If you noticed in the first post that I did in the 5Ws and 1H series, I mentioned that something that really shaped my writing was my faith. Like I said then, I'm a Christian. It's something that shapes who I am as a person, and because of that it's something that shapes my writing.
So, what I'm wondering this week is whether or not that makes me a Christian writer. Or does it make me a writer who's Christian? There's a definite distinction. I don't write Christian allegories. I don't write stories about people finding God or finding their way back to Him.
I can't say that I won't ever write those things, but I don't plan on it now. I do write stories, though, that I hope have a nugget of hope in them. I think that is something that comes from my faith. It's something I get from it at least -- a sense of hope no matter the situation. So am I a Christian writer, or am I a writer who's Christian?
And, a second question since this is my blog and I can do that, would someone being classified as a Christian writer make you more or less likely to read something they wrote? Or would it not affect your decision at all? Does the term Christian writer come with connotations?
Tell me. I really would like to know.
I would say you are a writer who's a Christian. I too am a Christian, but I do not write stories about Christianity or finding God. My fiction sometimes deals with religion - but also many (many) other diverse topics and adversities. So my two cents is Christian is who you are - but doesn't define you as a writer.
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed day!
Thanks, Gregory. Appreciate your thoughts. It's where I'm coming down, too.
ReplyDeleteC.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors. His nonfiction is clearly Christian. But he said that he never intentionally set out to write a Christian allegory when he wrote Narnia. He just wrote what was in his head, and what came out was of course one of the most accurate and beautiful fictional depictions of Christianity ever written. When I read Narnia as an elementary student in public school, no one ever told me it was an allegory. It was just a fun story about a magical land. I could say a lot more but I'll leave it at that.
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