Dropping Out, Or, Some Days I'd Rather Be A Cowboy

This morning I realized it was time for me to drop out of the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy blog tour. Realizing that, I also realized it's time for me to drop out of keeping up this blog, and perhaps to drop out of attempted novelling--- or at least out of admitting to attempted novelling--- altogether.

It's a matter of shame, really. Lately every time I think about writing for this blog--- or for a blog tour--- I just realize how inadequate my blogging is. Shamefully inadequate, it seems to me. I'm sure that this is not an objective opinion. But still, it affects how I approach--- or avoid approaching--- this blog.

I've read a lot about how a writer has to have a platform, and this blog was meant for that. But it hasn't achieved much of a following, in part because I haven't known what I'm building a platform for. I also have been too self-revealing, I think. I have a problem with that, perhaps because of my Asperger Syndrome.

I suppose I will get back into blogging at some point. Perhaps even back into attempted writing--- though I won't admit to it. But for now, I'm going to be spending some quality time wrassling with my sheep--- it's time to sort out the for-sale lambs.

Eye of the Sword blog tour, right here!

This is my blog, I built this!

Eye of the Sword by Karyn Henley, the subject of this month's blog tour, seems to be everything I want in reading material, a nice fantasy, by a Christian author so the likelihood of anti-Christian bigotry-rants is reduced to zero, and it starts out promisingly....

But for whatever reason I could not bring myself to read on, reading a number of other books, including my first-ever Western genre novel, instead (The Goodnight Trail by Ralph Compton). That happens to me sometimes when I have a book I'm expected to read in a certain amount of time--- I just don't get in the mood to let the book hook me, no matter how good the beginning is. Has that ever happened to you?

One symptom that this book is not for me right now is the way I keep obsessing about the book's title. Swords don't have eyes. Needles have eyes. Cyclopses have eyes--- one per customer. But swords? No eyes.

Want to know what Eye of the Sword is about from some people who actually know? Try some of these links. (Caution, one of these links is connected to a wormhole leading to a zombie apocalypse, so if you aren't careful you may get your brain eaten.)


Julie Bihn Thomas Fletcher Booher Keanan Brand Beckie Burnham Jackie Castle Brenda Castro Jeff Chapman Christine Theresa Dunlap Cynthia Dyer Victor Gentile Ryan Heart Janeen Ippolito Jason Joyner Carol Keen Emileigh Latham Rebekah Loper Shannon McDermott Karen McSpadden Meagan @ Blooming with Books Rebecca LuElla Miller Anna Mittower Mirriam Neal Nissa Faye Oygard Nathan Reimer Chawna Schroeder Kathleen Smith Donna Swanson Jessica Thomas Steve Trower Shane Werlinger Phyllis Wheeler

And now, before I get back to wrangling a passel of wild new-weaned lambs into pens, here is some essential information about Eye of the Sword and its author:
 
Book link - http://www.amazon.com/Eye-Sword-Novel-Angelaeon-Circle/dp/030773014X/ (or some other link of your choice) Author’s Web site - http://www.karynhenleyfiction.com/Karyn_Henley_Fiction/welcome.html Author Blog - http://www.maybeso.wordpress.com/ Author Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karyn-Henley/140411189331787?v=wall

Watching Western Shows as Old as I Am

Lately I've been spending wasting a lot of time watching really old Western tv series on the Encore Western channel. Which is kind of a funny thing.

Although I'm told that as a tiny girl I was enthusiastic about the Roy Rogers show and wore a red cowboy hat, by the time in my childhood where I actually remember things I wasn't a Western fan. Which was sad because it was about the only thing on television in those days.

I remember the routine when my mom, dad and brother would be downstairs watching Gunsmoke or some such show, while I was upstairs in my parents' bedroom watching old movies or The Avengers on the small black-and-white tv.

There were a couple of Western shows I did have a use for back then: The Wild Wild West, Alias Smith and Jones, The Rifleman, and, of course, Star Trek. (Star Trek? Well, Gene Roddenberry did allegedly think of calling the show 'Wagon Train to the Stars')

But now the world of television has changed. Besides the reality TV horror, the dramatic shows that remain tend to not be aimed at general audiences, but only at angry Leftists who enjoy anti-conservative and anti-Christian hate worked into their entertainment. Like that Law & Order episode that accused conservative commentators Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilley of condoning the murder of babies born to illegal immigrants. (Anyone who's actually watched Beck or O'Reilley knows they are notoriously against baby-killing, even the legal kind.)

So I haven't got attracted to many current television dramas other than those in Korean (subtitled) on KBS America. And these old Westerns came as a very pleasant surprise.

The ones I have been watching lately include Have Gun, Will Travel, Wagon Train, Rawhide, and Marshal Dillon (later renamed Gunsmoke.) And one I hadn't heard of before, Lawman.

Lawman, the story of Marshal Dan Troop and his young deputy sidekick Johnny McKay, was an excellent half-hour show which ran from 1958-1962. It premiered October 5th, 1958, the very day I premiered was born.

I like to spend time in this different world in which preachers are the good guys and not the killers, where men are gallant enough to treat women like ladies even when they are only saloon girls (hookers).

And there is some similarity in storytelling values between these old Westerns and the original Star Trek, which is a story about humanity's expansion into space, like settlers from Back East expanded into the Western territories.

My current WIP, a spaceship-based SF story, is turning out to be that kind of Western-in-Space thing, and I'm encouraging it. I've even looked up an article on how to write Westerns, 'Writing Western Novels Requires Specific Rules'.  I think most of these rules are adaptable to the writing science fiction and fantasy as well, particularly if you write from a Christian perspective. They are:

1. Point of view is limited to one or at most two main characters.
2. Foul language is impermissible.
3. Excessive sexuality is not OK. The Western hero and his lady remain largely virtuous.

Another good point that authors of other genres might borrow is the fact that a Western male hero is a man's man, not a woman's fantasy of a perfect, sensitive mate. The Western hero doesn't spend hours talking about his feelings, or taking his gal on shopping trips to upgrade their wardrobes. He doesn't cook for her, do the dishes, or mind the baby while the gal goes out to climb a corporate ladder. He's a strong, silent type who'll put his life on the line to save the lives of those who are vulnerable.

Watching Western Shows as Old as I Am

Lately I've been spending wasting a lot of time watching really old Western tv series on the Encore Western channel. Which is kind of a funny thing.

Although I'm told that as a tiny girl I was enthusiastic about the Roy Rogers show and wore a red cowboy hat, by the time in my childhood where I actually remember things I wasn't a Western fan. Which was sad because it was about the only thing on television in those days.

I remember the routine when my mom, dad and brother would be downstairs watching Gunsmoke or some such show, while I was upstairs in my parents' bedroom watching old movies or The Avengers on the small black-and-white tv.

There were a couple of Western shows I did have a use for back then: The Wild Wild West, Alias Smith and Jones, The Rifleman, and, of course, Star Trek. (Star Trek? Well, Gene Roddenberry did allegedly think of calling the show 'Wagon Train to the Stars')

But now the world of television has changed. Besides the reality TV horror, the dramatic shows that remain tend to not be aimed at general audiences, but only at angry Leftists who enjoy anti-conservative and anti-Christian hate worked into their entertainment. Like that Law & Order episode that accused conservative commentators Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilley of condoning the murder of babies born to illegal immigrants. (Anyone who's actually watched Beck or O'Reilley knows they are notoriously against baby-killing, even the legal kind.)

So I haven't got attracted to many current television dramas other than those in Korean (subtitled) on KBS America. And these old Westerns came as a very pleasant surprise.

The ones I have been watching lately include Have Gun, Will Travel, Wagon Train, Rawhide, and Marshal Dillon (later renamed Gunsmoke.) And one I hadn't heard of before, Lawman.

Lawman, the story of Marshal Dan Troop and his young deputy sidekick Johnny McKay, was an excellent half-hour show which ran from 1958-1962. It premiered October 5th, 1958, the very day I premiered was born.

I like to spend time in this different world in which preachers are the good guys and not the killers, where men are gallant enough to treat women like ladies even when they are only saloon girls (hookers).

And there is some similarity in storytelling values between these old Westerns and the original Star Trek, which is a story about humanity's expansion into space, like settlers from Back East expanded into the Western territories.

My current WIP, a spaceship-based SF story, is turning out to be that kind of Western-in-Space thing, and I'm encouraging it. I've even looked up an article on how to write Westerns, 'Writing Western Novels Requires Specific Rules'.  I think most of these rules are adaptable to the writing science fiction and fantasy as well, particularly if you write from a Christian perspective. They are:

1. Point of view is limited to one or at most two main characters.
2. Foul language is impermissible.
3. Excessive sexuality is not OK. The Western hero and his lady remain largely virtuous.

Another good point that authors of other genres might borrow is the fact that a Western male hero is a man's man, not a woman's fantasy of a perfect, sensitive mate. The Western hero doesn't spend hours talking about his feelings, or taking his gal on shopping trips to upgrade their wardrobes. He doesn't cook for her, do the dishes, or mind the baby while the gal goes out to climb a corporate ladder. He's a strong, silent type who'll put his life on the line to save the lives of those who are vulnerable.

July Summary, August Goals

At the beginning of July I set for myself a number of writing and other goals. This is how I did with them.

1. I planned to finish my June Camp Nanowrimo novel, Esperanza/Zombie Dawn. I added some words, but then decided the whole thing needed to be reimagined yet again. I had only a few good working days the whole month.
2. I planned to work on learning Korean, particularly how to read the Korean alphabet. I have learned 144 words using BYKI (free language software). I also took up learning a bit of Latin as a break from the Korean.
3. I planned to get more exercise. I got a pedometer and write down my number of steps every night before I go to bed. I think I am increasing my activity level.
4. I planned to work on housecleaning and barn cleaning daily, and also to read Bible and Catechism more frequently. I did not do very well on these goals at all.

It was kind of a disappointing writing month, perhaps post-Nano letdown. The good news is that this morning I had some fresh enthusiasm for a writing project, and signed up for Camp Nanowrimo in August. My nickname there is nissalovescats, if you participate you might be able to request me as a cabin mate.

For July I had two worksheets I used to keep track of my many goals, one for writing goals and one for other goals. Given my poor performance, I decided to reduce my goals for August and keep track of them all on one sheet. Here are my August goals.

1. Work on Camp Nanowrimo with my novella, The Song of Making People Die. I got the idea from a TV show which mentioned a 1933 Hungarian song, Gloomy Sunday, implicated in a number of suicides. After I finish the novella, I will begin another novella or short story featuring the same main character as the first, a young woman who owns a spaceship and runs a transport/trading business among the planets. I plan to continue my ritual from last time of posting my word count daily at the Nano site, and also on a word count meter here, to keep me motivated.
2. Continue to learn Korean words, reaching a goal of 200 known words. 
3. Learn Latin words--- goal of 100 words total, and listen to the ecclesiastical Latin audios I've downloaded for my chosen Latin book, Lingua Latina.
4. Continue with the exercise thing, recording my daily paces and trying to keep it up to a good level. (I hope that my desire to keep my number of paces high will motivate me on the whole house and barn cleaning thing.)
5. NOT worry about daily blogging and other internet distractions.

So, what about you? Have you met the goals you set for July? Are you planning goals for August? How do you keep track of your month's work and how do you keep yourself motivated?

Remember, a zombie apocalypse does not excuse you from meeting your daily word count goal!

July Summary, August Goals

At the beginning of July I set for myself a number of writing and other goals. This is how I did with them.

1. I planned to finish my June Camp Nanowrimo novel, Esperanza/Zombie Dawn. I added some words, but then decided the whole thing needed to be reimagined yet again. I had only a few good working days the whole month.
2. I planned to work on learning Korean, particularly how to read the Korean alphabet. I have learned 144 words using BYKI (free language software). I also took up learning a bit of Latin as a break from the Korean.
3. I planned to get more exercise. I got a pedometer and write down my number of steps every night before I go to bed. I think I am increasing my activity level.
4. I planned to work on housecleaning and barn cleaning daily, and also to read Bible and Catechism more frequently. I did not do very well on these goals at all.

It was kind of a disappointing writing month, perhaps post-Nano letdown. The good news is that this morning I had some fresh enthusiasm for a writing project, and signed up for Camp Nanowrimo in August. My nickname there is nissalovescats, if you participate you might be able to request me as a cabin mate.

For July I had two worksheets I used to keep track of my many goals, one for writing goals and one for other goals. Given my poor performance, I decided to reduce my goals for August and keep track of them all on one sheet. Here are my August goals.

1. Work on Camp Nanowrimo with my novella, The Song of Making People Die. I got the idea from a TV show which mentioned a 1933 Hungarian song, Gloomy Sunday, implicated in a number of suicides. After I finish the novella, I will begin another novella or short story featuring the same main character as the first, a young woman who owns a spaceship and runs a transport/trading business among the planets. I plan to continue my ritual from last time of posting my word count daily at the Nano site, and also on a word count meter here, to keep me motivated.
2. Continue to learn Korean words, reaching a goal of 200 known words. 
3. Learn Latin words--- goal of 100 words total, and listen to the ecclesiastical Latin audios I've downloaded for my chosen Latin book, Lingua Latina.
4. Continue with the exercise thing, recording my daily paces and trying to keep it up to a good level. (I hope that my desire to keep my number of paces high will motivate me on the whole house and barn cleaning thing.)
5. NOT worry about daily blogging and other internet distractions.

So, what about you? Have you met the goals you set for July? Are you planning goals for August? How do you keep track of your month's work and how do you keep yourself motivated?

Remember, a zombie apocalypse does not excuse you from meeting your daily word count goal!

Christian Writers and The Little Way

In the secular writing world, one often hears that a writer must believe in himself and his work, believe it's good, worthy, going to be published and receive good reviews. That's how a writer goes about being encouraged enough to finish writing the first draft.

From a Christian perspective, there might be a concern that all this believing in yourself might cause you to become puffed up, egotistical, and filled with the sin of pride. Perhaps Christian writers need to follow another way. A little way.

Saint Thérèse of Liseaux was a young French woman who entered a convent at a young age. She knew that the life in the convent would not allow her to do great things. So she found for herself The Little Way.

The Little Way means becoming as a little child, and relying on Jesus to make you holy. It means making little sacrifices rather than seeking to do heroic great things for the Kingdom.

What does The Little Way mean for a writer? It means that instead of believing in yourself as a great writer, you believe in Jesus as a great Savior. You continue your writing not because it is great, but because our great Savior will be pleased by even our humble writing efforts so long as we do it for Him.

After all, God is sovereign over all. If you have a burning desire to be a writer in your heart, God not only knows about it, He knew about it before He created you. He has a divine purpose for it, if you will only dedicate it to Him.

This doesn't mean, I think, that all Christian writers have to write only Christian works for Christian publishers. We can write for secular publication, provided we write in a way pleasing to God.

Saint  Thérèse, in her humble life in the convent, was asked by her Mother Superior, her older sister Pauline, to write down some of her early memories of the blessed life that their devout family had shared. Because Thérèse was sickly, it was one of the few things she could do.

She knew she was not a writer. But, following The Little Way, she wrote a book, The Story of a Soul, which moved people around the world. Based on this simple book, Thérèse, who died at a young age, became known to the world and became canonized as a saint.

Question: do you think that Saint Thérèse can be an example for the Christian writer?

Christian Writers and The Little Way

In the secular writing world, one often hears that a writer must believe in himself and his work, believe it's good, worthy, going to be published and receive good reviews. That's how a writer goes about being encouraged enough to finish writing the first draft.

From a Christian perspective, there might be a concern that all this believing in yourself might cause you to become puffed up, egotistical, and filled with the sin of pride. Perhaps Christian writers need to follow another way. A little way.

Saint Thérèse of Liseaux was a young French woman who entered a convent at a young age. She knew that the life in the convent would not allow her to do great things. So she found for herself The Little Way.

The Little Way means becoming as a little child, and relying on Jesus to make you holy. It means making little sacrifices rather than seeking to do heroic great things for the Kingdom.

What does The Little Way mean for a writer? It means that instead of believing in yourself as a great writer, you believe in Jesus as a great Savior. You continue your writing not because it is great, but because our great Savior will be pleased by even our humble writing efforts so long as we do it for Him.

After all, God is sovereign over all. If you have a burning desire to be a writer in your heart, God not only knows about it, He knew about it before He created you. He has a divine purpose for it, if you will only dedicate it to Him.

This doesn't mean, I think, that all Christian writers have to write only Christian works for Christian publishers. We can write for secular publication, provided we write in a way pleasing to God.

Saint  Thérèse, in her humble life in the convent, was asked by her Mother Superior, her older sister Pauline, to write down some of her early memories of the blessed life that their devout family had shared. Because Thérèse was sickly, it was one of the few things she could do.

She knew she was not a writer. But, following The Little Way, she wrote a book, The Story of a Soul, which moved people around the world. Based on this simple book, Thérèse, who died at a young age, became known to the world and became canonized as a saint.

Question: do you think that Saint Thérèse can be an example for the Christian writer?

Photographers guilty of ‘discrimination’ for refusing to shoot same-sex ‘wedding’: New Mexico court | LifeSiteNews.com

Photographers guilty of ‘discrimination’ for refusing to shoot same-sex ‘wedding’: New Mexico court | LifeSiteNews.com

Elaine Huguenin, co-owner of Elane photography, who informed the plaintiffs that she could not shoot their same-sex "commitment" ceremony.

  A New Mexico appeals court has upheld a lower court verdict that a photography studio that refused to shoot a same-sex “wedding” on religious grounds is guilty of “sexual orientation discrimination” under state law.

According to the court’s verdict, the trouble began for Elane Photography when the company was contacted by lesbian Vanessa Willock asking if they could photograph a “commitment ceremony” for Willock and her “partner.” The company, owned by Christian couple Elaine and Jonathan Huguenin, responded stating that they only shoot traditional weddings, and do not do “same-sex weddings,” but thanked Willock for her interest.

The following day, Willock’s anonymous “partner” sent an email to Elane Photography stating that she was going to “marry,” without stating that the “marriage” would be between herself and a woman.  She asked if the company could travel to the location of the event, and was told that it could. 

The two emails would be used as proof that the Huguenins were discriminating against Willock in her suit against the company, and resulted in a judgment of $6,637.94 against the defendant.

Although the government of New Mexico does not recognize same-sex “marriage,” civil unions, or domestic partnerships for homosexuals, the court ruled that Elane Photography had engaged in illegal discrimination based on sexual preference under the New Mexico Human Rights Act (NMHRA).

Once upon a time, we had this thing called freedom of conscience. It meant that if we thought doing a thing was wrong, no one felt they had to compel us to do it. Not even if they didn't agree with us about which things were right and which were wrong.

That was what America was founded on. In England, at one time people were required to attend the Anglican church, founded by Henry VIII because he wanted to divorce his wife, control the church, and take church property for his own use and that of his friends.  People who went to a secret Catholic mass instead were sometimes executed. Non-conforming Protestants also found themselves likely to suffer martyrdom.

That's why even though America was a highly Christian nation from the start, the Founding Fathers made sure that no one kind of Christianity could rule over the others as the Anglican church had in England. That's why we protect the Amish, the Orthodox and Hasidic Jews, and many other people that we don't agree with theologically.

It's sad to see the Leftists trying to do away with freedom of conscience in order to promote their causes. Yes, it hurts people's feelings when a photographer won't photograph their gay wedding, or their nude Wiccan wedding, but the thing about hurt feelings is, you can get over it. Losing freedom, on the other hand, is forever.

Weird Feelings about Boy Scouts upholding ban on homosexual leaders

Boy Scouts of America uphold ban on homosexual leaders | LifeSiteNews.com

In a statement issued July 17 the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) reaffirmed its longstanding policy of protecting youth by not allowing homosexuals to serve as leaders, and confirmed that the decision is final.
“After careful consideration of a resolution asking the Boy Scouts of America to reconsider its longstanding membership standards policy, today the organization affirmed its current policy, stating that it remains in the best interest of Scouting and that there will be no further action taken on the resolution,” said the organization.
The BSA policy on homosexuality states that the organization does not grant membership to those “who are open homosexuals or who would engage in a behavior that would distract from the mission of the Boy Scouts.” Please read the rest of the article at the link above.

 It's a victory, isn't it? The Boy Scouts' decision makes the Boy Scouts safe for kids from the kind of family that send their kids into the Boy Scouts--- conservative, often Christian, and supporters of traditional marriage and moral values.

On the other hand, it's kind of harsh to people trying to deal with their same-sex attraction in a Christian/chaste way. There is nothing more humiliating to be told, 'please stay away from the children'.  I've never had this happen to me in a face-to-face way, but I've feared it from the moment I realized my own same-sex attraction.

When I was a liberal it was way easier to deal with that fear. Anyone who didn't want me around their kids was a hater, pure and simple, and no one cares about the opinions of a hater.

But now that I'm back to reality I know it is in fact the people I most respect, the people most worth of respect, that are backing the Boy Scout policy. I even agree for some of the reasons for it. If the Boy Scouts were to give up their policy in the case of chaste and Christian homosexuals, might it not be impossible for them to then say no to potential scout leaders who only want involvement in scouting in order to promote a gay activist agenda?

What the gay activists seem to want is to convert all involved in Scouts to their cause. What they would get is a replacement of the current Scouts with a handful of liberal kids who'll stay in just long enough so they can say they helped change the Scouts away from being a 'hater' organization. The current Scouts will probably substitute involvement in church-based youth activity, since it will take the leftists far longer to impose a gay activist agenda on all the churches.

But, as I've said, while I uphold the protection of Boy Scouts from the Gay agenda 100%, I feel weird knowing I myself am a persona-non-grata in the scouting world because I'm honest about having same-sex attraction.

 I also worry about the kids in Boy Scouts. Some of them are gay and already know it. Gay kids, and kids who think they might be gay, are not forbidden to be scouts. But I just fear the whole controversy is not helping such kids deal with possibly being Gay in a way that's compatible with their values. Now, I'm not blaming the Boy Scouts in any way. It's more the fault of the gay activists trying to force their agenda on them. But it's still a tough life for some of us, sometimes.

Christian Fiction and Correct Theology

While there is a big difference between a Christian novel and a Christian theology textbook, I believe it is essential for the novel as well as the textbook to contain correct theology and avoid false theology. And that is one area in which some aspiring writers may be having some trouble.

Now, I am not talking here about the issue of denomination-wide allegedly flawed theology, since that is not the topic of my little apostolate/ministry. I am content when an Evangelical writer sticks to the theology his denomination says is correct, and the same with the other branches of Christianity.

The problem is that virtually every living Christian has got some of his theology wrong by the standards of his own denomination, simply because there are doctrines he has not learned/studied very intensely yet. That's because unless you are a theology professor by profession, you may not have had the time to study doctrines very fully.

Now, there are denominational differences in the way the individual believer thinks about theology. In the Catholic faith, the theology comes in a package--- we believe that Jesus Christ founded our Church, made Peter our first Pope, and divinely protected our Church from teaching wrong theology as official Church teachings even in the times of the bad popes.

On the other hand, many Protestants are not convinced that every doctrine taught by the church they now attend is correct. There are many people in Presbyterian churches, for example, who do not believe in predestination.

But I believe that no matter which church you are connected with, you ought to take the time to learn what teachings that church officially believes. I'm not saying you have to believe and accept all of them as true--- you will want to understand why these things are believed and how they connect to what's in the Bible.

The best way for many of us to improve our doctrinal knowledge is to go back to our youth and haul out that old catechism book we studied. I remember as a girl in the 4th or 5th grade, I and my younger brother went evenings to  sessions at our Presbyterian church in which we memorized the questions and answers of the Heidelberg Catechism.  Later in life I learned Luther's Small Catechism.  Later still, I got a second-hand copy of the Baltimore Catechism, a Catholic catechism.

A childhood catechism is a start, but there may be more grown up versions to study now. For Lutherans, there is the Book of Concord which has the two Lutheran catechisms as well as a number of Reformation-era documents. For Catholics, there is the new Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Some of you may go to churches where there is no official catechism. You might ask your pastor if there is some book he can recommend about basic Christian doctrines. Likely he has one or two to recommend.

You may be asking, why study a catechism or doctrine book? Why not just read the Bible? The problem is that the Bible is not organized as a doctrine book or catechism. In addition, the many denominations read the same Bible, but believe different doctrines, each thinking that their doctrine is the one taught in the Bible. Now, you may in the course of your studies conclude that your particular church is wrong about some doctrine or other, and after further study if you still think that way, you will have to decide what to do about that. But it's quite important to at least be aware of the doctrines, and the reasons for them.

How does this impact your life as a writer? A Christian novel is not a theology text, how often do you deal with doctrines? Well, in the Left Behind series, authors Jenkins and Lehaye dealt with one doctrine, that of the Rapture, almost constantly through the story. (Interestingly, that is one doctrine taught by none of the churches I've ever belonged to--- Presbyterian, Lutheran, Mormon or Catholic.) Imagine what the Left Behind series would have been like if the authors hadn't known their doctrine on this issue very well. In fact, one of the authors, Tim Lehaye, was there as the theologian, while Jenkins did the writing-work based on that theological basis.

Most Christian writers don't use enough explicit doctrine to need a full time theologian on the team. But it will help your writing career to have a better degree of knowledge about what your church teaches.

I once read about a faithful Baptist lady who, when doctrines relating to the Lord's Supper were mentioned, insisted on the doctrine of transubstantiation--- a Catholic doctrine quite different from what the Baptist church teaches. If that Baptist lady had been a writer, and if her novel had contained descriptions of the Lord's Supper in which her beliefs in this area were made plain, she would have a hard time getting published at a Baptist or Evangelical publisher (unless she made changes.)

Studying your own doctrines is also important if you have to study some other faith's doctrines as research. For example, if you are not Catholic but have a Catholic character, you might want to read some Catholic sources so you don't mess up on a doctrinal issue. But you don't want to let that study cause you to pick up some Catholic beliefs that your own church would disagree with--- at least, you don't want to do so out of ignorance of your own church's doctrine.

For Catholics: Read the whole Catholic Bible plus the Catechism in one year! There is a PDF guide that will help you do it:  http://www.chnetwork.org/readguide04.pdf You might consider, as you read the Catechism passages, looking up any Bible verse references in your Bible as you encounter them.

For Protestants/Evangelicals/Others: If you have a Bible with the 'Apocrypha'--- I have a King James Version Bible with Apocrypha on my Kindle--- you can use the very same reading guide given above.  In place of the Catholic catechism, substitute reading from your own catechism or doctrinal book. If you prefer not to read the 'Apocrypha' this time through, there are many Bible in a Year guides that you could use.
 

Christian Fiction and Correct Theology

While there is a big difference between a Christian novel and a Christian theology textbook, I believe it is essential for the novel as well as the textbook to contain correct theology and avoid false theology. And that is one area in which some aspiring writers may be having some trouble.

Now, I am not talking here about the issue of denomination-wide allegedly flawed theology, since that is not the topic of my little apostolate/ministry. I am content when an Evangelical writer sticks to the theology his denomination says is correct, and the same with the other branches of Christianity.

The problem is that virtually every living Christian has got some of his theology wrong by the standards of his own denomination, simply because there are doctrines he has not learned/studied very intensely yet. That's because unless you are a theology professor by profession, you may not have had the time to study doctrines very fully.

Now, there are denominational differences in the way the individual believer thinks about theology. In the Catholic faith, the theology comes in a package--- we believe that Jesus Christ founded our Church, made Peter our first Pope, and divinely protected our Church from teaching wrong theology as official Church teachings even in the times of the bad popes.

On the other hand, many Protestants are not convinced that every doctrine taught by the church they now attend is correct. There are many people in Presbyterian churches, for example, who do not believe in predestination.

But I believe that no matter which church you are connected with, you ought to take the time to learn what teachings that church officially believes. I'm not saying you have to believe and accept all of them as true--- you will want to understand why these things are believed and how they connect to what's in the Bible.

The best way for many of us to improve our doctrinal knowledge is to go back to our youth and haul out that old catechism book we studied. I remember as a girl in the 4th or 5th grade, I and my younger brother went evenings to  sessions at our Presbyterian church in which we memorized the questions and answers of the Heidelberg Catechism.  Later in life I learned Luther's Small Catechism.  Later still, I got a second-hand copy of the Baltimore Catechism, a Catholic catechism.

A childhood catechism is a start, but there may be more grown up versions to study now. For Lutherans, there is the Book of Concord which has the two Lutheran catechisms as well as a number of Reformation-era documents. For Catholics, there is the new Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Some of you may go to churches where there is no official catechism. You might ask your pastor if there is some book he can recommend about basic Christian doctrines. Likely he has one or two to recommend.

You may be asking, why study a catechism or doctrine book? Why not just read the Bible? The problem is that the Bible is not organized as a doctrine book or catechism. In addition, the many denominations read the same Bible, but believe different doctrines, each thinking that their doctrine is the one taught in the Bible. Now, you may in the course of your studies conclude that your particular church is wrong about some doctrine or other, and after further study if you still think that way, you will have to decide what to do about that. But it's quite important to at least be aware of the doctrines, and the reasons for them.

How does this impact your life as a writer? A Christian novel is not a theology text, how often do you deal with doctrines? Well, in the Left Behind series, authors Jenkins and Lehaye dealt with one doctrine, that of the Rapture, almost constantly through the story. (Interestingly, that is one doctrine taught by none of the churches I've ever belonged to--- Presbyterian, Lutheran, Mormon or Catholic.) Imagine what the Left Behind series would have been like if the authors hadn't known their doctrine on this issue very well. In fact, one of the authors, Tim Lehaye, was there as the theologian, while Jenkins did the writing-work based on that theological basis.

Most Christian writers don't use enough explicit doctrine to need a full time theologian on the team. But it will help your writing career to have a better degree of knowledge about what your church teaches.

I once read about a faithful Baptist lady who, when doctrines relating to the Lord's Supper were mentioned, insisted on the doctrine of transubstantiation--- a Catholic doctrine quite different from what the Baptist church teaches. If that Baptist lady had been a writer, and if her novel had contained descriptions of the Lord's Supper in which her beliefs in this area were made plain, she would have a hard time getting published at a Baptist or Evangelical publisher (unless she made changes.)

Studying your own doctrines is also important if you have to study some other faith's doctrines as research. For example, if you are not Catholic but have a Catholic character, you might want to read some Catholic sources so you don't mess up on a doctrinal issue. But you don't want to let that study cause you to pick up some Catholic beliefs that your own church would disagree with--- at least, you don't want to do so out of ignorance of your own church's doctrine.

For Catholics: Read the whole Catholic Bible plus the Catechism in one year! There is a PDF guide that will help you do it:  http://www.chnetwork.org/readguide04.pdf You might consider, as you read the Catechism passages, looking up any Bible verse references in your Bible as you encounter them.

For Protestants/Evangelicals/Others: If you have a Bible with the 'Apocrypha'--- I have a King James Version Bible with Apocrypha on my Kindle--- you can use the very same reading guide given above.  In place of the Catholic catechism, substitute reading from your own catechism or doctrinal book. If you prefer not to read the 'Apocrypha' this time through, there are many Bible in a Year guides that you could use.
 

Rainbow Lily images

The rainbow lily is the symbol of chastity for same-sex attracted/Gay/Lesbian people.  Here is one I drew, in several sizes. You may use it however you like, no back link is required. (I am hoping to get some rainbow lilies done by people with art skills sometime soon.)

Small rainbow lily

Rainbow lily icon

 

Large rainbow lily