So, what do you write?
Is your book fiction or nonfiction?
What’s biblical fiction?
I’ve been writing for a long time, but it’s only been about a year that I’ve had an actual published project to talk about. With that comes a LOT of preparation and discussion—even before you’re ready to release the finished product to the world. One of the biggest things you learn about your project is how to talk about it, on many different levels. That’s why if you’re thinking of publishing something, my best advice is to make it something you LOVE. Because you will be talking about it, writing about it, parsing, editing, and revising it for a LOOOOONG time.
That’s where biblical fiction comes into play for me.
My parents were impressed early on with the weight of their responsibility to introduce Christ to me, and because my faith would have to be my own, they understood the importance of presenting the reality of it as a world I was being invited into, a new way of living, not just a “religion” or “ideology”.
Christ wasn’t an accessory to keep in my pocket for when I needed something. He permeated everything. And the Bible wasn’t relegated to Veggie Tales and Sunday school. It was my family, my history. Living inside it became one of my favorite things about being alive, and it didn’t take me long to give my life to the God who hasn’t changed since those books were written.
Over the years, my early love for the Bible quickly blossomed into a deep yearning to understand what actually got these men and women through the heart-wrenching circumstances they walked through.
What made them the heroes that we talk about in church today and how can their journeys build up our faith? This question has been answered for me countless times as my life experiences have been impacted by the faithfulness of the same God who wrote His way through the Bible and invited me into His Story.
It is my desire to help readers everywhere understand that they too are invited in. God is writing us all into history and we are living out the epic stories of the future. I embrace the books I am inspired to write as mandates from the Lord, because they always encapsulate lessons He has for my life.
My heart for biblical fiction is to ignite the faith of readers who are hoping to see God in their everyday lives—those intrepid explorers who want to go deeper and find the victories God has set aside for them.
I’ll never forget when I picked up my first biblical fiction novella by Francine Rivers. From that moment on, I walked around with a high-speed heartbeat and an extra sinking feeling in my chest. I knew that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.
I don’t particularly love the phrase “biblical fiction”, since it doesn’t really encapsulate the wealth that this genre represents.
Based on the epic narratives from Scripture, biblical fiction novels contain mighty potential for impact. This ambitious, exciting genre seeks to do more than simply retell ancient stories. A good author encourages audiences to dive beneath the surface and draw out the powerful life lessons embedded within each one—a journey the author must take before leading the reader there. In my experience, understanding of and love for the Bible is what produces biblical novels that draw readers in and keep them coming back for more.
The most attractive and compelling renditions breathe fresh life into familiar stories while fleshing out the original intent of the Scripture. Through vivid details, insight into the time period, and experiential expression of the characters’ raw faith and failings, readers are transported more fully into a world that otherwise often feels far removed from their own. The hope and goal of this genre and its authors should be to invite readers into a new level of awareness of the Bible, connecting them to the epic beauty of what happens when God’s love and power intersects with humanity.
I will be posting more blogs in the future about this topic, but for now, suffice it to say I am honored and privileged to walk alongside the heroes of our faith and make the message of their lives reach as many people as I can to the glory of God!
Here’s to the adventure! I can’t wait for you to join me.