Way back in 2021, I decided it was time to pursue this whole “author thing” seriously.
I’d done a lot of praying and seeking, and it was time to step out in faith. Except…I didn’t know how to step out in faith. I didn’t know the first place to even begin my author journey. Now of course, looking back I can see God had planned for me to come to The Company (if you want to be a writer too check it out), but at the time, I knew just two things. God wanted me to write and to publish stories that 1. Glorify Him and 2. Show people they are loved by God.
So, what better place to start than to read the top books of 2020 in the Christian Fiction Genre?
The Christian Fiction Genre
I bought three books, all traditionally published, that were sorted into the Christian Fiction Genre. I got Christian Suspense/Thriller, Christian Romance, and Christian Literary Fiction. I sat down on my gray couch, pulled the side table with my coffee closer, and cracked open the first book. Christian Romance.
By the fifth chapter, I was done. I could only read about the pastor’s thick, sturdy biceps so many times. Maybe the romance genre just wasn’t for me, right? I was disappointed with the writing quality. There were some interesting elements, like the FMC lying about her faith to get hired by the church because she desperately needed a job—or the clear temptation the atheist landscaper her neighbor had hired posed to her faith journey. Surely, I thought as I closed the book and gave it to a friend to finish for me. Surely the FMC ends up with the single, hot, worship pastor and not the edgy, anti-god, cigerette addicted, landscaper.
A week later, my friend called me, completely and totally scandalized, because she DID end up with the edgy, anti-god, cigerette addicted, landscaper, and was going to “pull him to faith” through their relationship. And that is where the book ended. That was the top book on all the lists in the Christian Fiction Romance Genre in 2020. With the FMC, who deeply struggles with her faith, missionary-dating a hot atheist. Wonderful.
Maybe it was my bad to start with romance?
Nope. Every book I had gotten was poorly written, had some…interesting plot choices, and all ended with the same thing: God thrown into the book to make it Christian.
The suspense/thriller ended with the FMC stuck in a serial killer’s house, and her atheist partner (who had no good argument for his personal beliefs, nor had any prior development to make the reader think he’d consider a different path) giving up everything and praying. Instead of calling for backup, rushing in to save her, or doing anything a normal, sane person would do, he sat on the porch of the house his FBI partner was literally kidnapped and being tortured in, stopped at the door, laid down his gun, and decided to pray.
And the serial killer randomly decided he wasn’t into the whole “serial killer” thing anymore and let her go. That’s where it ended.
I’m all for characters praying in a book. But when you present an atheist character, give him only strawman arguments and no development? You’re just throwing God into the story to throw him in.
I could rant about these forever, so we’ll just end that there. The point? The top three books in 2020 for the Christian fiction genre sucked. They had no well-written prose, and my suspension of disbelief was dashed against the rocks, over and over and over.
Which presents the problem we have today. How do we make GOOD Christian fiction?
Easy. Don’t throw God’s name into a book and call it a day. I’d even go so far as to say that, if that’s the author’s strategy for writing Christian fiction, they’re abusing the name of God. Yup. I went there. I’m accusing them of taking God’s name in vain. Slapping the name of Jesus on something for your benefit is taking God’s name in vain. That doesn’t make for good Christian Fiction.
Good Christian Fiction starts with God. It doesn’t end with you throwing him on top and in the cracks and corners to make it look pretty. God is the foundation of good Christian Fiction.
If God isn’t your everything. If He isn’t there at the beginning of the story-planning stages, or the writing, or editing, or publishing and marketing, then it isn’t going to be good Christian Fiction. If you create the story completely and totally on your own, without giving God a second thought, then decide to sprinkle in some prayers, maybe a conversion, and call it a day? It’s going to stink like the garbage that it is.
All those top books that I read had interesting premises. If God wasn’t a part of the story, if they removed the prayers and the conversations of faith they sprinkled in, they would have been interesting stories.
Ready for a great example?
Vella Karman used to be my roommate before she betrayed me by going and getting married (for legal reasons, this is a joke, and I am very happy for her!). I’ve seen her wrestle with faith, with trusting God, with stepping into the calling God has for her. And I’ve seen her humble herself, sacrifice her flesh, repent, and pursue God with everything she has.
So when she told me she was writing a story about God granting people the spiritual gift of teleportation, I was all in. And guys, this book was even better than I could have hoped for. This is the book that should be at the top of the Christian Fiction Genre. God is present in the story. The characters pray, and they wrestle with their faith. But what makes this book different than others is that God doesn’t feel tacked on. He’s not used as a gimmick. He’s the center of the story. He’s the foundation.
Beyond the Mirage is already a #1 New Release!
Here’s the beautiful cover and the back of the book description:
What if God allowed people to teleport?
Lauren is a quodesher – one of those people who can teleport a whole carful of people across the country.
When California wildfires turn the drive to her sister’s wedding into a mad dash teleportation tour of the country, she’s entrusted with her sister’s wedding ring…and thrust into a responsibility she knows she’s not ready for.
When the ring goes missing, Lauren is forced to make choices that will impact the lives of the people around her forever.
As the leader of this ragtag group of wedding guests, she finds herself in more trouble than she bargained for. And since when did she ask to be haggled about her parents’ death (ancient history) at every move?
Not all is as it seems. And trusting God…might just be a journey.
With the imagination and powerful prose of Nadine Brandes’s Wishtress, this clean YA novel speaks to the journeys we all embark on, and the faith it takes to put the broken pieces back together.
More Christian Fiction should have God as the foundation. Beyond the Mirage does just that. But don’t just take it from me, friends. Do yourself a huge favor and get this book for yourself: https://amzn.to/4ub3Y9W
Or, go check out Vella’s blog, where she encourages you to live striving towards the light of Jesus! Follow Vella Karman here: https://vellakarman.com/
Until next week, keep pursuing Jesus, fighting those lies, and drinking Dr. Pepper,
Alli Prince
Don’t mind me tearing up as I read this. (Also…I disagree. Those stories would still be pretty messed up, even if they didn’t take God’s name in vain.)
That’s a good point, haha! The thriller was especially outrageous to me. Thanks for reading <3
Just tell a good story. The Holy Spirit will reveal Himself through your writing.
Great article, Alli! I love how direct you were. If you just “slap the name of Jesus” on a story, for your benefit, that’s taking the Lord’s name in vain. Every Christian writer everywhere needs to read that. Press in, press deep, be all Jesus wants us to be and let’s write, beginning with God, let Him guide the story, and end with God. Vella’s book is a GREAT illustration of that. I agree!