This one is slightly different though. It's my identity as a writer that I am confused about. (Yay! No bitchy content alerts needed!!!)
Most of the writers that I follow through blogs/twitter/facebook are from the Christian Romance variety. I follow them because I hold firm to many of their beliefs and envy their strong faith and outstanding moral principals. I myself pray devoutly EVERY night that my career as a writer works out and my book gets published and becomes popular. (Granted I pray about MANY other things as well....but that would be off topic.) I go to Church almost every Sunday. I beleive in God and that he has an ultimate plan for me, whether I like it or not. But do I REALLY fit in with this group of writers?
Although my novel does center around the aspects of Heaven and Hell and all that is in between (ok well mostly what is in between) I would not necessarily call it Christian Fiction. And there is a large Romantic tone to the book, BUT that is not really what the book is about. If we are being honest here (Which we are ALWAYS being honest here, that's why I started this blog to begin with.) my book is more Fantasy than anything else.
BLECK!!! Fantasy!!! I hate that word. Not only does it sound corny and silly, but it also sounds dirty and naughty. Four things that I HOPE my novel is NOT! Where does that leave me?
I am a Christian, but I do my best to leave all religous aspects out of my story. My novel is set in a Fictional world, well as far as we know...It is definately more in the rhelms of possibility than say Vampires and Wizards, so is that really Fantasy? There is a "love story" in the plot, but the plot is not meant to be a "love story". It is about a girl/woman's struggles between good and evil, but also what she is willing to risk for a man that she loves, although he may not ever love her.
UGH!!! Do you see my problem here! Is this why agents do not feel they want to pick it up? Or is it the fact that there is not enough conflict in the first 3 chapters?
Is being a Christian and having romantic elements in my novel enough to consider me an American Christian Fiction Writer? If not, what groups should I become affiliated with? Is it time to just put up the white flag and surrender to the fantasy world?
Who here can bring me out of this identity crisis that I am struggling with? (Or at least this small portion of my identity crisis to say the least. If you need a better understanding of the remainder of the identy crisis feel free to visit this post)
2 comments:
I've wrestled with putting a faith element into my story. At first, I just wanted to write a story, then my faith crept in some, but then I don't really want it to take over, so I am stifling it. But it has to be one or the other for it to be marketable, I think. What to do? I don't know!!! :)
That is a tough one. I would say that it's not a "Christian" storyline even though you are a Christian. It is religious in some aspects, but yet not. An agent would be able to help peg this into a hole... or maybe it's better not to be pegged since it is meant to stand out. Where is the draw if you are pegged in a nice neat hole? I want to draw Faith into my story slightly but not make it the focus. Other writers have done this and are still in the "Christian Fiction" category. I'm not help in answering this question am I? lol
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