8 Problems in the Christian Fiction Genre (And How to Fix Them)

I’ll admit it. I don’t enjoy reading modern Christian fiction. I know this statement isn’t very unique, because a lot of people don’t like that particular genre. But here’s the interesting part: I’m a Christian. A Christian who writes Christian fiction.
So if Hannah, a Christian author of Christian fiction, doesn’t like modern Christian fiction, then I’m pretty sure that’s a huge red flag. And the fact that I know a few other Christians who aren’t particularly thrilled with this genre is an even larger red flag.
What has happened to this genre that has caused the people most likely to enjoy it to turn away?

Well, I have some ideas about that. Here are a few common problems within modern Christian fiction books, along with ways to fix them: They’re formulaic.Has anyone ever noticed that most modern Christian fiction follows the same general storyline? The character who is kind of (but not really) on the fence about Christianity. The conflict involves being confused or angry (but not tooconfused or angry, because that’s blasphemous) with God when bad things happen. If it’s fiction, the conflict is resolved by the MC realizing that God was right all along (surprise!). If it’s fantasy, the conflict is resolved after a long inner-struggle and the killing of a demonic force. Rather than copying this stereotypical plot, how about we write something of our own? A wild idea, I know, but I’m sure we can make it work.  They tend to contain the same antagonist. The bad guy is almost always either atheist or a demon. The atheist hates believers, usually because something bad happened to him that caused him to turn from the faith. The demon hates believers because...er...that’s kind of his job. There’s nothing wrong with demonic bad guys, but c’mon. We can do better than suave dudes in suits or sexy, red-lipped ladies. Also, please note that being non-Christian does not make a person evil. Christians are just as messed up as non-Christians, so try not to take a narrow view of things. Wouldn’t it be interesting to have an antagonist who thinks he’s Christian, but has a very different and warped view of what a “Christian” is? There are so many different ways to write villains, so let's look beyond just two types. There aren’t very many subgenres. It seems like most Christian fiction is either some kind of fictional romance novel, a good vs. evil fantasy, a story about a missionary, or an end-time story that’s a rip-off of Revelation. That’s about it. But nobody said that we have to confine ourselves to these genres. So please, for the love of Christian writing, think outside of the box! There’s no reason that Christian fiction can’t span pretty much all genres.The answers come too easily. In other words, Christian fiction portrays the world in a much too fluffy manner. The character struggles with coming to terms with his faith, but then the scales fall from his eyes and everything is okay. Not only does this not make for a good storyline, but it’s simply not true. Gaining faith is not easy. Keeping it is pretty hard, too. If a book is to send a meaningful message, then it must be truthful. Don't sugar-coat. Life can be dark and ugly. Believing in Jesus doesn't automatically make that go away. So tell the truth. Despite what some movie characters say, we can handle it.Christian fiction skirts around difficult issues. I think a lot of Christian writers have the idea that they aren’t allowed to bring up serious questions against God’s existence, his love, or his reasons for allowing suffering. This is a misguided idea. I think C.S. Lewis explained this best in The Weight of Glory: “If our religion is something objective, then we must never avert our eyes from those elements in it which seem puzzling or repellent; for it will be precisely the puzzling or the repellent which conceals what we do not yet know and need to know.” There is nothing wrong with questioning and exploring Christianity and God in your writing. In fact, this questioning tends to be what will allow your book to help others....And yourself. Is this scary? Yes. But if it’s not scary, chances are it’s not worth writing about.It targets only Christian readers. Christian fiction should not be something only enjoyable to Christians. How are we supposed to reach people if we stay in our own little bubble? The fact that a Christian novel is only liked by Christians means that it’s doing something terribly wrong: It’s relying on a common link between the writer and the reader (Christianity) to cover up all of the plot holes, preachy scenes, and fluff. This is not okay. If you cannot send a message about Jesus in a way that is understandable and relatable to those who don’t believe in him, then you probably shouldn’t be attempting to write Christian fiction. Harsh but true.  Everyone’s trying to be C.S. Lewis. And this is in no way conducive to creating unique, helpful novels. Remember: You are you. You are a good writer. Go write like no one else can. Go write like yourself.It’s too preachy. Unless you’re a dictator, books should not be used as brain-washing propaganda. I’ve said it before in relation to other writing, and I’ll say it again in relation to Christian fiction: If you feel the need to preach, then you’re coming at this in entirely the wrong way. If you cannot get your message across through characters, actions, and symbolism in a strong yet pleasant way, then you’re doing it wrong. Write a story, not a sermon. Sermons cannot be stories. But sometimes stories can be the very best kind of sermon: a beautiful, helpful, penetrating message that will be remembered long after the book is closed.I think the biggest problem with Christian writing comes from the fact that authors are human, and thus struggle with how to come to terms with, and write about, the problems of the world in light of their faith. This generally leads to books that are either too aggressively protective of their faith (leading to Bible thumping), or too insecure in it (leading to timid, fluffy writing).
If you fall into the first group: try to keep an open mind in your writing and understand that you cannot make everyone believe what you do.
And if you fall into the second group: it’s okay. Nobody expects you to have all of the answers. They just expect you to be truthful enough to admit that you have questions.
But, no matter what group you’re in, remember to pray. You can’t write something meaningful without guidance.
What do you think? Whether you’re a Christian writer or otherwise, please jump in with your thoughts. What areas would you like to see improvement in when it comes to Christian novels? What Christian books have you read that you thought were done well? Please keep comments thoughtful and respectful.

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