less on the spiritual level (physical to those in it, but spiritual compared to ours). I didn't use a Christ-like figure, because with the focus of my novel, at least, for the first book, it's not necessary. Up to this point, they've operated under very different guidelines because their whole world is different than ours. Even God is a little different to them than he is to us (different name, etc.). I found the more prayer I invested in writing the novel, the more I just knew where to go with it. :) Sat, 22 Oct 2011 01:03:59 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_157473 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_157473 Chrononaut ^^ Good suggestion about the prayer. I don't know why that never occurred to me! I have a long-unfinished vaguely Christian fantasy novel that just isn't getting written. I say "vaguely Christian" because it is more along the lines of Tolkien's writing with Christian values (every time Frodo calls for help, it is granted; good characters have values consistent with Christianity) than Lewis's allegory (Aslan is the answer to "what if Jesus came to Narnia?). In my story, characters refer to God as "the One Above" and there are "Messengers" - basically angels. The characters meet a Messenger, and talk about a prophecy quite a bit, as it is relevant to the answers their quest is seeking, but "religion" itself is not really directly discussed in detail. In the end, the main character has to decide between doing what she realizes is right, and therefore becoming a traitor to her country, or continuing to follow the leaders into increasing evil. The background is NOT majorly European, the idea is sort of, "approximately the year 1000 AD North America, with various cultures that include Viking/African/Turkmene/Spanish/Ancient Greek/Central American influences" (not all at once, mind you! This covers a lot of distance.) No magic in this one, but one civilization was very technologically advanced, and there are crazy extinct (but real) animals like the teratorn, a giant bird of prey. I've been trying to decide whether or not to continue writing this story during Nanowrimo this year just to try and finish it. I would also recommend Jeffery Overstreet's books (Auralia's Colors and Cyndere's Midnight) and Madeline L'Engle as good Christian-themed fantasy. Many Waters by L'Engle has the main characters traveling back to the time of Noah's flood. I don't think Christian fantasy needs to have a Christ figure. Sometimes it's better when it's more subtle. Sun, 23 Oct 2011 02:57:33 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_172260 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_172260 TheTabster [quote]I would also recommend Jeffery Overstreet's books (Auralia's Colors and Cyndere's Midnight) and Madeline L'Engle as good Christian-themed fantasy. Many Waters by L'Engle has the main characters traveling back to the time of Noah's flood. I don't think Christian fantasy needs to have a Christ figure. Sometimes it's better when it's more subtle. [/quote] I'll have to check out those authors. I haven't read a lot of Christian fantasy other than Dekker (who blows my mind every time I open up his books), but have been looking for more to help give me a little more sense of direction and grasp on different ideas and methods. I think the debate about a Christ-like figure really comes into play with the question of what is the focus of your novel. If you're looking at having it as the whole men are all sinners, and there needs to be a way of reconciliation with God, generally, IMO I would say you need that Christ-figure for the sacrifice in order to bring us closer. If you're looking at there being ways around it (ie more OT type things -- ways to atone for your sin and move forward from it, and still be close to God) you don't necessarily need it. That's what I really do love about Christian Fantasy -- whilst the ground ideals still tend to be there, as well as most of the base theologies, because you're creating a world outside of this one, you have the capability to play with how that reconciliation with God is made. It's a whole different ball-game. Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:45:31 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_177896 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_177896 kblynn My last year's NaNo was Christian Science Fiction, so yes, crossing the genres can be done! As for a "Christ-type," no, I didn't have one of those. I'm a Baptist, and I believe in having a relationship with a living Christ, so I wrote Christ as, well, Christ. He didn't physically appear in any of my scenes (although He did in one of my deleted scenes), but my main male character, an angel, spoke to Him often. However, the reader was only able to hear the character's half of the conversation (like writing one side of a phone conversation). I'm surprised no one here has yet mentioned Frank E. Peretti. He's done a range of work including children and adult novels, but he's mainly regarded as "Christian Suspense." His novel "This Present Darkness" and its sequel "Piercing the Darkness" (the better of the two, in my opinion), are both GREAT stories. Gripping, moving, and deep. He also does not make parallels like Tolkien or Lewis (although I love their works as well), and instead focuses on real people in real situations...except he also includes angels and demons as their own characters, and introduces a supernatural aspect that is unique and refreshing. Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:01:37 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_179383 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_179383 BrittanyJean My local library considers the Left Behind Series (http://www.leftbehind.com/) to be Fantasy, although, as a Christian who believes the basis of the plot (the book of Revelation), I am not sure if Fantasy is really the most accurate genre. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:45:28 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_191142 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_191142 TheTabster You're write -- technically, because the Left Behind series is based off part of our actual beliefs, it should be placed under either Religious Lit or Christian Lit. That's actually the first time I've heard of a Library doing that -- all I've been to always put it under Christian Lit. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:01:22 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_196607 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_196607 Cadaverine I've actually never been in a library that had a "Christian lit" section. Just fiction, and sometimes they'll also have a sci-fi fantasy and romance section. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:39:34 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_196908 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_196908 TheTabster Most libraries I've been in have it as a sub-section within the general fiction section. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:35:25 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_197482 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_197482 Charis011 You might check Donita K. Paul. She has a series called the Dragonkeeper Chronicles. They're a pretty good example of writing typical fantasy elements (mythical creatures, different worlds, etc.) from a Christian worldview. Also Francine Rivers is an author you might find interesting. Although I wouldn't classify her books as fantasies, both "Redeeming Love" and "The Last Sin-Eater" could be helpful. In "Redeeming Love" she takes the story of Hosea and sets it in the California Gold Rush era. "The Last Sin-Eater" is set in the Appalachian mountains and is an absolutely beautiful story. Here is the blurb: Set in Appalachia in the 1850s, The Last Sin Eater is the story of a community committed to its myth of a human "sin eater," who absolves the dead of their sins, and the ten-year-old child who shows them the Truth. All that matters for young Cadi Forbes is finding the one man who can set her free from the sin that plagues her, the sin that has stolen her mother's love from her and made her wish she could flee life and its terrible injustice. But Cadi doesn't know that the "sin eater" is seeking as well. Before their journeys are over, Cadi and the sin eater must face themselves, each other, and the One who will demand everything from them in exchange for the answers they seek. A captivating tale of suffering, seeking, and redemption. I hope this is helpful! Tue, 25 Oct 2011 05:14:42 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_203208 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_203208 chrisdd Donita K. Paul is a wonderful writer too! And Karen Hancock too--the Light of Eidon. See? You're in good company! Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:58:47 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_208759 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_208759 E.M. Jeanmougin You've probably read it, but all of the Chronicles of Narnia could easily be considered Christian Fantasy, with Asland the Lion as a symbol for Christ. Also, it isn't Fantasy, but there is a book called "House" that is Inspirational. I'm atheist, but I still loved it. Definitely one of my favorites. And, of course, there are the Left Behind books. I don't care for them personally, but I know a lot of people do, so they might be worth looking into. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:35:02 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_217043 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_217043 Chrononaut My library has Left Behind under science fiction. I think it belongs there. It's based off of a scientific possibility of the end of the world....right? :) (Seriously: it fits the formula. Take fact X, elaborate, and run with the possibilities from there.) Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:29:17 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_224169 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_224169 zionian06 I'm also writing a fantasy novel as a Christian. In my past (unfinished) books I haven't even had religion enter the equation...In the better one, there was reference to a vague evil that needed to be stopped but nothing counteracting it. Something I'm struggling with, personally, is the use of magic as a Christian. I know C.S. Lewis did it, vaguely. I've read Christopher Paolini (Inheritance Cycle), and he has the elves use the "Ancient Language" to do magic which is basically spells, which I definitely want to stay away from. Anyone have any thoughts? Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:08:40 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_239416 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_239416 Charis011 As a Christian who enjoys reading fantasy, I can sympathize with your plight. I haven't tried to write fantasy, but I have thought about it. My husband has a story idea for a novel or script that would involve time travel. In discussing it, he has struggled a little bit with what would and would not be allowable. Here are some of the things we have talked about. 1. Obviously, God is in control. As Creator, nothing can happen without His permission. 2. I believe in good and evil. Fortunately (for you) most fantasy novels involve a good vs. evil conflict. As a Christian, I do not believe that good and evil are equal. God is good, Satan is evil. God is All-Powerful, Satan is not. Satan is just a created being who chose to put himself in opposition to God. Since Satan (evil) is not now, nor ever will be, as powerful as God (good), God will always prevail. That means the good guys always ultimately win. :) Sorry, so far I've just rambled and not answered your question at all. Personally, I don't have a problem with the use of "magic" in fantasy. Jesus performed miracles and gave His disciples the ability to do so as well. We also see miracles performed in the Old Testament by followers of God (Elijah and Elisha are two notable examples). For that matter, those who were obviously NOT followers of God were able to perform "signs and wonders" (see the Egyptian plagues). I think the real struggle would be using it tastefully and appropriately. And as someone else has already mentioned in this thread, that is where prayer comes in. If after praying about it, you still feel uncomfortable having magic in your novel, than don't. It WOULD be wrong to use magic if you didn't feel that it was right to do so. Hopefully this has been at least a little helpful! :) Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:03:17 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_240278 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_240278 nymphquill Thank you (I'm zionian06, this is my new username). That helped a lot, and put things in perspective. I have never had an issue with reading about it, and, to a certain extent, writing about it. But somehow this year it became more prevalent in my novel-planning. I'm using Nano this year primarily as an emotional outlet - there was a death in my family recently that really affected me. (Now I'm rambling lol) Anyways, thanks. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:42:56 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_240938 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_240938 White Lily First, I agree with everything Charis011 wrote. Just thought I'd chime in with how I tackle it :) All I've ever written is Fantasy. And it's quite low-magic... yes, magic exists - but it's not the most important thing and my MCs usually 1) are not magic-users or 2) has none or very little control over it. The trilogy I'm doing now is based on Moses and the Exodus (though not very recognizable by now). I do have some magic in it, but it's treated like a "gift from the gods" (short explanation: you can't be trained to accomplish it yourself, but you can be trained to put yourself in a state where you are able to "recieve" the magic). So the origin of my magic is spiritual beings. They call themselves gods (and people believe it) but my MCs soon discover they are more demon-like and have gained their power only because God has been absent. When my "Moses character" finally meets God, there is no question about who is going to prevail in the coming battle - as long as "Moses" dares to put himself on the line and fully trust in God. I'll second the personal prayer part too. Don't make yourself do anything that do not feel right, just becase you think you should. There is always an alternative. And I'm sorry about your loss. My dad died three years ago, and it surely affected my writing.... Good luck! Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:59:00 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_244638 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_244638 Charis011 First, I'm sorry for your loss. Writing can be very cathartic; I hope it is for you. Second, I'm glad my ramblings were helpful. I shouldn't be allowed to type after 8 pm, lol. Like I said, I enjoy reading fantasy, and I really appreciate it when Christians write good fantasy. Good luck with your novel! Thu, 27 Oct 2011 22:08:03 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_246462 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_246462 anndw22 You might try reading Infinite God Infinite Space which is a collection of Science Fiction short stories edited by Karina Fabian and her husband. The authors are all Catholics. Karina Fabian writes a series about a dragon who is a detective. Amazon. com has a list of Karina Fabian's novels. Two years ago during nano, i wrote an apocalytic novel (which I viewed as a fantasy) based on the book of Revelation. it is still in draft form. I'm working on it. Blessings on your novel. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 04:59:51 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_252254 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_252254 MandydeMeta Thanks everyone! I totally want to write a fantasy novel. And I want it to be captivating to the male audience as well and I wonder how Christian fantasy can do that? Sat, 29 Oct 2011 03:02:03 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_266974 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_266974 TheTabster I would say the same way regular fantasy does -- it has to be captivating and have enough believability to it to make it plausible. If you're looking to captivate the male audience, I would also steer clear of too much romance -- in my experience, guys aren't as interested in stories that have a very heavy romance story in it. It should be more about the story, less about the romance. :) Sat, 29 Oct 2011 03:05:28 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_267020 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_267020 MandydeMeta I like this idea! Are you going to do it? Sat, 29 Oct 2011 03:07:34 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_267047 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_267047 WriteRach Yay, this is where I belong! Or do I? See, I'm writing a Christian Fantasy novel, but it's not about elves or people with magic in their blood or another world. It's about Vampires. Modern-day Vampires. Oh dear. I think that most Christians consider Vampires taboo. But Ted Dekker did an AMAZING vampire novel, spinning off from his Circle books. So can I get away with it? ;) I think my most specific classification would be Christian Urban Fantasy. So, tell me. Am I welcome or anathema? :P Sat, 29 Oct 2011 03:49:42 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_267746 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_267746 chrisdd It's tough. Personally I would have another "people" that use magic but not my MC. I am going to have a whole realm and there will be magic but the rules are different for them. Example; The Elvish kingdom (it's not but it's simpler to explain) will definitely have magic and evil creatures. Evil creatures that you can actually see, that get physically hurt. The magic is old as they are descendants of the Nephilim. And they can approach God, or rather their ruler can. It's a big ordeal. They have to follow a bunch of steps as a people and so does the king and then he can go to a special place and have an audience with God for a specified or limited time. And I think that their magic has a backlash. They have to stay close to their kingdom otherwise they age more rapidly. There's rules. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:39:21 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272120 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272120 chrisdd I've "known" Karina for a long time--she's a nice lady! Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:40:11 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272133 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272133 chrisdd Author Sue Dent has broken that ground, can you believe it? Go for it! http://www.suedent.net/ Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:41:27 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272153 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272153 nymphquill Ted Dekker, vampire story? Details, please! And you're welcome as far as I'm concerned as long as they don't sparkle. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:47:46 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272233 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272233 WriteRach Immanuel's Veins was published in 2010, and is definitely a vampire novel. It was not what I thought it would be, but incredibly awesome, and yes, it is part of the Books of History Chronicles. But it is more sensual that his other books (although Bride Collecter was rather sensual), and something of an oddity. But I did love it. (I also love the one he wrote with Tosca Lee: Forbidden. Not vampire per se, but definitely fantasy.) Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:23:08 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272713 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272713 WriteRach REALLY???? I'll look into that! Thank you! :D Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:23:45 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272719 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_272719 CheyennevanStrange I'm a Christian writer and pretty much all my longer stories are fantasy. The one I'm doing for this upcoming NaNo involves a religion that is basically the same as our christian relationship with God. However, the names are different because the people in the book speak a different language and Biblical names are translated as well. So one might not realize the God in my story is the same as the God of the Bible unless they have read the Bible, know Scripture, etc. I've had your dilemma before, and a good site for you to check out is Holy Worlds in the fantasy section. It's a site for Christian fiction writers of various genres and addresses a lot of common issues we have in our writings, gives writing tips, etc. http://www.holyworlds.org/ Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:58:00 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_301043 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_301043 Cracked Ice I've been trying to get something finished within the Christian Fantasy/Sci-Fi genre's. I recently discovered that other Christian writers consider this to be Christian Speculative Fiction. I googled it and came up with a list of authors who write within all these ideas (vampires, time travel, dystopia, demonology, elves, dragons, etc). marcherlordpress.com is an independent publisher of Christian Speculative Fiction that you can't find in book stores. wherethemapends.com is another site for CSF. http://www.arjay.bc.ca/Fiction/CSF/index.htm has a list of authors in the genre. Have fun. Anyone in the Washington state area? Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:17:40 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_363313 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_363313 Nenya_s Wings [quote=chrisdd] Jeffrey Overstreet The Auralia Thread - Auralia's Colors is the first book. Wayne Thomas Batson - The Door Within Series (so good) Ted Dekker - Black, Red, etc series and there is a prequel that I read that I can't recall the name. There are LOTS of Christian fantasy writers. Overstreet has a sorta Christ figure but it's a girl, kinda. Batson has one in this series; he's the prince/the leader in charge. Dekker has battles against evil forces; it's so good. I don't think there's one way to tell a story, right? As a Christian, you let God lead you and He will guide you. I am going to be writing a Fantasy story and I am a Christian. There will be Christian elements in there but I don't know what it will look like until I write it. If you want to buddy up, let me know. [/quote] I LOVE all of those authors. And Ted Dekker's Red took a common figure and gave it a twist. Just curious, chrisdd, have you read more than one of the Auralia Thread or seen any interviews with the author? Because he says that Auralia is not meant to be a Christ figure, but that it's more about the importance of art. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:21:25 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_369803 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_369803 Nenya_s Wings Sorry, I know it's probably just a NaNoism, but it bugs me--ASLAN! not Asland Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:24:42 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_369929 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_369929 Nenya_s Wings Me too! I spent most of 09 hopping between this forum and fantasy. And my first project (it's a revision, so I have another item for when it's done) has a God the Father figure, and a physical embodiment of the Holy Spirit, but no God the Son--I did NOT intend it that way. It's more of a "another world God could have made" then any strong symbolism, especially since it ends in apocolpyuse. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:28:08 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_370047 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_370047 wblowry Ted Dekker's Circle Series is great! Black, Red, White, Green. Those are my favorite books. I love Elyon! Mandy -- Read this series sometime, if you haven't already. This portrays a great 'Christian' theme! A way of bringing 'God' into the book's world. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:22:28 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_730057 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_730057 chrisdd Yes, I've followed him and I'd say that I'd have to agree. There are Christian themes in the books and he is a Christian himself. So I would still call it a Christian fantasy novel. I have to say that I don't know that a Christian fantasy has to have Jesus in it or a Messiah character. It could have Christian themes or world view, if that makes sense. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:28:20 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_731955 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_731955 chrisdd How is everyone doing? Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:33:33 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_732034 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_732034 wblowry Tracey Bateman also did a Vampire book. I believe it was called Thirsty. And the last book in the Circle Series 'Green' hints at vampires. I've never read any of the spinoffs, but I really want to. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:37:34 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_732937 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_732937 White Lily Fairly well, actually. I'm a very <em> not</em> from-the-start-to-the-end writer ... I tend to write scenes a bit all over the place, but really try to do them in order unless I hit a definitve snag. Right now I have problems with exactly how my MCs are going to get out of a tricky situation, but since I know what happens after they get out I can skip the definitive and let mu muse work on that whiile I go write another (later) scene. Story-wise, my version of Moses has just fled from the land he was born and raised in, together with his brother, his intended bride and a professional assassin wh once tried to kill him but has changed sides .... yeah - it's not much recognizable as the Exodus anymore ... =) What about yourself? Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:30:39 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_738913 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_738913 Ladypamela Haven't read all the series you suggested, but I found The Door Within a little too blatant. I enjoyed the story, and as a devout Christian I liked the reverence with which he treated the subject, but I thought he could have been more subtle. :) Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:58:26 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_748916 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_748916 Celebrine Ahhhhh, I've just found the thread where all my NaNo woes belong, lol. I am a Christian and I pretty much always write Fantasy, but with this novel I am branching out into new territory (for me anyway, I've never read most of the authors mentioned on this thread). See, this year? I am trying to write a fantasy novel that presents Christianity in a way that portrays truth but gearing it towards non-Christian fantasy readers who might not read it if they knew it were Christian. My story is placed early in time, somewhere between the Fall and the Tower of Babel. I haven't decided yet if it has any bearing on our real world or is a completely made-up world yet. God is a trinity in it, but I am playing with representing the Holy Spirit as a female, so there is the Father, the Mother and the Son. And then there's Rask who is my Satan character, the leader of those of the First Children who turned against God. There is magic of sorts, each of my MCs has an 'affinity' for a different person of the trinity and that comes with different gifts. Father affinity = dream walking, Mother affinity = sensing the 'Life Stream' and using it for healing, Son affinity = not sure, leaning towards prayer relationship but not sure if that feels balanced. One of the MCs is my uniting figure who has affinities for all three and she will be the one who discovers that the Father, Mother and Son are all one God. I could go on for pages about what I am trying to communicate and what my story is about, but that's what my book is for, so I'll spare you all! I personally am going through a lot of internal conflict over how consistent I want my story to be with Biblical truth vs getting the 'spirit' (harhar) of the ideas across to readers. To me, the entire point of fantasy is to get behind the reader's defenses and present something to them that their mind would be closed to in a non-fantasy setting. I want to take God behind those defenses. So, I have to be indirect enough to get behind the defenses, but true enough that it is God I am presenting. A balance I am having trouble figuring out! I think CS Lewis did an excellent job with this. Also, George MacDonald who is one of my all time favorite fantasy writers. I am hoping to do what George MacDonald did but better written! lol Wed, 23 Nov 2011 10:33:20 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_811426 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_811426 Celebrine I also don't want to be disingenuous. I don't want to trick people into thinking about God, I just don't want them to bring their baggage with them when they read this! Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:54:52 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_812530 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_812530 Itzika My current novel is blatantly, not-even-pretending contemporary Christian fantasy. The heroine is a Christian demon hunter and magic is a power granted only by the devil to his servants. Pretty much all my other stories have good magic, many of them have other gods, and I have a ton of absolute heretics for protagonists. Granted, these were all written when I was busy having nothing to do with Christianity, but I still fully intend to finish them. Possibly even get them published. Should be interesting. But I believe God knows that I know the difference between fantasy and reality, and knows that my writing something is not necessarily my advocating it. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 04:45:29 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_985281 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=1#forum_thread_comment_985281 Writing_Ninja I haven't included a religion. I was going to but my whole story changed. I really want everyone to read the book. Of course I do include a lot of good values. My MC has lost her father and mother. Her house was also attacked. In the 'norm' of the world, she should have turned out to be bitter and angry. Which she doesn't. She's not a polly anna, but she isn't knocked off of her knees because she does have some kind of belief that holds her still. If anything, my book is more about becoming a better person when you could have chosen to be bitter. Although I really never thought about including a Christ-type in my story. I never trust myself to write about someone so sacred. There's been books that I have read that tended to include the author's opinions so much that I couldn't finish it because their view was off to me. I did like Tolkien though. CS lewis, I enjoyed as a kid, but I think that's a little too strong for my book. Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:37:59 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1010486 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1010486 SaphireTategami48 Not sure which category this would fall under, but City of Bones by Cassandra Clare &amp; the rest of the series Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:29:44 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1049417 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1049417 Itzika I haven't read the books--only part of the first one and an ongoing recap of the series--but in what way is that Christian fantasy? They have Nephilim, but use the name to describe something completely unlike what the Bible describes. And aside from that, from what I can tell, the characters really don't display a single Christian attribute. Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:03:09 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1049935 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1049935 BeeJayCue As an Eastern Orthodox, the fantasy Im planning for November has a character that will reflect Orthodoxy albeit not blatantly. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:06:06 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1100829 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1100829 Xyex I did something similar for 09, that I'm currently re-writing. Though, I went a few steps further than you with changes and modifications, setting mine a little more firmly in the fantasy end. (Full out elemental magic, a Goddess instead of God, completely different world, etc). Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:30:04 +0800 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1293476 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/religious-spiritual-new-age/threads/7482?page=2#forum_thread_comment_1293476