A different take on the conversation

Thanks Rebecca - I guess this is what puzzles me about the vigor with which I see some authors expressing displeasure with CBA publishers. Things have changed more than is being given credit for. I just finished The Bishop by Steven James and marvel at those who are still writing about how saccharin sweet Christian fiction is. Is there still a lot more Prairie Romance? Of course. Publishers aren't stupid. With women buying 75% of all the books purchased and half of them reading nothing but romance what can we expect? But I have also learned through my review site at Unveiled and over at FictionAddict that many of those same women get hooked on Romantic Suspense and mystery when shown there is an alternative. Perhaps we want to place all the blame on publishers when a fair amount should fall on Christian readers and book stores as well. My agent, Les Stobbe, told me that the real problem in years past was all it took was one negative comment from a patron and the mom and pop store canceled their next order for the author complained about. The big chains have done nothing but help in that situation. I'm on a mission to tell people what is right about Christian fiction, expose them to genres they may not have considered before, and leave the rest to the reader and God.

but for me, I’m tired of it. I just want to write. Mike, when I wrote my response to Eric's initial article, my sentiment was the same as your statement above. And yet .... Somehow I ended up voicing an opinion that apparently stirred the pot further. That's fine. As Mike Duran said, dialogue is healthy. I have learned a TON by web-discussing with writers who hold divergent views from mine. Someone in the comments at Eric's FB page said he didn't think Eric and I were so far apart. I suspect that's so when it comes to our purpose for writing and our beliefs about the mission of the Church. We do apparently disagree about Christian fiction and the arm of the book industry that publishes it. I hope we can continue to discuss our differences from time to time. For my part, I want to publicly praise the powers that be in Christian publishing for the strides they've made in the last six years. I look at many of the writers who dared to deviate from prairie romance, and the editors who acquired them, as pioneers. They should be commended for their vision and encouraged to continue moving forward, even challenged to take greater strides. Perhaps Eric and I are unintentionally playing good cop/bad cop. ;-) Becky

Tim, thank you for bringing some perspective to all this. I align myself more with your thoughts than any I've heard thus far. I just want to write what God has put on my heart to write. Some have been called to move mountains and challenge industry standards and ask questions . . . and that's fine . . . but for me, I'm tired of it. I just want to write. I posted my own thoughts (yes, jumping on the bandwagon) at http://www.mikedellosso.wordpress.com.

Tim, Followed your link on the comments on Eric's Wall over here. Good article and good thoughts. I think Mike is correct that the debate - at least what I've read so far including Becky's blog entry - hasn't gotten nasty yet. At least not from the professionals. Fans can get nasty. Personally, I've just seen too many things like this on so many levels in the Church that I'm just fed up with the general mentality of judgementalism and non-acceptance of others when they're different than the man-made traditional "norm" of Christianity. Some people say Christianity as if they worship Chris, I think we should say it as if we worship Christ. Christ is a whole lot stronger than Chris ever was, so if we just adjust our thinking and realize how powerful our God is over the evil, then we really won't be afraid to face the darker aspects of life to reach a lost and dying world because we know that greater is He within us than he that is within the World. Be encouraged, David

Thanks, Tim, for your thoughtful response. To be honest, my real issue isn't about the labeling of Christian fiction. It's about finding a place and creating a means for those writers who love the Lord and feel called beyond the constraints of the current CBA box. My heart is reach those who are lost, hurting, and sick, to be an influence in our culture instead of cloistering myself from it. I appreciate your love for authors and their work. We both have worked hard at reviewing and promoting this industry and its books. Thank you for that! Eric

Hey, Tim! I appreciate your sensitivity. Personally, I think Christians need to engage in good, civil debates. Church history is full of raucous discussion. That's what shaped Christendom. "Iron sharpens iron," implying we become "sharper" when the sparks fly. Of course, when the discussion starts getting nasty is when it gets not-Christian, and we should withdraw. I haven't got that -- yet -- in this discussion. For instance, Becky Miller recently commented on my recent posts re: this issue in an article entitled So Tired of the SAME Arguments. On the surface, this could appear divisive. I assure you. It isn't. Becky and I know each other pretty well, see each other pretty regularly, and clash about these issues all the time. And we're very much friends. All that to say, don't mistake rigorous debate for disunity. Sometimes the sparks need to fly. Anyway, I do appreciate you're sensitivity to God in this matter. But, if done in the right spirit, this could be a very important dialog to have...

I'm grateful the Lord saw fit to protect me from this recent firestorm. (I can find the silver lining in anything - even the stress from an overloaded responsibility-list. :) ) "Many of them are convinced they are neutral, offering great stories totally separate from what they may or may not believe about life, death, and eternity. " --- I wouldn't want to read a book from this type of "perspective". Or, now that I think about it, maybe I have and I just didn't know it. :) I know that not having any emotional tie to the theme of my writing makes it read like wooden word puppetry. The first rule of writing (one I heard long before I fancied myself a writer) is "Write what you know." There is a reason. A few of my favorite authors: John Grisham writes legal thrillers - he was a lawyer. Robin Cook writes medical thrillers - he was a doctor. Ann Rice's books had a strong theme of unreachable redemption - she was a lost sheep. Her latest novels are filled with hope and inspiration - she has come home to her shepherd. When the writing is personal to the author, it becomes personal to the reader. In my opinion, writing honestly, from the heart, is most important in genre of "Christian Fiction" (or whatever the world decides to call it.) I think you must believe this too: "Since I know the basement from which I draw my visceral reflections on life and the mountain top to which I climb to offer something of redemption and hope I know there will be some that like what and how I write and others who will consider it refuse." Much better that your novel reveals the Spiritual truths revealed to you through your own experience and thus reach those God intends to bless, than attempt to reach one and all by diluting His message to palettability and failing to speak Life to someone's deepest need. Sorry this turned into a novelette. :) LOVE the new look btw. Be blessed, my brother. Keep up HIS good work. Cat

Good thoughts, Tim. Next week on Into the Fire there will be a compilation of posts from professionals in various places of CBA. Eric Wilson's thoughts did stir up a firestorm of sorts, but only because the embers just won't snuff out. So I decided to pose one question with a possible five point answer to many authors, some editors, and some agents in the biz. Many requested anonymity. To start the discussion I'll give my own thoughts from my perspective outside "their" world. Some responses will get an entire post to themselves because that's how strongly they lodged their opinions. Sometimes these conversations need resurrection in many ways because they need a solid resolution. None seems to be forthcoming.