A lot of Christian authors have tried to dip into sci-fi or fantasy, usually with poor results. You don't walk into a Christian bookstore looking for sci-fi or other specialist books; it's simply not done.
So although many Christians read sci-fi or fantasy, the market is a dead one.
http://www.marcherlordpress.com/Home.htm
Now these fellows come along.
It's an untapped market. These people are out there, the readers, the writers. Connecting them together has been hard. Making the connection is beyond hard.
As a writer, I've always assumed that to put my religion into my books I would have to side-step. Because if you want to be published in science fiction, you can't write a Christian novel, and if you want to be published by a Christian house you can't write sci-fi. So my only choice was to pick one main theme (for me, sci-fi) and never explicitly reference Christianity, while at the same time making it my main point.
To wit, redemption, sacrifice, and faith are my biggest themes throughout. The sinner coming to redemption. Laying down your life for another. Trusting in something bigger.
All this without EVER using the words sacrifice, redemption, or faith. Or even hinting at them! I'm so very crafty that friends who are Christian read my manuscripts and don't see it, don't understand what I've put in.
Very strange.
So I've chosen my path... and here comes a new publishing house that could bust that all open.
Wow.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Nanowrimo
Another year, another Wrimo behind us. This year we had even more winners than last year--including at least one 'I can't believe she made it!'
A couple of things went right, a couple of things went not-so-right. As I've mentioned (frequently) my office was a mess last month, with new initiative, everything being broken, and everything being all-hands-on-deck emergency mode. So even when I was away from work I was feeling stressed, which is NOT the way to write.
What went right? Well, when I was writing, I was more productive than in previous years. I was able to get more writing that FELT good out in shorter time. Probably because I was trying harder to craft a story I wanted to tell in the pre-season game; and the experience of previous years helped too.
This year also saw some first-time winners (which is always a great thing).
One big part of the weirdness that was the month of November was the weirdness of being a homeowner. You know how sometimes something will break and it's somebody else's problem? When you're the homeowner, there's no such thing. If it's broken you have to find a way to fix it... you have to find a workaround till it can be fixed... you have to take responsibility.
Responsibilities equal no writing time.
Fortunately, I was once again able to procure time off Thanksgiving week. Without that, I have serious doubts I would have made it. According to my little charts I was barely keeping my head above the 1667 line before then--and that by pushing so hard I was hardly sleeping! The kind-heartedness of my employers for the month of November never ceases to amaze me.
...and remember, there are no losers in Wrimo. One girl I know may not have made it, but she does have 3145 words written she probably would not have written otherwise. And that's a start, isn't it?
A couple of things went right, a couple of things went not-so-right. As I've mentioned (frequently) my office was a mess last month, with new initiative, everything being broken, and everything being all-hands-on-deck emergency mode. So even when I was away from work I was feeling stressed, which is NOT the way to write.
What went right? Well, when I was writing, I was more productive than in previous years. I was able to get more writing that FELT good out in shorter time. Probably because I was trying harder to craft a story I wanted to tell in the pre-season game; and the experience of previous years helped too.
This year also saw some first-time winners (which is always a great thing).
One big part of the weirdness that was the month of November was the weirdness of being a homeowner. You know how sometimes something will break and it's somebody else's problem? When you're the homeowner, there's no such thing. If it's broken you have to find a way to fix it... you have to find a workaround till it can be fixed... you have to take responsibility.
Responsibilities equal no writing time.
Fortunately, I was once again able to procure time off Thanksgiving week. Without that, I have serious doubts I would have made it. According to my little charts I was barely keeping my head above the 1667 line before then--and that by pushing so hard I was hardly sleeping! The kind-heartedness of my employers for the month of November never ceases to amaze me.
...and remember, there are no losers in Wrimo. One girl I know may not have made it, but she does have 3145 words written she probably would not have written otherwise. And that's a start, isn't it?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
