*Today I’ll be talking about adult issues that may jar some comfort zones.
It’s not my intent to shock, but I believe there are times we must be brave enough to confront the elephant in the room. If you’re uncomfortable with this idea, you may want to click past my post, though I really hope you’ll continue reading.
Since I write Christian fiction, specifically contemporary Christian romance, I often peruse bookstores, as well as the book aisles at the various big box stores.
There, I gather a wealth of information: what’s selling, who’s looking, and who’s buying.
I study titles, book covers, price points, and the average age of individual shoppers. I note which books folks toss into their baskets and shopping carts and what books are placed back on the store shelves.
On one occasion, I observed a mid-fiftyish gentleman methodically picking up book after book. Christian romances.
He closely inspected the front cover, the title, the back cover, and in some instances, he even thumbed through to the very back page to see how the story ended.
I tried not to be too obvious as I hung back beside my shopping cart, but admittedly, I was curious. It wasn’t every day that I saw a man purchasing romance novels, much less one who would go to such great lengths to study them (and quite unabashedly) beforehand, I might add.
At one point, I reached for a book myself under the guise to linger a little longer. (Sneaky, I know, but it paid off. I found out what I wanted to know.)
“That’s a good one.” He nodded. “Just enough romance, phenomenal story, and a great ending.”
Okay, I was impressed. “Yes, I’m familiar with this author and none of her stories fail to disappoint.”
The gentleman smiled and offered, “Yeah. That’s important. I pick these out for my wife and happily-ever-afters are a must. She’s disabled and can’t get out much so I shop for her.”
Wow. *Happy sigh*
He paused for a moment and beamed even wider. “And I like ’em, too. The twists and turns, just enough romance, and no raunch factor. The characters may still have problems, but by the end of the story, you just get this sense that God’s in control of the situation and everything’s going to be okay one way or the other.”
After he’d moved on, a woman in her early thirties walked up to the shelf where I was still parked. “Oh, they don’t have a very good selection here today, do they? I mean, for me, it’s all about the bedroom antics. Can’t have too much of that, huh?”
Not waiting for my reply, her appraisal took all of a few moments before she zipped past.
After reading agency-mate Jennifer K. Hale’s blog post on Wednesday, I recalled those previous encounters in a new light.
Jennifer wrote a knock-your-socks-off post about Mommy Porn and candidly addressed a hot button topic that’s quickly becoming more the norm than ever before. Every woman should read Jennifer’s fabulous take on a very real, problematic issue.
When I began writing many years ago, I wrote with the general market in mind. I became disenchanted with the intense love scenes, intimate description, and mention of body parts that seemed to be required.
How was I to glorify God when sexually active characters were rarely married and had no relationship with their Heavenly Father except the twice a year trek to Christmas and Easter services? I couldn’t stomach it, nor could I write it.
Not all characters in Christian fiction are married because of the nature of the story. If you read this genre, then you’re aware it covers many storylines within the CBA’s (Christian Bookseller Association) guidelines.
The Christian romance sub-genre, however, focuses more on the romance aspect between the main characters, again within the framework of a Christ-centered story. Some stories are a bit edgier than others, with characters getting in and out of trouble and experiencing multiple hardships just as people do in real life. While characters can and do make mistakes, there’s no gratuitous sex or graphic depictions of intimate relationships. And when our characters fall, there must be admission of sin and repentance prior to God’s ultimate forgiveness.
Marriage may not be necessary in Christian fiction, but it certainly needs to be a consideration in Christian romance.
What better way for a couple to demonstrate their loyalty and love for one another than to commit their union to Christ, placing Him at the helm?
***
Do you find Christian fiction/romance to be too limiting? Or do you see it as liberating?
What are your perceptions of marriage within Christian fiction/romance?
Photo Credit: Rosen Georgiev/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Blessings Always,
Comments 8
Great post, and that story about the man buying books for his wife touched my heart!
I love Christian fiction! I think it’s liberating, but not every single book. Just like I don’t care for every mainstream book. I also loved Jennifer’s post. Very good indeed!
Author
Jess, as you know I’m a people-watcher. I expected something else entirely that day as I watched that gentleman thumb through his selections. When I learned that he was selecting them for his wife, based on Godly principles, as well as what she might like, it touched my heart, too!
You’re right; our tastes in reading are varied. I really hope folks will pop over to Jennifer’s site today and read Wednesday’s eye-opening post.
Great post, Cynthia. What a sleuth you are! Off to check out Jennifer’s blog, thanks for the link.
Author
Patti, thanks for jumping over to Jennifer’s blog post, “Mommy Porn.” Definitely a taboo subject that Jennifer had the courage to address.
I was so disappointed to realize that much of Christian fiction involves an unmarried main character, b/c their lives are more “interesting” and they don’t have as many ties.
This is exactly where my burden for writing lies–with the MARRIED among us. Just b/c we’re married doesn’t mean we can’t struggle with lustful thoughts, heartaches or even romantic love. In fact, I think that’s where the REAL romance stories begin. Like the man buying books for his wife! Great post as usual, Cynthia!
Author
Heather, so glad you liked the post. I agree that we need to see a wider variety of issues addressed within the marital framework of Christian fiction.
This is a great post, Cynthia. ~ Sorry I’m late on visiting. Friday morning my water heater busted open and water was running everywhere! Called the plummer and they had a new one in by 2:15 pm on Friday, but I was emotionally drained after…I didn’t do much blog visiting on Friday.
Anywhooo, when I began writing, I wrote for the mainstream audience – then He (pointing skyward) got a hold of me…It’s a long story, but suddenly I wanted to write stories that my kids could read and not turn red in the face. I wanted to write stories that someday my future grandkids could say – “Hey, my grandma wrote that.” Writing a story with a Christian theme woven throughout the story was liberating. I never looked back.
Author
Loree, I’m so sorry about your water heater problems. My goodness–what a messy end to the week! Glad things are fixed now!
I feel the same way as you about Christian fiction. Writing to glorify God is the most liberating thing I could have done.