The Plant-based Vitamin for Writers

Just writing this makes me crave a bite of my delicious brown vitamin! There must be a scientific reason why my mouth is watering right now. And even more interesting, why - when I am writing- the words come as smooth as the chocolate I am devouring.

And when writing my romance I need its comfort when I am so deeply involved in the struggle my protagonists go through to actually end up together.

So in my opinion, chocolate and romance seem so right for each other. Now, enough of chocolate.

How should we define Romance? Is it simply a thrilling feeling? Attraction?  A 'can't eat-can't sleep-for-thinking-of-him/her ailment? All of these?

I'm not the one with the answers as I am unashamedly biased. Yes I enjoy mystery, suspense, an occasional sci-fi, but I LOVE a true romance! Would you believe (perish the wicked thought) some view true romance as a little out-of-date?

If we judge romance by what we often see on TV and the way relationships are depicted, then we can understand where this jaded opinion comes from. Most often romance is mistaken for straight out lust. And everything is named sexy and hot. And it shows passion is immediate and the girl falls into bed for the equally 'sexy  male' who gets what he wants  then eventually moves to greener pastures. 

Of course attraction comes into play, and being human we have desires that we either learn to control, or allow them to control us. That is such a shame. A lost opportunity  for true romance to enter the relationship. Even the Bible speaks about 'the way of a man with a maid'. Look at nature, some of the courtship rituals of birds are amazing, but they're there and for a purpose. 

Every woman wants to be loved. Really loved for herself ... not just her body alone. She wants to be courted and shown courtesies. Lots of little things that add up to that person's actions saying they truly care for their sweetheart. Yet even there some men can be predators. They can cleverly twist an innocent into believing they are loved. The true test comes if they are willing to wait until marriage to consummate their love. A girl is not a car to test drive to see if she is compatible. What a sick comparison.

OLD -FASHIONED?  No one cares about waiting today. Maybe so, but they are truly missing out on a beautiful romance. because in itself, romance is the promise of a far deeper experience,  that of genuine, long lasting love. As writers with a Christian World View, basing our stories on the reality of true love is totally relevant for today.

Yet being human, mistakes are made. But that's where forgiveness comes in. First in forgiving ourselves and then with God's help a fresh, new beginning is always possible. How many stories have you read where the heroine discovers this for herself? They are truly touching. And we can identify with her. Also, a man willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for his sweetheart is a man we are drawn to.

I especially enjoy writing the historical romance genre. I love the way a man and a woman are attracted despite circumstances conspiring to keep them apart. Even so the temptations they face are at odds with the social proprieties of the day. Yet love prevails and somehow they find a way through what seems an impossibility. Perhaps that's why I am drawn to write about the Victorian Era with all its undercurrents, intrigues and meddling relatives adding plot twists to the story.

My brand is: Everything can change in a heartbeat.
                                                                    
Rita Stella Galieh is a co-presenter on a Christian radio program broadcast Australia-wide. She was a contributor to several US anthologies published by Adams Media. An attendee at several conferences, she has judged for ACFW, contributes to other writers’ organisations, blogs weekly, and participates daily on Facebook. After several years study at the Sydney National Art School, she joined the family ceramics business before attending Emmaus Bible College. Each year, besides Australia, she travels with her violinist husband throughout Thailand, with permission from the Buddhist Government, to explain the true meaning of Christmas. 

This past year she has enjoyed presenting the amusing Etiquette of the Victorian Era presentation to ladies and seniors fellowships, dinners, coffee evenings and similar functions. Her website is www.ritastellapress.com

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby! (Part 2)

(Image courtesy of smarnad
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

It’s almost two months since I wrote my first post on the, ahem, touchy subject of sex in Christian novels. If you haven’t read it or would like to refresh your memory, you can find it here. Thank you to everyone who commented on my question: When is realistic too much? Your thoughts were both insightful and intriguing.

Every fortnight, a group of us from a local church get together at Zarraffas (a Queensland coffee chain). These ‘Ladies of Reedy Creek’, as I’ve dubbed them, range in age from 30 to 70+, and are very accommodating when I ask them questions concerning writing. All I have to do is bring out my pen and little black notebook and they’re like meerkats on alert.

This week, I asked them what they thought about sex issues being addressed in Christian novels. (Picture a group of extremely alert meerkats). Not only were their responses unanimous (except for one who left to attend a doctor’s appointment – or so she said) but they were strongly felt.

 Here’s a summary of what they said:

There is a definite demand for stories which are G-rated, however, they would like to see Christian books which address the more gritty issues too. For example:
 • Characters with a past which is described realistically, just not graphically.
 • The struggle men (and not just teenage ones) have in their thought life
 • The pressure to remain pure without making purity an idol
 • Guilt issues surrounding premarital sex
 • They would prefer sex to stop at the bedroom door but agree there is a need for stories which address intimacy problems, particularly for those who
 o are entering marriage for the second time
 o have blended families
 o have suffered sexual, physical, or emotional abuse

(Image courtesy of markuso
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Talking of bedroom doors, as I mentioned in the previous post, Francine Rivers left the door wide open in her latest novel, Bridge to Haven. Personally, I thought the wedding night was written very tastefully. It wasn’t graphic and didn’t include body parts, although the word ‘naked’ was used. There was the usual nervousness, but also fear because of what had gone before in the life of the main character, Abra. I thought the scene necessary in order to show the redemptive healing process. Nevertheless, Francine copped a lot of criticism along with the five-star reviews.

As we all know, everyone has a differing opinion of what’s okay and what isn’t, so how do we write about these sexual issues in our novels?

Diana Gabaldon, best-selling author of the Outlander series, says this: ‘Sex scenes are not about sex. A good sex scene is about the exchange of emotions.’

Now, before you shut down your computer in horror, I’m not suggesting we should write sex scenes! (Goodness, I find kissing scenes difficult to write, let alone anything more, lol). But maybe, just maybe, there’s a clue to our dilemma in that quote.

Exchange of emotions …

Rather than write a graphic scene – be it rape, abuse, intimacy issues or even healthy sex – perhaps we could focus on the visceral and emotional responses of our characters. Could this be a way of showing the effects of these experiences without offending? Is this the answer for displaying the realism we seek?

Here’s a quote from one of the Ladies of Reedy Creek (who also happens to be a pastor’s wife). NB: we were discussing the realism issues when she said this:

‘We’re bombarded by (sexual) explicitness and negativity in the general market. What are we offering in return?’

Good question, isn’t it?

There’s been a lot of talk about including realism in our stories, but where do the more gritty and confronting aspects of life fit?  I’m a romance writer, and while I like to write as realistically as I can, I’m not convinced that explicit content belongs in my genre … at least, not in real time. 

I believe that in a romance novel, these darker themes belong in backstory. Readers of romance expect to be taken on a journey which explores the beauty and wonder of falling in love. That’s not to say our characters don’t go through hardships and trials – of course they do or else there’s no conflict and without conflict you don’t have a story. (Note: if there isn’t a happy ending in the book you’re reading, then it’s a love story, not a romance.)

Bridge to Haven is women's fiction. Jo Wanmer’s Though the Bud Be Bruised falls into the fiction category. Paula Vince’s Picking Up the Pieces is YA fiction. They all deal courageously with the unpleasant and harsh realities of life, but while they may include elements of romance, they are not romance novels.

 It seems to me that getting the genre right and having an understanding of what is expected within each one is extremely important when tackling these concepts.

Think of the Christian books you've read which have been out of the box as far as realism goes. In which genre have they appeared?

As always, I look forward to reading your comments.

Andrea writes contemporary romance. Her first book A Simple Mistake was a finalist in the CALEB Awards 2012. Her second novel Too Pretty was released in 2014 by Rhiza Press. 

Andrea would love to hear from you via her website or Facebook page:
http://www.andreagrigg.com/
https://www.facebook.com/author.andreagrigg

Let's Talk About Sex, Baby! (Part 1)

By Andrea Grigg

Sex. 

One of the most controversial topics within Christian fiction, especially in my favourite genre, romance.

I get the feeling some Christians would like to remove sex from fiction altogether. I suspect they might even consider it sinful to read Christian fiction in the first place!

Of course, there’s the other end of the spectrum, although I’m not sure what it looks like. I haven’t gone searching for Christian books with explicit sex scenes in them but they could be out there. If they are, I suspect they’re in the self-published section.

When I was writing A Simple Mistake I had a very interesting conversation with a friend. She encouraged me to ‘keep my writing real’ and then related a story about a girl she knew personally who needed counselling because her marriage relationship hadn’t turned out like the ones in the Christian romances she’d read.

My first thought was, ‘You’ve got to be kidding!’ and my second, ‘What on earth has she been reading?’ Even though it sounds far-fetched, the story is true and it has stayed with me. Keeping it real is something I think about all the time as I write.

But just how real should we get? Nicki Edwards discussed this question in a blogpost in Christian Writers Downunder. You can read her thoughts here

Unresolved Sexual Tension (or URST) is a must in romance novels. In a Christian world-view story, that’s how it stays – unresolved – at least until the wedding night and then the door is firmly closed. Usually. Francine Rivers has left it wide open in her book, Bridge to Haven. And what a furore that has caused! We might have a discussion on that in my next post.

Here’s something else to consider. Whether we care to acknowledge it or not, Christians have sex outside of marriage. But should we write stories about it?

One of the answers I’ve been given is an emphatic ‘No, because sex outside of marriage doesn’t glorify God.’ Now while that’s true, a lot of what our characters do doesn’t glorify God either. They might lie, occasionally get a speeding fine or say harsh and unloving words. However, sexual indiscretion is given a much greater sin value than those things.

So what kind of attention should we give it?

There are readers who need reassurance they are forgiven, no matter how many times they fall. And isn’t one of our aims to give hope to our readers? Camy Tang’s Only Uni is a great example of a book which does this. Trish is desperate to clean up her act despite stumbling and falling repeatedly. There are no sex scenes but it’s clear what has gone on. Camy Tang isn’t afraid to use the word ‘fornication’ and she does it in context and without condemnation. Believe me, her character Trish is her own judge and jury – she doesn’t need any help to feel bad.

Another book which has impressed me greatly is Sway, by Amy Matayo. My review is scheduled for June 4 so I won’t give too much away except to say a portion of what I loved about the story is Caleb’s honesty concerning his thoughts about Kate. Straight from the gut and God-honouring, as well as an eye opener as to how a guy’s mind works.

Teenage girls (and older) would benefit greatly from these messages. Many of them don’t ‘get’ that what they’re wearing or how they’re behaving really affects a guy, even though they may (or may not) have heard it from the pulpit or home.

As writers, can we not address these issues in a story that tells it like it is and then offer hope and encouragement?

There’s not time to go into everything I’d like to say this time around, so keep your eyes peeled for Part 2 and maybe even a Part 3.

I’ll leave you with something to ponder: When is realistic too much?

As always, I look forward to reading your comments.

 Andrea Grigg lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland, and is a writer of contemporary Christian romance. Her first book, ‘A Simple Mistake’ was a finalist in the 2012 CALEB awards. Her second novel, ‘Too Pretty’ was released in August 2014.

Website: www.andreagrigg.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.andreagrigg?ref=hl

Twitter:  @andreagrigg https://twitter.com/andreagrigg