10 Tips for Writing Christian Fantasy
Christian fantasy is a mess, isn't it? It's okay. You can be honest. I'm a Christian who writes Christian fantasy and I have problems with the genre, so I won't judge.
Christian fantasy can be horrendous. It's true. But, like every badly-done genre, it doesn't have to be.
To all of my Christian writers: Sit down and take notes. You all (and when I say 'you all,' I mean writers and readers of Christian fantasy alike) have really been messing up what could be an excellent genre and I'm annoyed. As in, Rocket Raccoon you're-making-me-beat-up-grass annoyed. So pay attention and get ready to make things right.
To all my non-Christian followers: Stick around. A lot of this post is actually applicable to regular fantasy, too. That's right. You didn't honestly think it was only Christian fantasy that has issues, did you?
1. Christian fantasy world-building is identical to good fantasy world-building. This means that you can't rely on Christianity to make your world interesting. Slap a Christian religion and origin-story onto a land mass and call it a day? NO. You need to take this seriously. Go deeper. Keep these 10 points in mind. And don't forget about this:
2. Your story needs more than two religions. Having just a Christian religion and a demonic religion isn't going to cut it. Not only is it lazy, over-simplified, and not reflective of real-life, but it closes so many doors that could lead to some really cool places. Think of how much depth you can add to your story and world and characters by having multiple religions. Think about how it would change and deepen dynamics if your characters were faced with belief systems that weren't clearly demonic, but still not Christian. Don't pass up something this important. Also: Don't forget that every religion has an insane amount of diversity. Realistically, your Christian characters won't all believe the exact same thing and act the exact same way
3. Consider the Jesus figure. I'm going to say something that is going to make a lot of Christian writers very angry: Your fantasy story doesn't always need a Jesus figure. *gasps* "Heresy!" you scream. "Shush," I say. Let me explain:
This is a fictional story. Should it be reflective of real life? Yes. Should it be an exact copy? No. Ripping off our salvation story and plopping it into your own world-building isn't necessary. Are you free to do so? Yeah, sure, as long as you're still creative and intentional with it. Do you have to? No. Here's why:
Yes, Jesus is key to our salvation. But who says that a fantasy (you realize fantasy means made-up, right?) world needs to have that exact key? Nobody. As long as your Creator figure teaches the same truths that Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit teach, then you're not committing blasphemy.
"But how can you separate Jesus from the truth," you ask? I'm not saying that you have to separate Jesus out of anything. I'm just saying that his story of coming to earth and dying in a sacrificial way doesn't need to be exactly mirrored in your world. Ultimately, the point of Jesus' coming was that God loved us so much that he provided eternal life with him through faith. So does your story have a Creator who mirrors God in that he gives your characters a new life (both before and after death) if they have faith in him? Yes? Then you're good.
Aaaand here's where you may argue that, without a clear Jesus figure, your religion may not be identifiable as Christianity. And to this I say: If that's the case, then you've gotten lazy with your representation of Christianity. Do better.
*wipes sweat from forehead* To be clear: I'm not saying you shouldn't have a Jesus figure. I'm just saying that it shouldn't be your go-to because you haven't taken the time to consider other options. You're a writer. Act like one. Be creative and think outside of the box.
And that's my two-cents. Can we be done with this topic now?
4. Don't preach. Seriously. Don't. EVER. Read point 8 in this post if you need convincing.
5. Do develop your themes. I have a whole post about how to do that here. You can thank me in the comments.
6. Go easy on the demons. Please. Can demons and demon hordes make for good antagonists or conflicts? Sure. But demon hordes, just like any other type of horde, can easily swing into the cliche, faceless, not-scary-or-deep, ready-made-and-super-lazy conflict. So if you're going to do a horde, you'll need to have at least one face-antagonist. Can that antagonist be a demon or the devil? Yeah, but...maybe don't. This has the potential to feel formulaic and boring. The problem with the devil/a demon as an antagonist is that they're all the same. So either make a massive effort to make it incredibly different than the others or create a villain that isn't demonic. This makes things way more intimidating because here's a force of evil that wasn't born that way. They chose it or were shaped into it and that's interesting, deep, and scary.
7. Avoid the Easy Fix. The "Oh, look, an angel has come to save the main character moments from death" scene. The "how convenient, the protagonist now has insane powers simply for having a bit of faith" moment. The "I know nobody's going to get hurt because clearly bad things never happen to Christians" feeling. Stop. STOP. This is so wrong on so many levels. Let's list a few:
It takes away conflict. It reduces character struggle. It's lazy. It's overdone. It's a lie. Yep. A lie. Have you read the Bible? Have you seen all of the horrible things the disciples and prophets and literally every Bible character went through? You realize that many of them led difficult lives all the way up until dying horrible deaths, right? Christianity doesn't fix all of our problems. It gives us the strength to push forward and a hope in things to come, yes. But it doesn't mean that we don't suffer and hurt and have doubts. Be honest.
8. Don't be afraid of magic. Look. I know a lot of people are wanting to throw Bible scriptures at me right now. Please refrain. I know all of the scriptures you're going to cite and my answer to them is universal: This is a fantasy realm. FANTASY. No, that doesn't mean that you're excused to write all kinds of messed up things. It simply means this: Do you have Christian themes? Yes? Do you have a good and an evil? Yes? Do you make it clear that evil is bad? Yes? Okay then. You're doing well.
Because this is a made up world, magic doesn't have to be the witch-craft condemned in the Bible. It can be a tool just like a sword: Used for good or evil depending on whether a good or evil person is wielding it. Or it can have dark and light magic where the dark comes from the devil and the light comes from God (though you'll want to be careful with this, since it can easily fall into the cliche and Easy Fix zone). Or you can do what I'm doing and create a brand new and elaborate magic system. The sky's the limit. Why do you think you were given a brain full of creativity and a heart full of Jesus? Use it to create something beautiful and unique. Don't let yourself be stifled.
9. Grey is okay. A lot of Christian fantasy has a clear good and a clear evil. That's fine. But remember: That's not always true or helpful. There are grey areas all over the place, so go for the big, scary questions and plunge into them. Show the struggling believer. The antagonist with a conscience. The kind unbeliever. Jump in.
10. Don't pander. Look. Just because your story is Christian doesn't mean you're allowed to type up a half-baked story. Preaching to the choir is a terrible idea. Christian fantasy, when done well, should be accessible to people of any or no religion. Why? Because Christian fantasy is still fantasy and it's still a story. Thus, it should be entertaining and otherworldly and interesting and cool.
Bonus tip: Check out this helpful thread on twitter for more thoughts about writing Christian fiction/fantasy.
Okay. Go ahead and leave your comments now. Have tips to add? Tips you disagree with? Let's hear 'em! And yeah, you're allowed to comment even if you don't write Christian fantasy. All I ask is that you all be kind, thoughtful, and respectful of each other down there. Have fun!
Related articles:
8 Problems in Christian Fiction Genre (And How to Fix Them)
Why You Should Intentionally Write Messages Into Your Stories
Challenging Writers to Write Honestly
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
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Christian fantasy can be horrendous. It's true. But, like every badly-done genre, it doesn't have to be.
To all of my Christian writers: Sit down and take notes. You all (and when I say 'you all,' I mean writers and readers of Christian fantasy alike) have really been messing up what could be an excellent genre and I'm annoyed. As in, Rocket Raccoon you're-making-me-beat-up-grass annoyed. So pay attention and get ready to make things right.
To all my non-Christian followers: Stick around. A lot of this post is actually applicable to regular fantasy, too. That's right. You didn't honestly think it was only Christian fantasy that has issues, did you?
1. Christian fantasy world-building is identical to good fantasy world-building. This means that you can't rely on Christianity to make your world interesting. Slap a Christian religion and origin-story onto a land mass and call it a day? NO. You need to take this seriously. Go deeper. Keep these 10 points in mind. And don't forget about this:2. Your story needs more than two religions. Having just a Christian religion and a demonic religion isn't going to cut it. Not only is it lazy, over-simplified, and not reflective of real-life, but it closes so many doors that could lead to some really cool places. Think of how much depth you can add to your story and world and characters by having multiple religions. Think about how it would change and deepen dynamics if your characters were faced with belief systems that weren't clearly demonic, but still not Christian. Don't pass up something this important. Also: Don't forget that every religion has an insane amount of diversity. Realistically, your Christian characters won't all believe the exact same thing and act the exact same way
3. Consider the Jesus figure. I'm going to say something that is going to make a lot of Christian writers very angry: Your fantasy story doesn't always need a Jesus figure. *gasps* "Heresy!" you scream. "Shush," I say. Let me explain:
This is a fictional story. Should it be reflective of real life? Yes. Should it be an exact copy? No. Ripping off our salvation story and plopping it into your own world-building isn't necessary. Are you free to do so? Yeah, sure, as long as you're still creative and intentional with it. Do you have to? No. Here's why:
Yes, Jesus is key to our salvation. But who says that a fantasy (you realize fantasy means made-up, right?) world needs to have that exact key? Nobody. As long as your Creator figure teaches the same truths that Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit teach, then you're not committing blasphemy.
"But how can you separate Jesus from the truth," you ask? I'm not saying that you have to separate Jesus out of anything. I'm just saying that his story of coming to earth and dying in a sacrificial way doesn't need to be exactly mirrored in your world. Ultimately, the point of Jesus' coming was that God loved us so much that he provided eternal life with him through faith. So does your story have a Creator who mirrors God in that he gives your characters a new life (both before and after death) if they have faith in him? Yes? Then you're good.
Aaaand here's where you may argue that, without a clear Jesus figure, your religion may not be identifiable as Christianity. And to this I say: If that's the case, then you've gotten lazy with your representation of Christianity. Do better.
*wipes sweat from forehead* To be clear: I'm not saying you shouldn't have a Jesus figure. I'm just saying that it shouldn't be your go-to because you haven't taken the time to consider other options. You're a writer. Act like one. Be creative and think outside of the box.
And that's my two-cents. Can we be done with this topic now?
4. Don't preach. Seriously. Don't. EVER. Read point 8 in this post if you need convincing.
5. Do develop your themes. I have a whole post about how to do that here. You can thank me in the comments.
6. Go easy on the demons. Please. Can demons and demon hordes make for good antagonists or conflicts? Sure. But demon hordes, just like any other type of horde, can easily swing into the cliche, faceless, not-scary-or-deep, ready-made-and-super-lazy conflict. So if you're going to do a horde, you'll need to have at least one face-antagonist. Can that antagonist be a demon or the devil? Yeah, but...maybe don't. This has the potential to feel formulaic and boring. The problem with the devil/a demon as an antagonist is that they're all the same. So either make a massive effort to make it incredibly different than the others or create a villain that isn't demonic. This makes things way more intimidating because here's a force of evil that wasn't born that way. They chose it or were shaped into it and that's interesting, deep, and scary.
7. Avoid the Easy Fix. The "Oh, look, an angel has come to save the main character moments from death" scene. The "how convenient, the protagonist now has insane powers simply for having a bit of faith" moment. The "I know nobody's going to get hurt because clearly bad things never happen to Christians" feeling. Stop. STOP. This is so wrong on so many levels. Let's list a few:
It takes away conflict. It reduces character struggle. It's lazy. It's overdone. It's a lie. Yep. A lie. Have you read the Bible? Have you seen all of the horrible things the disciples and prophets and literally every Bible character went through? You realize that many of them led difficult lives all the way up until dying horrible deaths, right? Christianity doesn't fix all of our problems. It gives us the strength to push forward and a hope in things to come, yes. But it doesn't mean that we don't suffer and hurt and have doubts. Be honest.
8. Don't be afraid of magic. Look. I know a lot of people are wanting to throw Bible scriptures at me right now. Please refrain. I know all of the scriptures you're going to cite and my answer to them is universal: This is a fantasy realm. FANTASY. No, that doesn't mean that you're excused to write all kinds of messed up things. It simply means this: Do you have Christian themes? Yes? Do you have a good and an evil? Yes? Do you make it clear that evil is bad? Yes? Okay then. You're doing well. Because this is a made up world, magic doesn't have to be the witch-craft condemned in the Bible. It can be a tool just like a sword: Used for good or evil depending on whether a good or evil person is wielding it. Or it can have dark and light magic where the dark comes from the devil and the light comes from God (though you'll want to be careful with this, since it can easily fall into the cliche and Easy Fix zone). Or you can do what I'm doing and create a brand new and elaborate magic system. The sky's the limit. Why do you think you were given a brain full of creativity and a heart full of Jesus? Use it to create something beautiful and unique. Don't let yourself be stifled.
9. Grey is okay. A lot of Christian fantasy has a clear good and a clear evil. That's fine. But remember: That's not always true or helpful. There are grey areas all over the place, so go for the big, scary questions and plunge into them. Show the struggling believer. The antagonist with a conscience. The kind unbeliever. Jump in.
10. Don't pander. Look. Just because your story is Christian doesn't mean you're allowed to type up a half-baked story. Preaching to the choir is a terrible idea. Christian fantasy, when done well, should be accessible to people of any or no religion. Why? Because Christian fantasy is still fantasy and it's still a story. Thus, it should be entertaining and otherworldly and interesting and cool.
Bonus tip: Check out this helpful thread on twitter for more thoughts about writing Christian fiction/fantasy.
Okay. Go ahead and leave your comments now. Have tips to add? Tips you disagree with? Let's hear 'em! And yeah, you're allowed to comment even if you don't write Christian fantasy. All I ask is that you all be kind, thoughtful, and respectful of each other down there. Have fun!
Related articles:
8 Problems in Christian Fiction Genre (And How to Fix Them)
Why You Should Intentionally Write Messages Into Your Stories
Challenging Writers to Write Honestly
Enjoy this post? Take a look around. If you like what you see, don't forget to subscribe by email for a new post every Friday!
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