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Lost Bits
Reviews, May 27, 2022

113. What If You Learned Bible Lessons from Singing Veggies and Dead Sea Squirrels? | with Mike Nawrocki
Fantastical Truth Podcast, May 24, 2022

When The English Fall
Reviews, May 20, 2022

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Rats of Dweltford, Matt Barron
Vivid, Ashley Bustamante
My Soul to Take, Bryan Davis
Into Shadow's Fire, Mark Castleberry
Deceived, Madisyn Carlin
Arena (2022 edition), Karen Hancock
Kurt Nickle-Dickle of Whiskers, N. J. McLagan
"In a city where debts are paid in blood, one young man will learn that everyone needs help sometimes if they want to survive." New in the Lorehaven library: A Matter of Blood, Lauren H Salisbury
Son of the Shield, Mary Schlegel
Maxine Justice, Galactic Attorney, Daniel Schwabauer
Mordizan, Alyssa Roat
Prentice Ash, Matt Barron
Etania's Calling, M. H. Elrich
The Choice, Bradley Caffee
Reviews

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Lost Bits
“Lost Bits boldly leads fans out of dead wastelands, exploring the nature of humankind through the lenses of a human creation.”
—Lorehaven on May 27, 2022

When The English Fall
“When The English Fall tells a bittersweet tale of community and commitment that plunges fearlessly into hard questions about the end of the world.”
—Lorehaven on May 20, 2022

Clawing Free
“Clawing Free is an absorbing tale that seamlessly joins modernity and myth.”
—Lorehaven on May 13, 2022

Vivid
“Ashley Bustamante’s Vivid paints a world built on secrets and carefully controlled color palettes.”
—Lorehaven on May 6, 2022

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Maxine Justice: Galactic Attorney
Book Quests, May 2022

The Green Ember
Book Quests, April 2022

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Power On
Book Quests, February 2022

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113. What If You Learned Bible Lessons from Singing Veggies and Dead Sea Squirrels? | with Mike Nawrocki
Fantastical Truth, May 24, 2022

112. How Does Fiction Help Us Love Our Enemies Even If We Must Defeat Them?
Fantastical Truth, May 17, 2022

111. Why Do Your Kids Need Fantastical Stories for God’s Glory?
Fantastical Truth, May 10, 2022

110. Could We Enter a ‘Golden Age’ of Christian-Made Fantastical Fiction?
Fantastical Truth, May 3, 2022

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The original SpecFaith: est. 2006

site archives | statement of faith
Articles Questions? Writers

Yes, Speculative Faith Is Closed, At Least For Now
E. Stephen Burnett, Dec 30

Last Stands, Custer, General Gordon, and Being a Christian Warrior
Travis Perry, Jul 2

How Christian Must Christian Fiction Be?
Rebecca LuElla Miller, May 24

Gender In Fiction: The Implication Of Failure
Rebecca LuElla Miller, May 10

Making a Story Visual UPDATE: Behind the Scenes of the Animal Eye Comic
Travis Perry, May 9

What Does “Woke” Culture Have To Do With Christian Fiction?
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Apr 26

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Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
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56. Which Biblical Qualities Empower Strong Female Characters? | with Elisabeth Wheatley

Physical combat is often the defining feature of strength, but female characters needn’t be boxed into stereotypes to be considered strong.
Fantastical Truth on Mar 30, 2021 · 1 comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:04 — 54.5MB) | Embed

Once upon a time, female characters were given shallow roles. Nowadays, the pendulum has swung the other way to create the Strong Female Character. You’ve probably seen her in movies: punching, shooting, slashing, commanding. But as we’ll explore with our guest, there are many more possibilities than raw strength or battle toughness. We’ll look at:

  1. How did the Strong Female Character become prevalent in fiction?
  2. What are the variations of this archetype?
  3. How might this character type be evolving?

Our guest today is Christian author Elisabeth Wheatley. She’s published the five novel series Fanged, the seven book Argetallam Saga, the nine book series Warlords of the Sandsea, and the upcoming new story Daindreth’s Assassin…twenty-two books in all. She also produces the Broken Enchantments podcast, an audio story about overcoming generations of evil.

We discuss this meme:

“I don’t think writers realize that ‘strong female character’ means ‘well written female character’ and not just ‘female character who punches stuff and shoots stuff.”

“I don’t think half the people on tumble know the difference either.”

Variations on the Strong Female Character type:

  • Impossible Warrior
  • Warrior Princess
  • Girlboss
  • Tortured Goddess
  • Gentle Guardian

Which category or example appeals to you?

Fantastic fans

Andrew wrote to us:

“Thanks for providing such great content. I’ve really been enjoying your podcast and what you’ve had to say.”

Meanwhile, “Be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength” (Ephesians 6:10). “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment” (2 Timothy 1:7). And remember, Jesus says, “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’ Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

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    Fantastical Truth
    In the Fantastical Truth podcast from Lorehaven, hosts E. Stephen Burnett and Zackary Russell find the best Christian fantasy, and apply the wonders of these imaginary worlds to the real world our Creator has called us to serve. Join the best Christian fantastical authors and other creative friends on this joyful journey, to find the happiness and holiness of Jesus through his gift of truthful imagination.
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    1. Andrew D Meredith says:
      March 30, 2021 at 10:03 am

      Great episode! I’ve recently been reading K. M. Weiland’s most recent (and ongoing) series Archetypical Character Arcs. (http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com)
      In it she has been gathering together her own experience from over a decade of informative blog posts, and through the execution in her own writing. It has been wildly informative for me, who beforehand had only some experience and interaction with variant Hero Cycles, such as the Heroine’s Cycle, or the Virgins Promise.

      In this series, she has been delving deep into the six life arcs, how they play into one another, and against one another.
      This pertains to the current podcast episode in a caveat made in each article: “The arcs are alternatively characterized as feminine and masculine….the protagonist of these stories can be of any gender.”
      K.M. Weiland masterfully gives examples of both genders in each arc, providing a archetypical means for writers to use. And it has been a huge help in my own plotting, as I take into consideration my female points-of-view. Do they fit into a generic Hero’s Cycle and continue to further a trope unintentionally? Would they be better suited pursuing the goals of one of the other arcs? This thought experiment alone has, in its structure, provided a freedom I did not have before—trying to aimlessly wander through my plot—with female characters at first existing for the sake of variety, rather than fulfilling their own plots and arcs, and gaining a solid foothold in their own fictional reality.

      I highly recommend checking out her blog (also found in podcast form.) Why it took so long for me to discover her is a mystery, but I’m glad I did. And I dont doubt it’ll help other fellow believers to write well-rounded characters in our own work.

      Reply

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    Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.