It's a little gray in Atlanta, so if you're inside, here' s this weekend's chatterbox question?This question comes from Josette, a Christian Fiction Blog reader . I've heard the same question in a roundabout way in my writing circle, so have your way at it. I'll post my reply on Monday.
Question: Why Isn't AA Christian Fiction Good?
Dee, I hesitate to make this comment because I call myself a Christian fiction writer... But I have NO BOOK, NO AGENT, and only a terrible first draft of my novel as my claim to fame. What gives me the right to criticize anyone's work, you might say. In my defense, I do support African-American Christian Fiction, as my bookshelf and my wallet can attest. Honestly, though, *sigh* most of it is not good. With the exception of a few of my favorite authors (I won't name names), I struggle to make it to the end of most Christian novels written by African Americans. I see many of the cardinal flaws that I try to avoid or edit out of my own writing: there's too much telling and not showing, characters are stereotypical or flat, conflicts and stakes aren't high enough, and much of the dialog is unnatural. Since a lot of Christian fiction is being published by imprints of large publishing houses, I'm beginning to wonder how these novels made it past editors? Why isn't our stuff good enough to win Christy Awards?
Related article: Releasing the Spirit of your Story, Part 2":
What to do next? Subscribe to Christian Fiction
