Creating Christian Characters

Along with my new theme for the month, I have a new author to introduce to you, Rocklyn Grace. Rocklyn has recently published her first Christian novel and writes about creating Christian characters. Welcome, Rocklyn!

I am a new author, and I am a Christian. I decided to enter the world of writing Christian Fiction because when I read that literature, I saw beautifully created characters. I also saw characters who did not strike me as “real” in the scheme of life and living in the world.

On the pendulum, some had the proverbial “thorn in the flesh”; some had other issues concerning prayer, understanding the Bible, or church attendance. On the opposing swing of characters, I saw characters so caught up in spiritual matters that the plot of the novel would be consumed by that which is “unseen”–angels, demons, and such interactions.

Don’t get me wrong here: I loved reading those books.

I noted, however, an opportunity for myself to create a Christian character that might reach a slightly wider audience — an audience that dips into both arenas of believers and unbelievers.

Thus, I crafted my goal: Create reality in my Christian characters. That is, they have the following characteristics:

They are believers who are highly flawed in some way — or many ways.
They do not live easy lives.
They struggle to read the bible sometimes.
They question God even though they are convinced of His existence.
They might struggle to pray or even utter a curse word in between a quick beseech of God for some much-needed grace and mercy.

In fact, one of my characters may outright sin and suffer consequences thereof, but the same character will also experience strength in weakness and the redemption, the table set before him/her found because of walking through death’s shadow.

How much greater the reconciliation when the reality of life is actively engaged by a character, and thereby, a reader.

Here is my crafting process, or the questions I answer for him/her:

What “flaw” will my character struggle with?
How does that affect their actions? Their words?
Their laughter and joy?
How does that affect their interactions with an antagonist? Another protagonist? A parent? A sibling? A husband/wife or fiancé?
How does it affect their reactions to types of trauma to themselves? Toward others?
Ultimately: How does the flaw manifest in everyday situations?

And finally, how does the redemptive power of Jesus rescue, heal, and help the character? How does that affect others around the character?

Once I have my character created — with those questions answered, it’s then a fantastic journey to write their story, let them face challenges, and always find Jesus.

*****

Soaring Eagle dreams of reuniting his family and his western rural tribe despite the dystopian government restrictions that have forced them apart. In his efforts to pursue his goals, his plans are thwarted by his capture and a young woman who saves him from certain execution in the only way the laws of her sector allow: marriage. His entire life is upended, his secrets exposed, and now Soaring Eagle must seek a new pathway to his dream. How can he unite his family without losing the woman he also desires?

*****

Rocklyn Grace lives in the beautiful mountains of Colorado where life is wildly free and beautifully peaceful. She raised two sons with her husband. Together, they fill the empty nest with rock music and loud praise. Rocklyn loves morning coffee, sunsets in the cool evenings, and the interruption of a moonbeam across the living room late at night. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

August 11, 2022 3

Finding Character Names in the Bible

If you’ve followed JPC Allen Writes for very long, you know I love names and finding the perfect ones for my characters. For my cozy mystery series, finding character names in the Bible helped me create and organize my characters.

Make Characters Distinct

When I wrote “A Rose from the Ashes”, I had two families of three kids. To help the reader keep the families straight, I chose Bible names for the Malinowski family since I introduce them in a scene set at a church. But I didn’t want to pick popular Bible names–too generic. So I went with Aaron and Micah–and he’s called Micah, not Mike. The third kid in that family has a non-Bible name, but that’s because he has a family name.

One of the most helpful tips I’ve read on naming was in an early edition of Beyond Jason and Jennifer. The authors discussed how parents tend to select similar style names. Parents who name a son Richard are unlikely to pick Rainbow for their daughter. And a girl named Harvest probably won’t have a brother named John.

So, since the Malinowski kids had Bible names, I thought Bible names would make sense for other members of their family. Their grandmother is Lydia and her sister is Martha.

Make Characters Unique

If you want a character to stand out, choose a Bible name that’s been overlooked. Just make sure it’s easily pronounceable. Not many characters are name Adonijah, and there’s a reason for that. I picked Reuel to be the middle name of the Malinowski family name that’s passed from father to son. It’s easy to sound out and it’s not used much–unless you write epic fantasy.

Another approach to finding character names in the Bible is looking at places and words. I know of girls names Selah and Jubilee. You can also go the Puritan route and pick virtue names, like Truth or Providence. Jericho and Bethany have been used for awhile, but what about Sinai or Canaan or Kadesh?

What are your favorite names from the Bible? Has the Bible inspired you to name a child or a character?

August 8, 2022 3

What Is Christian Fiction?

Since Christian fiction is my theme for the month, I should provide a definition for what is Christian fiction. To prepare for this post, I tried to find a very helpful blog post I read awhile back. In the process, I found a variety of definitions for the genre, not all of which I agreed with. So the definition I provide here is based on my own writing process and thinking and the definition used by many professionals in the Christian fiction industry.

Christian Worldview

Many times when I visit a page for a Christian writers group or publisher, they post a list of what they publish or represent. Often this includes they are looking for stories that demonstrate “a Christian worldview.” One publisher I found puts “Evangelical Christian worldview.” Since the Bible is a big book, what does that mean? Below are the basics of that worldview.

Theres is a God and He created the universe and all the people in it.
Sin is to disobey God, and it cuts us off from Him.
Jesus is God’s son and God himself. His choice to take the punishment for our sins gives us a chance to reconcile with God.
When we accept the gift of forgiveness, we spend the rest of our lives learning about God and growing closer to him as well as telling other about the gift.
When we die, we go to live with Him forever.

Christian fiction publishers will likely expect more from a manuscript, such as no graphic content, but if at some point, it deviates from the above list, it’s not a Christian worldview.

Two Approaches

As I’ve written in the genre, I’ve discovered two approaches to writing Christian fiction. One is deciding at the outset to that you’re going to write about a Christian theme. Author Francine Rivers took the book of Hosea and moved it to the American West in Redeeming Love. Someone else might want to put a modern spin on the story of Paul. Or construct a plot to demonstrate God’s love or mercy in any genre, whether it’s historical, speculative fiction, or thriller.

The second approach is to write a story with Christian characters, or characters who will become Christian, and see how they handle the situation they are in. This is how I write. I’m a character writer first. I build my main characters and then concoct plots that will test them, develop them, and are a ton of fun to write. My teen detective, Rae Riley, is a Christian because I am and it’s easier for me to imagine how she does life. As I write, a Christian theme may emerge. Or I may start with a theme in mind but it has to work naturally with the story. When I wrote “A Rose from the Ashes,” I’d thought the theme was mercy and forgiveness. That’s there, but about 18 months after I wrote it, I realized it was also a spin on the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Clean Reads

Clean reads are not Christian fiction, although most Christian fiction would qualify as clean reads. What are clean reads? These are stories without graphic sex or violence and little to no bad language, but they don’t have Christian themes or characters. Most cozy mysteries in the secular market could be called clean reads because readers expect the violence and any sex to take place off stage and not described in nitty gritty detail. Sweet romance stories fall into this category too.

If you read or write Christian fiction, how do you define it?

August 4, 2022 5

What are Your Favorite Bible Verses?

The theme for this month is Christian fiction–what it is and how to write it with prompts to inspire or start discussions. Today’s prompt is to get us rolling. What are your favorite Bible verses? I’ve made memes for two of mine.

Since I grew up in Appalachian Ohio and both side of my family come from West Virginia, looking to the hills for God take me back to my childhood. It seems natural to look to them as a reminder of God’s presence and comfort, like the twisty roads that led me over the hills to my grandparents’ house.

I often feel overcome in this life, so I find profound comfort in Jesus’s statement to his disciples during the Last Supper.

Please add your favorite Bille verses in the comments.

August 1, 2022 4

Month: August 2022