Anyone writing a Christian or religious novel?

I would say that my story is more of an allegory with "The Master" a representation of God, or that is at least my intention at the moment.

Mine is sort of Christian historical fiction (think Lori Wick or Jeanette Oke . . . but not quite up to that par lol).

Yes my book does have a Christian theme, but it's hidden by design. I don't want the reader to know what I am doing until it's done, which will be at the end. But I guess you can say it's a retelling of something that happened in real life, just put in the American society. :-) But it's my little secret.

Moving to Religious fiction

Heather Dudley
Forums Moderator
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A Dragon Writes

*gasp* Someone knows Chesterton!

Yes, I'm writing a project that actively explores the differances and similarities of Protestantism and Catholicism. Something I think Chesterton would have enjoyed, yes?

Mine is considered Christian fiction! Haha, it's angels (maybe some demons). >.> It also has Christian themes so it's Christian fantasy. I'm hoping people will be able to live with it. As for those above me, I can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

I can't wait to see what some of the people above me come up with. I'm writing a story with lots of religious undertext and one of the main themes is religion and why we believe.

2009: Genesis

yeah im writing something based on something that i actually went through... my MC mallory is like my alter ego. but the plot revolves around this retreat i took with my church. very moving experience. i tweaked a couple things to make it fictional, and a little more interesting, like mallory's backstory.

2007- Ashes to Ashes (wasn't 13)
2008- Amarillo's Sky (fail)
2009- Meeting my Soul

Hmmm. I've been struggling to figure out if my project should be considered a "Christian novel." In real life, I'm a 30-something woman, seminary graduate in the middle of the "search and call" process, basically job-hunting for my first ordained position as a parish minister. My novel is about....a 30-something woman in her first parish call. I wonder where I got that idea? :) The idea is that it will be about her experiences, trials and travails, etc, during her first year of parish ministry. So the subject matter seems clearly Christian, right?

But here's the thing: my MC is far, far from most people's idea of what a minister is like. Instead she's what I'm like, and what most of the ministers I know are like. She cusses like a sailor, drinks too much wine, flirts with strangers, hates her job at times, gets mad at God, throws her sermons together at the last minute, hates getting up in the morning, and in general is a regular ole human being. So I suspect many writers/readers in the "Christian lit" genre would find my novel scandalous, or unappealing at best.

So...is it an unconventional "religious lit" novel, or just a mainstream fiction novel that happens to be about a minister?

Sounds pretty good whatever genre it is in.. I'd read something like that for sure!

I labeled my story under the Parody/Satire category because that's what it is. But what I'm parodying is the Left Behind series, or at least the first few books. So yes, my book will be "Christian", though it will not be Fundamental, if that makes any sense.

Thanks, Alkaline-Kiwi! This is the first fiction I've ever written (like, EVER) so I'm not holding out much hope for its quality...but I'm having fun so far! My ulterior motive is that hopefully chaining up my Inner Editor for a while will free up my sermon writing.

My novel is kind of a fantasy/spiritual allegory mishmash. I have three charries with three main questions that are 'religious' but the God-figure is 'The King' and it has a bunch of symbolism. Kind of like the Left Behind books mashed up with some other fantasy stuff... *goes off to start a 'Novel Influences thread in the Coffee House.*

I hereby promise to do something crazy on November 13th
~Facebook Group, NaNo 13th~Something Will Happen!

There are three rules of writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.
— W. Somerset Maugham

Yes, mine is very overtly Christian. I wouldn't know how to do any other type of Christian. It's based on me and my husband, and we both love theology and doctrine and talked about it constantly as we were dating/courting, so I can't imagine that there won't be a great deal of that woven in.

I started out with a plan for a very mild and harmless fantasy novel, because the idea of writing Christian fiction was scary to me--it's so easy to mess up, and I would not want to handle anything relating to God without great care and reverence. But then as I was sitting in church last Sunday I thought, "Whatsoever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all for the glory of God," and I prayed, "Lord, help me to write a book that will give You glory." So that's how I decided to write a Christian story about Christians and about Christian ideas, that I hope and pray will give God glory.

Yes, my novel "resonates with Christian theology." It's kind of an action/adventure/fantasy under the assumption that the Bible is true, with a strong mixture of theology. It is a sequel to the one I did for last year's NaNo.

Logan

In my story, God has tired of Man and the Creation (as he did with the Flood), but since he cannot intervene himself anymore, he sends the angel Gabriel to convince a ruthless cardinal that he has to find and break the seven seals of the Revelation (making him think that will bring the second coming).
My MC gets hints of God's plan when an ancient gnostic text is found, and he is visited by strange people (Lilith and an "fallen" angel) that persuades him that HE is the one who has to thwart God's plan. So he has to stop Gabriel and the cardinal's men, find the seven seals before them and prevent them from breaking them, to save the world and humanity. It will all be very apocalyptic.

So I'm confused--who's the villian here? God?

My main character is a Christian, but its hasn't been expressed explicitly in the story so far. i'm struggling with how to handle it, because my experience of being a Christian is being led into temptation and then discovering forgiveness. But if i do that with my character, i don't know how to avoid making her look like a hypocrite. I guess we'll see where it goes

I don't think your character will look like a hypocrite to other christians, but the fact that some outside the faith view her (him?) as one could open up some good dialogue. After all, your words "led into temptation and discovering forgiveness" sound like very awesome plot line!!! Don't give up!

Yes, my book will be Christian fiction. My FMC is a Christian Counselor. :)

I think hypocrites are generally people who either don't recognize or refuse to admit that they have failed. All Christians fail at some time. "We all stumble in many things," James says. What makes you not a hypocrite is when you freely confess it, ask forgiveness, and then strive to do better next time. Your Christian doesn't have to be perfect, but she should be growing, and improving.

I have to admit that I hate "Christian" books with characters who say they're Christians and then run around and behave in all sorts of ways Christians shouldn't. But as long as the sins she's involved in have to do with a specific area of temptation, and not an all-around un-Christian way of life, you should be okay.

Right. I always see a "hypocrite" as someone who professes one thing as right and true, but in his or her own life doesn't follow it. Whereas everyone makes mistakes, hypocrisy itself is almost more deliberate.

I'm writing a Christian novel (and am oh so excited about being three days behind due to an addiction to planning) that's almost a historical fiction, but not the kind that goes back 200 years. It's based on the life of my family--the experiences and struggles they've faced. But there's a twist which might lead some to call it a "Christian fantasy." The Bible talks about the scales being removed from our eyes and seeing the battle that goes on between the two powers in our lives. I'm writing in a third person, a viewpoint that is not only seeing the physical side of life, but the Spiritual, as well. Angels walking with us, whispering in our ears when we don't know what to do; Satan's cohorts telling us "it's no so bad," attempting to lead us into temptation.

That's my concept. I don't know how "acceptable" it will be in the Christian world, since it's not exactly a common thought that there are beings we can't see walking with us, but I sure thought it would be fun to write.

Erica

In excessive Verbage,
Erica

Mine is first rooted in a singular God (The Creator) and Satan (The Destroyer). There are monks, a church, religious text (Text of Enlightenment). Then people want to do their own thing and make up their own deities to server their own purpose because they are selfish. There are a few who still believe in the Creator. There are Christian concepts throughout.

My novel takes place in 2065, where some people have developed superpowers. Our Hero is a Christian, who operates as part of the "hero" bureaucracy.

2009 -- A Hero Over His Head
2008 -- {sat out}
2007 -- {sat out}
2006 -- Power in the Blood (won)
2005 -- CUL8R (lost)
2004 -- {sat out}
2003 -- Nowhere Man (won)
2002 -- Soulmates (won)

Is it Nanowrimo already???

Just realized I'm going to have to start writing something. My idea is a Christian steampunk novel set in the Victorian era. The main character is an Irish Catholic girl whose parents work in a dime museum--- her dad's a little person and her mom is an armless guitar player. The villain is a man who raises money for his business ventures by being a con artist. The MC saw him posing as a priest and collecting money for an imaginary orphanage, and since she can now expose him he's after her. Her allies are a crazy inventor who builds clockwork robots and steam-powered airships, and some of the people from the dime museum.

The Christian content deals with the MC's struggle to forgive both the villain, and her own father who deceived her.

2009 - The Aether Key: Christian steampunk
2005 - Viridians: Alien invasion story (didn't win)
blog: http://linalamont.blogspot.com
facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/nissa.amas.katoj?ref=profile
occupation: crazy cat lady

LaraSue: Well, ultimately yes. God is behind the plot to unmake creation. But the main antagonist in the story is the cardinal who is told by angel Gabriel to find and break the seven seals. God is only in the background, not actively interfering in the world.

I am writing the scene now where the MC, a believer, reveals to his pastor that he is a ........ superhero!

2009 -- A Hero Over His Head
2008 -- {sat out}
2007 -- {sat out}
2006 -- Power in the Blood (won)
2005 -- CUL8R (lost)
2004 -- {sat out}
2003 -- Nowhere Man (won)
2002 -- Soulmates (won)

I wasn't, but one of my characters showed herself to be a church-goer early on, and now a member of a weird cult has turned up too, so who knows?

2008: Children of the Stars - An Old Testament Space Opera
2009: DragonQuest - a comic fantasy retro cyberpunk roadtrip

http://christiansf.blogspot.com

My novel is Mainstream Fiction because it is a combination of genres. It is a Fantasy/Horror/Religious/Love Story.

It is concerned with the fine line between being cursed and blessed.

Wow, some of your books sound really fascinating! <333

I don't know what genre I'm writing in, because the setting is heavily influenced by both anime/RPG/nerd conventions and world mythology, yet I am trying very hard to keep everything running according to real world physical, biological, psychological, *and Biblical/spiritual* principles. My main character just had her first in-story two-sided conversation with God on page three. (It was surprisingly mundane.) I can't really conceive of a universe in which my God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is not an active presence.
(That makes it extremely challenging to write my non-NaNo story, which is meant to be very tightly based on specific video game rules. Overtly demonstrating His power would require resorting to...what would I call it..."Deus Ex Glitches"?)
I don't know if my NaNo story will end up having any sort of "message" that would make it worthy of a "Religious Literature" label (though my mother "got" that I was supposed to write a story sometime in my life to teach people about God's love), or if it will have any manner of "message" at all. It isn't even *about* anything in particular: Just a random girl in a random fantasy world.

...I'm still -very- mad at my MC for revealing to me shortly before November that she's an uncommon breed of Nephilim (some variant of a succubus, to be exact), and that she had been all along. -facepalm- How in the world did she pull that on me?!?
(At least she still has the Commandments tattooed on her arm.)