Guidance on completing secular wip

I am not clear on what you're asking. Are you saying your initial book was with a secular worldview and should you now change it so that God is mentioned?

If that's the case, the only advice I can offer is that I wish I could take back my earlier romance novels --it would have been better never to have them published than to have them out there on some people's shelves. Looking back, I wish all my works had been for Him.

Hope that helps a bit.

AT, I'm not sure about your question, either, but would like to add that you can write 'for Him' a work which makes no mention per se of Him. C.S.Lewis did many such works that appealed to both the secular and Christian markets. A WIP doesn't have to mention God in order to be God-honoring and a meaningful use of your gifts in service to Him.

Anonymous Traveler, something to chew on:

The Book of Esther, in the Old Testament, never once mentions G-d. Yet, it shows how He brought deliverance from behind the scenes to His people Israel, through the book's main character, Queen Esther.

The point I'm making is, your work can be quite secular in nature, never mentioning G-d once, and at the same time it can have grand spiritual implications. So it's not necessarily a bad thing if your piece is secular in nature.


I hope this helps, and I wish you the very best with you novel.

Sean D. Schaffer said:

A

The point I'm making is, your work can be quite secular in nature, never mentioning G-d once, and at the same time it can have grand spiritual implications. So it's not necessarily a bad thing if your piece is secular in nature.

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Excellent point. And you might attract more readers that way--you never know who might be influenced for God by what you write.

I have written my POD spiritual books. Now, I'm writing some MG fiction works, a novel that involves a Biblical character (post-crucifixion) and some pre-Crucifixion relics), and possibly a YA fantasy novel

My stories have some bad characters and some good people. They have basically good people with flaws and some basically bad people with good hearts. What I try to portray is life the way it is--knowing that God has never stopped reigning.

I'm hoping that my MG series main character will become popular. At some point (he's eleven now) I would like to deal more directly with his salvation experience--God and I will work that out if he chooses to bless my work. Until then, I promised him that I won't write anything that He wouldn't be okay with--that He won't be ashamed that one of His children wrote what I am writing..

I'd like for there always to be an underlying Christian theme in my works--one that I could later explain in Christian terms. I view my secular writing as a way to reach non-Christians by letting them see that Christians are real people too.

I'm struggling with the fantasy storyline. I plan to make it fantastic--like a cross between Pilgrim's Progress and Stephen King's fantasy series.

Since I'm still not published, I guess I'm waiting to see how God weighs in on my plan.

For His glory,

Mac Wilkey

I would advise you to hit the Christian themes that are close to your heart and that you feel most comfortable writing. Towards the end you can become a little more explicit. In fact, to make a good resolution, you'll have to. By then your readers will either be with you or against you. Either way you'll have made your point.

AT, I have two books of a trilogy published. The third is completed and waiting cover design. All three are in the intrigue/suspense/adventure genre and so are not particularly faith bound. Nonetheless my MCis a wealthy man who owns Philadelphia law firm. He's also and a devout Catholic. The motto of his law firm is taken from the Book of Micha-- Facere iudicium. Diligere misericordiam. Sollicitum ambulare cum Deo tuo. Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly in the sight of thy God.

In the third book my main character's teen son is a little brat and at one point his father begins to pull away from him. The boy runs away from home and falls into the grip of bad guys who intend to kill him. My hero vows to rescue his son and if need be kill anyone to get him back. The last scene takes place on a glacier in Iceland. Deep in a cravass my MC prays, Oh Lord Thou hast seen my wrong, Judge now my cause.

Of course father and son are reunited. The son notes that his father came unarmed to rescue him. He asks if his father was afraid. The father remembers these wrods, "He shall call upon me, saith the Lord and I will answer." My hero replies to his son. "Well, I had some help."

I detail all this here to illustrate that it's possible to illustrate through internal dialogue and action conflict and resolution without preaching or even using the G word.

Here is what one pre-pub reviewer said of this book: In his third Jan Phillips novel, C delivers the best yet. Phillips is exactly what we all secretly wish we were.

C

Sounds to me as if you already have been called to the font of faith. Now all you have to do is answer.
C

Anonymous Traveler said:

Thanks. My writing has stalled as I find myself deep in the trials of discernment to understand if I am being called to His Church. And accept if I am not.

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AT, this is part of a hymn I heard once. Perhaps you might use it as a prayer. It may reveal a path for you.

Pax et Bonum
C

"Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if You lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart."