General Discussion What Makes a Christian Manuscript “Clear and Engaging” to You?

[Victoria Blake]

Hi everyone! I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes Christian writing feel clear, engaging, and easy to follow. Every writer has a different approach to shaping their chapters, and every reader notices different things.

When I read manuscripts (both fiction and nonfiction), I’ve noticed that clarity, structure, and flow all play a big role in how well a message lands. But I’m curious to hear from others in the community.

What makes a Christian manuscript feel clear and engaging to you as a reader or writer?

Smooth transitions?
Strong opening paragraphs?
A steady pace?
Clear spiritual themes?
Simpler, more direct language?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, experiences, or even things you’ve learned in your own writing or reading journey. It’s always interesting to see how different authors approach clarity and communication.

 

[Johne]

Great question!

For me, clarity and engagement don’t come from “Christian elements” by themselves.
Every good story at its core is about transformation

They come from the same thing that makes any manuscript compelling:
A human being who wants something, struggles to get it, and is transformed by the struggle.

That’s the core.

Everything else—theme, worldbuilding, prose style, plot twists—are scaffolding around these essentials:

1. A character with a clear desire
Something meaningful is missing, broken, or threatened.
We lean in because desire creates direction.

2. A mounting series of obstacles
Conflict forces choices. Choices reveal character.
Overcoming (or failing to overcome) teaches the reader what the story is really about.

3. A crisis that demands a hard decision
The moment when the character can no longer avoid the truth.
This is where stakes sharpen and transformation begins.

4. A climax where the character acts
They put their new understanding on the line.
Action proves change.

5. A resolution that shows who they’ve become
The world shifts. They shift.
Something old dies and something new begins.

That's it. Everything else is subservient to stories, well told.

 

[Johne]

Once that spine is strong, the spiritual elements feel organic rather than forced.

A few things I look for from Christian stories:
1. Strong openings rooted in human stakes
Not theological exposition, not a devotional insight — but a person we can recognize, facing something real.
If I’m invested in the character before the story gets “Christian,” the message lands far deeper.

2. Clear structure that guides the reader emotionally
A story (or chapter) becomes clear when I always know why I’m reading the next paragraph.
That comes from structure: desire → struggle → realization → change.

3. Spiritual themes that arise from choices, not lectures
Christian fiction is at its best when it shows grace, redemption, and transformation through events and consequences.
Readers — especially non-Christians — don’t need us to tell them the theme. They need to feel it.

4. Language that is simple, but not simplistic
Direct sentences + vivid images will always communicate better than abstract spiritual phrasing.
Jesus told stories, not essays.

5. Above all, redemption that feels earned
I think Christian writing shines brightest when it gives hope to ordinary people — not “idealized Christian characters,” but deeply human ones who fail, doubt, and get back up again. If the redemption arc rings true, the clarity and flow take care of themselves.

Every writer has a different style, but those are the things that consistently make a manuscript click for me.