Congratulations to Our Winner
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Aug 13, 2018
Special thanks to all of you who participated: the entrants for sharing their stories with us, the visitors who commented and gave plus votes to select the finalists, and those who voted in the poll to choose the winner.
Take Away the Cheese but Keep the Integrity
Anna M. Aquino, Aug 10, 2018
Novelist Anna M. Aquino didn’t want to write “Christian literature.” Then she realized her faith will always drive her stories.
Who Does Maintenance on Your Story’s Weapons? (And Other Stuff)
Travis Perry, Aug 9, 2018
In the real world weapons need to be taken care of to maintain their usefulness. Have you thought about maintenance in your speculative fiction stories?
Imago Hominis
Mark Carver, Aug 8, 2018
How sick would our society be when people actually prefer the company of soulless, factory-made machines to living, breathing people knit in the womb by God’s hands?
A Shadowy Argument for Christian Fiction
Brett Armstrong, Aug 7, 2018
Shadows cast by stories can sometimes obscure the truth, but can Christian fiction paradoxically illuminate through shadow?
2018 Spec Faith Summer Writing Challenge Finalists
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Aug 6, 2018
Be sure to share this post and poll with your friends and family, your Google+ circles and your Pinterest people, your Facebook friends and Twitter followers. The more voters, the better.
Fiction Friday — Recruits by Thomas Locke
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Aug 3, 2018
Thomas Locke is a pseudonym for Davis Bunn, an award-winning novelist with worldwide sales of seven million copies in twenty languages.
Why is Harry Potter More Christian than His Creator?
G. Shane Morris, Aug 3, 2018
Happy birthday, Harry Potter—the famous boy wizard whose story celebrates tradition, family, and legitimate authority.
Much of Magic
Shannon McDermott, Aug 1, 2018
It is true of some books, as it is true of some people, that they know much of magic and little of God.
When Christians Create Non-Christian Stories
Laura VanArendonk Baugh, Jul 31, 2018
Laura VanArendonk Baugh: “Some people might be surprised that a Greek myth told among Norse myth was written by a Christian.”
Spec Faith 2018 Summer Writing Challenge – Evaluation Phase
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Jul 30, 2018
Next week I’ll announce the three finalists, based on your pluses during this evaluation phase, and we’ll vote for a winner.
Fiction Friday: Read Summer Challenge Submissions
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Jul 27, 2018
For today, why not take advantage of the opportunity to see what writers have already submitted. Then on Monday, I’ll tell you what fascinates me so with this challenge. You’ll find the submissions in the comments of this post: “2018 Spec Faith Summer Writing Challenge.”
What Happened to All the Gods?
Travis Perry, Jul 26, 2018
What does the Bible say about gods and goddesses, demons and devils, magic and spiritualists? Are the Nephilim important to the conversation? Are the gods still around, still important, even when they are mentioned less?
Keeping the Edge Sharp
Mark Carver, Jul 25, 2018
The word “edgy” is not a friendly word. After all, what has edges? Knives, scalpels, axes. The sharper the edge, the better the cutting tool. Something “edgy” divides and separates into those who dig it and those who don’t. It’s challenging and often uncomfortable, rewarding for some and repulsive to others.
The Wonder of It All
Kyle Robert Shultz, Jul 24, 2018
Human beings are hardwired for wonder, and speculative fiction taps into that desire.
2018 Spec Faith Summer Writing Challenge
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Jul 23, 2018
Invite your friends to participate, either as writers or readers. The more entries and the more feedback, the better the challenge.
‘Altered Carbon’ Looks Too Long Into the Abyss
Randy Streu, Jul 20, 2018
Altered Carbon is an outstanding piece of storytelling, but does the sci-fi drama fail to heed its own warnings?
Six Years of Realm Makers
Travis Perry, Jul 19, 2018
The author reflects back on what six years of the Realm Makers conference has meant to him.
Can We Say …
Shannon McDermott, Jul 18, 2018
We’re all happy to set aside debates for the sake of our chosen stories. But should we have a different standard when the debates are centered around Scripture?
Imperfect Characters Inspire Us
Gillian Bronte Adams, Jul 17, 2018
Novelist Gillian Bronte Adams: “Imperfect characters are inspiring because they remind us of grace, modeling how to fall and rise again and how to keep on keeping on.”
Wood, Hay, And Straw
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Jul 16, 2018
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.
Worldbuilding and the ‘Fictional Dream’
Emily Golus, Jul 13, 2018
While it’s impossible to think through every scientific implication of intergalactic space travel or magical agriculture, worldbuilders should at least pay attention to the things readers will notice—such as rudimentary physics, basic logic, and normal character psychology.
Why Does ‘I Can Only Imagine’ Back Away from Redemption?
Travis Perry, Jul 12, 2018
Does the movie I Can Only Imagine cut redemption short by not fully portraying evil? Do other Christian stories also cheat redemption in the same way?
The Bible as Horror
Mike Duran, Jul 10, 2018
Novelist Mike Duran: “At its heart, the Greatest Story Ever Told is, in part, a horror story.”
For Writers: The Spiritual Element
Sarah Sawyer, Jul 9, 2018
So whether it’s overt or subtle, there has to be reflection of something greater for a story to resonate as true. It may take the form of direct allegorical elements or a subtle symbolic thread, but in capturing some element of spiritual truth, our stories will gain impact.
Are Talking Animals Biblical?
C. J. Darlington, Jul 6, 2018
Wilbur, Peter Rabbit, Eeyore, Aslan—talking animals pervade children’s literature, but are they biblical?
The Car-Universe Without A Motor, part 12: Conclusion
Travis Perry, Jul 5, 2018
The conclusion of this series ends with the idea that the universe makes more rational sense when you include talking about God than if you exclude God. This is the post an atheist should see.
The Making of ‘Us’
Shannon McDermott, Jul 4, 2018
By these things we forge identity, and by identity we create the us.
Lorehaven Issue 2 Arrives in One Week
E. Stephen Burnett, Jul 3, 2018
On Monday, July 9, Lorehaven Magazine’s summer 2018 issue will release free to subscribers.
A Resurgence Of Epic Fantasy?
Rebecca LuElla Miller, Jul 2, 2018
Since epic fantasy is a good vs. evil struggle, and good wins in the end, how far can an author flip the script without making evil come out on top?
