I’m not a fan of the
word edgy when it refers to Christian
fiction.
word edgy when it refers to Christian
fiction.
Why does the term bother me?
Edgy is a subjective word. What is edgy for some writers is over the edge for some. I find that for
some authors edgy means they should
push the limit. Well, yes and no. How far can a writer push the limits before she
falls off the ledge into what would, under no circumstances, be considered
material in a Christian market?
some authors edgy means they should
push the limit. Well, yes and no. How far can a writer push the limits before she
falls off the ledge into what would, under no circumstances, be considered
material in a Christian market?
That is a question I
pondered as I worked on a workshop I taught last summer. Today, I thought I’d
provide you with the two lists that explains what edgy fiction does and does not contain.
pondered as I worked on a workshop I taught last summer. Today, I thought I’d
provide you with the two lists that explains what edgy fiction does and does not contain.
Let’s start with the
negative first. What is it that a Christian should preclude from her manuscript, even if she is working toward an edgy feel:
negative first. What is it that a Christian should preclude from her manuscript, even if she is working toward an edgy feel:
An edgy Christian novel
should not include:
should not include:
- Gratuitous anything;
- Scenes and actions that
overshadow the story’s message; - Offensive words or
phrases, even substitute words that leave the real words or act in the minds of
the reader. - Offensive language
toward any group, people, or individual (a disclaimer on this one is a bigoted
villain. However, this villain should clearly be defined as a villain and very
much in opposition of the truth); and - A story that provides
incorrect theology.
On the other hand, in
order to make a novel edgy, an author
may want to try to write:
order to make a novel edgy, an author
may want to try to write:
- Thought-provoking
stories that do not leave readers’
minds in the gutter; - Dialogue and action
loaded with conflict that does not
leave readers’ minds in the gutter; - A plot line that shows the
state of fallen men and women but does
not leave readers’ minds in the gutter. - A story that
contradicts the world’s theology and pulls readers’ minds from the gutter.
Think about it. How can
an author change the world if her book uses the world’s methods to tell her story?
an author change the world if her book uses the world’s methods to tell her story?
Happy editing.
My take on "gratuitous" is that it means doing something for the sake of "doing something" again and again to shock your audience. Gratuitous is a poor substitute for "good story and strong characters". Having said that, how can anyone represent the honesty and power of Grace, save in the light of honest representations of sin. If the Grace of God is what you want to write about, sanitizing sin will only soften the true efficacy of the application of that Grace. The end result is to weaken the representations of the message. That is a tremendous loss for the sake of a few "Tender Tessies" who would rather hide behind their church walls than shine their light in a dark place.
Thank you for this. I've heard the word edgy bantered around in the Christian writer's circles, but it always seemed a little on the foggy gray side. Undefined, even. This helps immensely. I like how you reiterated that it should not leave nor lead reader's minds to/in the gutter.
Susie: As a Christian in either marketplace, I believe that the standard is the same. A crossover is simply a book that resonates with the populace in both the CBA and ABA. I spoke with author Debbie Macomber recently, and her comment to me was basically that she happened to find a "home" in the secular market. Yet, she writes warm, entertaining, clean books. Her books are bought by Christian and non-Christians, and Hallmark has even made some of her novels into movies. And she told me that Hallmark's first-ever series is based upon one of her series. Now, that's cross-over…
Good post! I struggled with this in my writing… i think you sum it up well by saying we are to "pull our reader from the gutter", not invite him/her to live there.
Can someone define their work as 'edgy', if they're trying to write a CROSSOVER story perhaps? ~Susie
I hear lots of writers say they write "edgy", and I have wondered what that actually meant. Thanks.