Realism in Christian fiction

[kaulimus]

So far as being a 'true' Christian is concerned--and by true I mean walking the walk as well as talking the talk--I'm somewhat new. I made my confession of faith Easter of 2006 after having attended church for about six months.

My outlook on life certainly has changed, though I still struggle with representing the world realistically in my writing. My current project is one that I'm quite passionate about and one that, I believe, holds the potential for conveying a very positive Christian message. In essence, he story focuses on the relationship between two men, apparently brought together by fate, who abandon their old lives (full of womanizing, boozing, etc.) and come to embrace God.

Here is my dilemma: my story focuses on non-Christian characters with non-Christian ideals. How do I portray that without alienating my obviously important Christian audience? I don't believe it is necessary to skate around issues such as alcoholism, promiscuity (nothing described, of course), etc., if it is addressed tastefully. What I struggle with involves language; while I don't, myself, use questionable language when I speak, I've always prided myself with being able to write fairly realistic dialogue. There are certainly ways around using foul language in writing (certainly the rougher stuff), but if the character in my head says something one way, to what extent can I compromise this 'reality' when I translate it into writing?

I've already gone on too long, but I would like to hear what you all think of this. The answer, from a Christian perspective, seems quite clear; that said, however, as I get feedback, I can perhaps articulate my thoughts a little better. This could provide for some good discussion, I hope.

Thanks for reading! Sorry about the length... I'm long-winded. :)
-Jake

[pajarita_deDios]

You know, I remember when I was about 13 reading a book by one of my favorite Christian authors, and coming across a curse word. I was shocked and couldn't believe it for quite sometime. After a while however, and when I got older, I realized that the author was not trying to be offensive, only trying to portray evil for what it is. What I believe is, If the offensive word or action is only written to glamorize a sinful lifestyle, it is wrong. I struggle with the question of appropriateness at times as well. Honestly though, I think that the only answer to your question can come from the one who is inspiring the story. Pray, that's what I have to do.
Also, if you've gotten into any really Christian fiction, a lot of the times what you will see is this..."He cursed under his breath", or "He breathed a foul word." I think that for the most part it is sufficient, because I don't want to distract my reader with whatever thought my come attached to that particular word in my their own head. That said, I myself am in the midst of a risky subject, (prostitutes, drug pushers etc...) in my own personal writing. So, I understand.
Hope that doesn't sound too much like flip flop undecided answer...
God bless

[Lookin^Up]

We have had extensive discussions about this topic before. Therefore, rather than answering, let me refer you to our latest thread (http://christianwriters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10059), where you will also find a link to an even earlier thread. That should give you the consensus of all of us here at CW.

[kaulimus]

Not at all a flip-flop answer, it's just what I needed to hear. I actually just had a discussion with my girlfriend, who is really far more conservative than I am. Her point of view is this: subject matter is not a problem if it is dealt with tastefully, but bad language in books/movies/etc. is unacceptable from a Christian writer. I found that to be a very interesting perspective.
I've definately used tactics to evade out-and-out cursing in dialogue and thus far have never actually written out a curse-word, but I do fear that I will 'force' my characters into stilted dialogue if I ignore how they speak in my head.

Thanks for the advice. I'll be posting a bit of my story in the workshop section when I've gotten a bit further with it... I think I'll need all the advice I can get!

-Jake

EDIT: Lookin^Up, I apologize: I didn't realize this topic had been covered. Thanks for the link.

[DrRita]

Hi Jake,
I think it depends on who your audience is . . . not that profanity is acceptable as a Christian writer. But the CBA and the ABA are worlds apart on what they will and will not accept. The same for Christian magazines and non. It's been a problem for many Christians but I think it certainly can be done. Dialog can portray non Christian views and morals in what is said as much as how it is said. We all know that unbelievers don't go around swearing all the time and are able to refrain themselves (mostly anyway) in public places, work places and the like. Their conversations still reveal they are not Christians. That would be my advice.

[Tarin]

Why is that euphemisms such as "darn," "dang," "blast," "bloody," etc., are perfectly acceptable to Christian readers - even though they mean exactly the something as other "offensive" words? The inconsistency irritates me to no end. Most swear words are not offensive in and of themselves (as some of you have pointed out on the various "profanity" threads), and yet they have become a huge taboo in Christianity. I'm all for avoiding crassness and rudeness, but why has this become such a big deal for Christians? And if, as has also been pointed out previously, the reason profanity is a no-no is because of the intent, then why do we still allow euphemisms without so much as the bat of an eye?

[Ransom v. Unman]

I'm all for avoiding crassness and rudeness, but why has this become such a big deal for Christians?

Because compared to things like greed, lust, hatred, and other such sins (which the Bible is far more clear in condemning) one can easily measure how clean they're keeping their mouth. Use the euphemisms, blush like a schoolgirl when someone says a foul word, and you can at least appear more righteous and holy than others far more easily than say you were really making it a point to not get caught up in materialism.

Sadly, as Christians - even devout Christians - are becoming harder and harder to distinguish from non-Christians, I think we find ourselves resorting to comparatively petty things to proove our moral superiority. So we can't say that we are free from greed, militarism, bitterness, envy or that we're filled with charity? Well, we can point and say "At least I don't cuss!" Among other things...

Obviously, the Bible tells us to be wise in our speech and not to go down to the level of using foul and vulgar language, but I agree Tarin - we do make too big a deal about it. There are far weightier matters that we hardly touch. Since we're talking about sins of the mouth, why don't we get as upset about gossip as we do about someone saying that naughty, s-letter equivalent to "poop"? Why don't we get upset after we've seen an abusive pastor tearing down one of his congregants with insults and condemnations?

Another good question - why are we not afraid to show those last two examples in novels, but we still flinch at the idea of a non-Christian saying %*$^ (insert word of choice here.)

Just some things I'm throwing out there...

[righter1]

Obviously, the Bible tells us to be wise in our speech and not to go down to the level of using foul and vulgar language, but I agree Tarin - we do make too big a deal about it. There are far weightier matters that we hardly touch. Since we're talking about sins of the mouth, why don't we get as upset about gossip as we do about someone saying that naughty, s-letter equivalent to "poop"? Why don't we get upset after we've seen an abusive pastor tearing down one of his congregants with insults and condemnations?

Another good question - why are we not afraid to show those last two examples in novels, but we still flinch at the idea of a non-Christian saying %*$^ (insert word of choice here.)



Ransom, I couldn't agree with you more! I am one of the one's that sides on the realism side of things. Personally, to me, it's more distracting to read 's/he cursed under her/his breath' than it is for me to read a swear word 50 times in a story. Usually, the word itself gets the tone across much more succinctly than any other descriptive passage.

I do wish that we, as Christians, had more to fall back on than 'at least I don't cuss'. (Well, that lets me out, to be quite frank.) There are far more important things that I feel we should be concerned about.

Just my two cents, for what it's worth. I hope it makes sense, since I'm up way past my bedtime... :o

[Lookin^Up]

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Chapter 14 expands on this idea to suggest that if what we do makes a non-Christian or a new Christian stumble, it is best to refrain from doing it. I believe this can be applied to foul language as much as eating and drinking what has been offered to idols (the subject in context), because unbelievers are watching us. What part of words about excrement, or loose talk of spiritual matters, glorifies God?

Even though euphemisms literally mean the same thing, they are considered "milder" because they're not as direct. My ex-wife was fond of using "frapping" in place of a more infamous F-word, in the years when she was trying to live a Christian life. This is just my opinion, but I think euphemisms come closer to glorifying God than the harsher words.

However, there is one particular word I've heard among Christians which I feel should be banned from godly language. Most people consider it "mild," but it sounds harsh to me. I can think of only two meanings for the word "crap," neither of which especially inspires godly thoughts. Is God glorified by such a word? My three-cents' worth.

"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. ... Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. ... Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." 1 Corinthians 14:1, 4, 5b

[wgjones3]

I had a huge long post here and lost it. :cry:

[wgjones3]

Okay, let's see if I can remember what I wrote.

The first thing I'd ask is why the Christian market is so important to you. Far too often, Christians get it in their heads that if they're not writing Christian books then they're somehow missing their calling, that they're not where they need to be spiritually.

Doc Rita hit it on head--there are two markets out there. CBA and ABA. CBA has a set of standards and profanity is not acceptable. If you understood the CBA reader you'd understand why. CBA exists as an alternate form of entertainment, so by mirroring the content of secular writings in CBA--even for the sake of realism--CBA Publishers would be nullifying CBA as a niche. So it's not going to happen unless you've got the clout of Ted Dekker or Frank Peretti.

The good news is, a relatively small percentage of Christian readers read CBA exclusively. Most Christians don't have the hang-up of only buying Christian fiction. They approach books like they do TV or movies--they like what they like, they'll read what they want.

The bad news is, very few non-Christians read CBA.

If you write for the ABA, there's a good chance Christians AND non-Christians will read it. If you write for the CBA, there's a slim-to-none chance that anyone outside the sheltered, hyper-sensitive niche of Christians will ever read it.

If you'r even considering profanity, I'd say pursue an ABA career. That's just me.

The point I was trying to make and made better in the post that got eaten is this--if you're going to dance around profanity, then don't even allude to it. Think about a jaded reader who sees a scene where the sadistic, evil killer sees the cops coming, knows he's trapped, and "swore under his breath", or said, "Darn it!" I mean it doesn't work. Sorry, but it's sophomoric at best.

Think about network TV versus cable for a moment. Back in '02, my favorite show was "Boomtown". This was a show about detectives in Los Angeles. When it got canceled, a TV writer made an interesting observation that I hadn't even noticed. Compared to cable shows like "The Sopranos" or "The Shield", Boomtown contained relatively no profanity, no nudity, and no graphic violence. Its cable counterparts relied on all three to maintain the gritty realism the writers strived for. Yet Boomtown was just as believable, just as real and nearly as gritty, because the writers worked hard to get around the so-called limitations of network TV.

Think about that in your writing. Don't lead a reader up to a situation that you're not going to write, or that you're too timid to write, or that you're afraid will offend them. Find another way to get the reader to where you're taking him or her. And if it never crosses their mind that there's no profanity in your work, it'll be real. If you use substitute profanity, then it's going to stick out like the patch it is.

Just my .02 cents, adjusted for inflation.

[DrRita]

Awe WG! I was looking forward to reading it.

I have to agree with the foul language. Jesus condemned calling someone a "fool" (as translated into our common English) which in those days was a harsh judgmental word. We think little of calling someone a fool today. Attitudes in the Lord's economy are HUGE!!! It's the intent behind the language that gets us into trouble. I can say RATS with a bad attitude and it's sin. But I do have to say that most Christians (and even some non-Christians) say the crude words to express that bad attitude . . .
Rarely will you see/hear someone say F&%# You with a smile and a hug! Offensive language is just that--offensive and is intended to be offensive, used to be offensive and wanted to be offensive. It's not sweet nothin's in someone's ear.

Having said that, cursing and swearing need not be of the offensive word type. You can have a character say something truly cutting and evil without resorting to the current trendy cuss words. The only swear words which (IMO) are extremely hurtful are the ones that use either God's or Jesus' name. It feels like a stab in my soul. It sometimes take more creativity to make dialog that is inspired with subtext than to just use a foul word.

[HisSweetie]

Hi Jake,

If you're hoping to sell your work to Christian publishers, most have very rigid guidelines. For instance, it is my understanding that most publishers won't even let you portray your protagonist as living a sexually immoral lifestyle, even if your intension is to show a redemptive journey to or back to Christ. Bad language should be kept to very, low count if you hope to sell to this market.

I too have written a novel that features a journey of redemption, and the character who gets saved is sinful in all ways. Lusty, cruel, foul mouth. My book is intended for a secular audience with my intention being to show God's grace and transforming power in a non-preachy way. I did let some curse words come out in dialogue or thought, because all my main characters are unsaved teenagers.

I'm weeding through and trying to cut out as many as I can, but some I feel need to be there because of either the intensity of the moment or for impact. For instance, my protagonist is a teenage girl and she's kidnapped and forced to watch her two assailants on television shoot people in a church. She yells at the screen and calls them sick b's. I didn't feel this was a comment I should censor. It's a raw moment in the book and I want readers to feel her fury and torment. Later, I purposefully used a foul one to sting my protag, cut her shraply, and I want the readers to feel her pain since the scene is in someone else's POV. Each one is considered carefully--does the line need it or not--they were not tossed throughout the narrative like a sprinkling of rice. I don't have any in the narrative actually, even though I narrate each POV in a voice that is similar to the POV character.

I know many Christians will be offended by even the tiny bit of bad language in it, and the euphemisms, but compared to the bucketload in today's books and films, I feel the handful in my novel flow seemlessly, with the exception of the ones I want to pop, and it's not intended for Christians anyway. I was worrying about it at first, but I had to write what was best for the story. I want some grittiness so that God's grace contrast beautifully with it.

Some Christians write fantasy novels or allegorical works that feature magic. Most Christians shudder at the thought. If your predominant message brings glory and honor to him, that's what matters.

I believe God is glorified in my novel because any time I got stuck, he would help me through the process and give me great ideas for scenes. I'm trying to write the best story I can with the hopes of reaching the lost. That's the passion that drove me all the way through the writing it. My main plotline came from a dream, which was from him. When I woke up I thought, Wow. Here's a way I can show God's grace. And I did.

Pray about it and do as God would have you do.

- Amy

[DrRita]

Wow WG, we must have been writing and posting at the same time! Great thoughts!!!

[wgjones3]

Thank ya.... the first post was much better though. :mad:

[kaulimus]

Thank you, all who've commented!

I like that there are a wide range of opinions here; I knew this wouldn't be a particularly easy answer. I believe what I'm writing to be for the glory of God; it is a story that has persistently entered my mind for a good two years despite my procrastination in writing it. I have my intentions in the right place, I think.

So far as portrayal of the non-Christian lifestyle, I refuse to do anything gratuitous. My main character may be promiscuous, but that doesn't mean I need to do any graphic description. If the themes are unnacceptable, perhaps I don't need to publish it through a Christian company; that doesn't make the story any less Christian to me.

I have decided that, unless I find my characters speaking specific words so genuinely that they cannot be ignored, I can avoid explicit profanity without 'copping out.'

Thanks for all your input. This is a pretty famous discussion topic, I guess. :)