Writing Masterclass: Writing Faith In Fiction
Read Time: 9-15 minutes
Writing Masterclass: Writing Faith In Fiction
| how to write faith into your story that IMPACTS people and is genuine and not “preachy” |
Hello, Sweet Friend! It is time for ANOTHER MASTERCLASS!!!! I’m so excited to be doing another one of these!
If this is your first time to one of these Masterclass posts, then welcome! I try to do one of these at least once a month and I do these posts based on YOUR requests!
Previous Masterclasses:
Today I’m going to be answering my most requested topic for a Masterclass:
HOW TO WRITE FAITH INTO YOUR STORY?
In the first Masterclass I did, I got two Masterclass requests that were basically the same question and idea.
Keira asked: “how to do faith content in books?”
Madi said: “You should totally do a masterclass about faith content in books! In some books the faith seems so fake & pressed, like the author is trying too hard, if that makes sense, & it can sometimes ruin the book.”
So today, I’m so excited to be answering BOTH these questions and break this concept of writing faith into books down into easy repeatable steps you can use in EVERY BOOK you write.
These are the same exact steps I use when writing EVERY SINGLE ONE of my novels.
The importance writing faith into my stories
Writing faith into my novels is so important to me. I am a Christian and my faith is so so important to me. It's my life. My everything. My faith in Jesus is the most important part of my life and in the books I write I want to show that. I want to show the light of Jesus in my novels and give hope to people. I want to write stories that are clean and God honoring.
This is such an important topic to me and something I can talk about for hours but for your sake I’m going to try to keep this as short as I can and get straight to the topic and tips.
Trying too hard
“In some books the faith seems so fake & pressed, like the author is trying too hard, if that makes sense, & it can sometimes ruin the book.”
This makes SO much sense and I totally get where you are coming from. There have definitely been times that I've read a book where the faith content has felt “preachy” and “fake”. When that happens it can make me not like the book or want to DNF it.
I first want to get something clear. Being “preachy” when done right is not bad. I have seen this conversation pop up before going to the extreme of each side. Some people HATE preachy faith books and won’t read them while others love those kinds of books and think that ANY faith content in books is good.
Personally, I don’t like books that don’t write faith well. This goes in any direction. If a book is “Christian” and there is barely to no faith content (like Beyond The Break which I DNFed and am horrified it is marketed as Christian) then I don’t like that book. If a book is “Christian” but is ONLY trying to preach and actually turns people off from the book and the message of the story and being Christian then I don’t like it either. I also don’t like ingenuine Christian books. Have you ever read a book that has a lot of bible verses in it but then that's it? There is no talk about faith. The characters are not affected at all by God or the Bible. There are verses in the book to be marketed as Christian but there is nothing in it that feels like really genuine Christianity.
A sad thing about poorly written Christian books is that it can be isolating. Non-Christian’s who could benefit from a hopeful story that points to God can be turned away by “Christian” novels and possibly never hear the gospel message.
I know that is a little bit extreme in thinking (I also know that not everyone will agree with my views and that's alright. This is just my personal option on the books I like to read and write) but I also think it’s true. To me, I want to write in a way that is God honoring and shows God’s light but also has the ability to reach more than just my Christian audience. My favorite example of an author like this is C.S. Lewis. Lewis’ story of Narnia is beloved by MANY people and not all of them are Christian. But, in his writing he is able to write in a way that points to God. If non-Christians are interested in knowing Aslan more than that ability is available to them to find the real “Aslan”. I know there have been people who read Narnia as a kid and then picked up one of his other books like Mere Christianity and found God in the pages and gave their lives to Jesus.
I want to write like that.
Maybe not everyone can write like this. Some people might write only for a Christian audience and that alright. Some might be only secular writers and though that's not my preference I do think that's alright if you are still able to be God honoring in your art. Not everyone’s art will be the same and that is absolutely perfect. God made each of us and we all have different gifts and forms of art we can use to give Him praise. I think that is such a beautiful thing.
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.” —1 Corinthians 12:4-6
The “right” way
So in today's Masterclass—I know, I know, this is still only the opening but we are getting to the steps momentarily XD—I’m going to be focusing on the foundation on how to write faith themes, ideals, and messages into your novel.
If you have any other questions on writing faith into your story that I didn’t cover then PLEASE comment down below with your question and I’ll either answer it there or make a Part II Masterclass on your next questions. I already might do this (like writing faith centered characters and even what bible versions you can use when writing, etc.)
Now I could do a whole guide on this topic and write it out step-by-step on how to write faith into your story but honestly…I can’t. You see…there is not one “right” way to write faith into books.
Actually, that's not entirely true. There is one single real right way. It's the only way I know how. This is what I’m going to be talking about with you today.
So, here is my three step process to writing faith into my novels and it is the same process I recommend YOU use when writing faith into your books!
Reading The Bible & Partnering With God
If you’ve been around my blog for any amount of time then there is a HIGH chance that you have heard me talk about God as my writing partner.
That is how I write faith into my stories. It's by partnering with God and letting Him speak to me and through me and write with me. He leads and I follow. He places verses and ideas on my heart and I follow Him in that.
Really this comes down to YOU having a personal relationship with God. That is what I encourage you to do and is what I do with each of my novels.
Now I promised I would have steps so here are the THREE steps I do EVERYDAY before I start writing and while I outline and plot and make characters and EVERYTHING. Even on no writing days I do this and I encourage EVERYONE—not just writers—to do.
Here we go!
Step ONE
READ YOUR BIBLE EVERY SINGLE DAY! I cannot express just how important this is. If you really want to write faith into your stories then you MUST read the Bible and focus on your faith in your personal life.
What you do day in and day out will come out from you. There is this saying that what you take in, listen to, watch, read will become a part of you.
For example, have you ever watched a movie or tv show that’s British or Australian or set in the South or something with an accent that’s not yours and then after watching you find yourself saying words and phrases in that accent even without you really thinking about it?
The same thing happens when you read the Bible. The more often and daily you do it, the more it becomes a part of you. The more you make it a part of your life, the more you will make it written in your heart and life.
“I have hidden your word in my heart,” —Psalm 119:11
“I will study your commandments
and reflect on your ways.
I will delight in your decrees
and not forget your word.” —Psalm 119:15-16
This is my best tip for writing faith content. For me when I spend time with God and take time reading the Bible I can find it pouring out of me and into my writing. I can be so full of the Bible that I start to find it in my writing without having to think about it.
Sure there are things and themes I want in my writing that I’m intentional of making a part of the story. But there are other times when I don’t even realize that I’ve written a certain faith topic into my stories. It just comes out of me. It's not just in my writing. It's in my life, my conversations, even my outlook in life. I couldn’t have that unless I took the time to everyday prioritize God—my Creator, Lord, Savoir, and the Author of my life.
Make the Bible part of your daily life. If that's hard at first then treat it as your research for your book. Read the passages and verses and books in the Bible that you want to show up in your book. Soak it in and I truly believe you will find yourself writing faith into your story and it will be genuine because it is coming out of the overflow of YOUR own personal faith. It's not just something you are putting in to be “Christian” but something you are putting in because you can’t help yourself from writing your faith into your story.
“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” —Romans 15:13
Step TWO
PRAY!
Everyday I write (really just everyday) I make sure to take time to pray over my writing.
Pray that God will lead you and guide your words and your writing. Pray He will be in and over what you say and write down. Ask Him to speak to and through you and that He will reveal Himself to you and in your story.
Have Him be in every part of your writing.
PRAY! I know it will make such a difference not only in your writing but in your life as well.
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” —James 1:5
Also, pro tip, if you have a problem in your writing or you just feel stuck or uninspired then the best thing you can do in my opinion is to PRAY. Sometimes He will reveal the fix instantly and others He might ask you to wait or take a few days to rest before He reveals what you need for your story next. I know each of these situations have happened including Him telling me to wait on writing projects and even to stop them entirely. Whatever happens TRUST IN HIM. He knows what is best for you and your writing and life.
Step THREE
This is a continuation of the last steps. It's simply this:
FOLLOW WHERE GOD LEADS YOU & WRITE!
Wherever He leads you follow Him. Trust His guidance and direction in your life.
“The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.I will advise you and watch over you.’” —Psalm 32:8
“…unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!” —Psalm 32:10-11
This step is integral to the first two steps because you need to have action behind your words. Reading the Bible, spending time with God and praying are all incredible and so needed in your life but you also need to be able to ACT on what God says.
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” —James 1:22-25
The first two steps are riding on the assumption that you will follow God where He calls you. A part of why when I write the words and verses and faith can seem to pour out of me is because I've learned and am continuing to learn to let God lead me in my writing. If He places something on my heart then I want to do it and act on what He says. If He places it on my heart to say something or write something then I want to do that.
I've found that the more I do that, the more often He starts setting things on my heart to write.
Looking Back: an afterthought
Looking back at the first book I wrote to Sweet Ever After I can see SUCH an incredible difference in my writing. Yes, I know I’ve improved with time but it's more than that. I see God MORE in my writing.
In the first book I wrote, I wanted Him there. He was there as the Creator. Even though He was there and was truly the only reason and way I was even able to write that book, other things were more important in my story. Yes, He wrote with me and helped me through all of it but…it’s so much more now.
In Sweet Ever After that was my story I kinda just let go and gave to God. In my prayers I prayed that God would write with me and use this story and that it would be His and not mine. More than any other book I’ve written I know that is so true. Every character came from Him leading me to them and revealing them to me. Everyday writing I felt Him so present in my writing. Even when I had to rewrite the lost chapters I still felt Him so much a part of my writing and this process. Even the themes and the struggles my characters go through I know came about by Him. You know how I know that? Because they all started out with one struggle and misbelief but by the end it was something completely different for all of them and that was not intentional by me or my characters.
It was also interesting because I think God was also teaching me things through this book. I've cried the most with this book than any other. So many prayers I wrote in this book were real prayers for me, real tears and struggles I was having to walk though and ended up there on the page. This book was such an incredible and unexpected experience for me. I'm so thankful for all He did in this story and all He did even in my heart and life. There were changes in my characters and changes in myself and I’m so so thankful. It wasn’t an easy journey but it has been incredible.
RECAP:
There you have it my friend! All of my tips and some additional questions answered and story time!!! Thank you so much for reading this! I'm also thinking of putting together a post soon on some of my favorite books that write faith into their stories that I LOVE! <3
And now, to recap:
The MAIN THING TO REMEMBER is to have a relationship with God.
Read the Bible and spend time with God EVERYDAY.
PRAY! Pray over your story and your writing. Pray over everything everyday. It will make a change in your story and your life.
Follow God wherever He leads you. Trust in Him. Follow Him. Take action. Then when He leads you: WRITE!
So, how do you write faith into your story? You build a relationship with God and follow where He leads your pen!
Masterclass Requests:
If there are any other tropes or writing help you’d like me to help you with AND you like these “masterclass posts” then leave a comment down below with your request so I can write a post about it!
It can be about any writing topic or trope (anything you’d like help with)! I really loved making this Masterclass and I know I’ll want to make more posts like these and I’d love to get requests from YOU!
Discussion Time
Thank you so much for coming and reading this Masterclass! I hope you found some helpful tips on writing faith into your story!
I want to hear from you! Meet me in the comments and tell me what you thought of today’s post? What is one of your FAVORITE faith filled books? If you are a writer, do you write faith into your novels? If so, how do you go about writing faith into YOUR books? I would love to chat!
If you have any questions or want to talk (or have a prayer request), make sure to comment down below! Be sure to subscribe to this blog to stay in the know because I post new content here every week. ALSO, If you want to hear more about my writing, make sure you are subscribed because I am doing special updates for BLOG SUBSCRIBERS ONLY!
Love, Moriyah 💛
LOVED this post Riyah!!!!!💛📚💛
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