“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book is too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”

–Madeleine L’Engle, Author of A Wrinkle in Time

 

I’m violating an unspoken blog rule today: Never make a post about yourself. Well, actually, this isn’t just about me, but about writers and writing in general.

Last month, I joined hundreds of other authors and writers at a Christian writers conference outside Black Mountain, North Carolina. We attended classes, huddled in small groups to discuss the craft, and met with agents, editors, and publishers. Perhaps for you, that begs the question, “Why?”

Well, from a selfish perspective, there is something gratifying about sitting in front of a blank screen, putting words together, and coming up with a satisfying story. Artists and composers must feel that same sense of satisfaction.

But polished writing doesn’t just happen. Writers’ manuscripts go through multiple revisions, self-edits, and professional edits before they even have a chance to be accepted by a publisher.

Writers have to work on their craft: reading texts on writing, self-study, online courses, reading books in their genre, attending conferences, and participating in critique groups. After all, readers are giving of their time to read and they deserve the author’s best work.

Furthermore, there is a way to write for today’s readers, and there’s a target audience for one’s writing that should be kept front and center in the mind of the writer throughout the process. Ms. L’Engle, quoted above, wrote YA (Young Adult), so her target readers were teens and those in their early 20s. J.K. Rowling’s target audience for Harry Potter was a twelve-year-old boy. Look what happened!

My conference was attended by writers of all genres–contemporary, historical, dystopian, science fiction, fantasy, romance, suspense, cozy mystery, and non-fiction. As Christian writers, they all have to write content true to Christian principles. While fiction writers can, and do, make it all up, they can’t violate basic tenets of the Christian faith.

The other rule is that the content must be clean–that is, it can’t have gratuitous violence, explicit sex, or cursing. Many television shows, movies, and books today are full of these things. Think of how often the “f” bomb is dropped. It’s not  only unnecessary, it’s also lazy writing. Don’t we need shows and books that are clean? Things you wouldn’t be embarrassed to watch or read with your children or grandchildren?

With my short stories and novels, I like to illustrate how faith can play such a strong role in our lives’ “ups and downs.” Hence, my website tagline, “where setbacks are part of your journey, not your destination.” Also, I include “God moments” when He’s there for us at times we least expect it and sometimes in ways we don’t understand … and never will on this side of eternity.

Not all my readers share my faith, or even believe in God, and I am sensitive to that. But I want them to hear what I believe and I’m very appreciative they remain open to reading my content. That’s why I avoid “preachy.”

If you need a  break from secular writing that sometimes offends you, just search for “clean fiction” in your favorite search engine. Give it a try and see how you like it. But whatever you read, just keep reading … and writers will keep writing!