Wow, thanks everyone for your feedback. Firstly I'm sorry that my thread led to people 'having a go at each other'. But I guess that can happen any time people discuss differing views. I am not aiming to write a YA novel, or to target the 'Christian' market. I of course want to write good fiction, that entertains, makes sense and doesn't try to fit rigidly into a worn-out religious model. I am a christian, and I am not writing anything that goes against the Truth that I believe in, but I detest "religious" writing of the kind paints everything black and white, or tries to force feed anyone anything. My world, though it doesn't fit strictly into some bible-to fiction-world translation, does not have Magic as such, only Spiritual powers of good and evil, often allowed, helped or obtained by the 'mortals' of both sides, according to spiritual "rules". I disagree that a world based on the God of the bible will appeal to only the Christian market. I read widely, and there is an incredible amount of supernatural fiction out there, though admittedly a large part of it in the YA section, and I believe there's no reason I can't sell my work in the general Fantasy market, even with a a very real, present powerful creator God as one of the main Characters. I have seen books where the main character is a 'Demon.' There is pretty much nothing that hasn't been tried these days. The big thing, as so many have said, is the writing of it. Yes, the basic idea has to make sense. But if I can't write it's all going to be rubbish. As for the faith bit? still deciding. Mckk, it was interesting hearing your story about the story, sorry you lost all that work, though it can happen to any of us. To respond about my story, though, I emphatically do not want to write an allegory. I detest them! No offense meant! Even the Narnia stories sometimes annoy me, when their main characters seem too passive, or not conflicted/too good etc. Yet, God has used those stories to touch my heart and speak to me in ways other books have not- a place for everything, eh? Ok, Some interesting ideas. Rubisco, I get what you're saying. I had half-formed ideas along that way, thanks for your clear response. As for faith being passive, I couldn't disagree more. "Faith without works is dead" said Paul the apostle. Faith is faith if it involves action. The bibles own definition of faith is, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I don't mean that only my "gifted" characters have faith, sorry I was as clear as a politician. I mean that unlike most of those who believe, these characters have not only the understanding of Gods general will and an intimate relationship with their Creator which may tell them His specific will, but they have the ability to believe they will receive what he has promised, that which they have asked for, with absolute faith, with-out doubting. Not that they can do this all the time! All relationships have break-downs, especially divine/human ones! ddavidv, I get what you mean but again the ones with this gift have a bigger dose of something all those who believe have, the bible talks about people having a gift of faith in the same place as it talks about gifts of prophesy, works, words of knowledge, etc. Meaning some people have areas of strength, not that that others can't have those things, too. Of course he gives these things for His [Gods] own purposes, it's not like a special ticket for their own use. I do want to see these fiction people do awesome things, or rather see God do awesome things on their behalf. I'm just trying to work out whether this can all work. Thank you all for your input!!
Only one way to tell if it works - write it. I'm not religious, but I would still read it if it was well done. I think most readers are pretty open-minded. An internet forum is not necessarily a representative sample.
One thing I've learned on this forum - never apologize for launching a kerfuffle. Some folks just can't help themselves. One of my early novel attempts was about a young priest who was somewhat late to his vocation - he didn't decide on the priesthood until he had started college - and who came from a very comfortable background. He is assigned to a parish in a very poor neighborhood, and upon his arrival, his first contact is with a young teen hooker and her pimp. Many of his parishioners are squatters living in abandoned warehouses and such. In other words, lots of "street people" in this work, and lots of inevitable conflict between the priest and the church hierarchy (and others). I was very pleased with it when I finished it and I tried submitting it for publication (even got a request for a full ms from an editor), but the problem I ran into was that the street people (their lives and language) made the novel anathema for the "Christian" press, while the fact that I was willing to portray a priest favorably, particularly his devotion to his vocation, made it unattractive to the mainstream press. The mindset that divides writing into genres is pervasive, even on this forum. Anything that straddles the line - religious/nonreligious - is problematic. Maybe your story will be the one that breaks the barrier. Good luck.
I'm afraid I have to object - it seems like you didn't really read my comment at least. You quote entirely out of context. You forgot to quote the part where I very clearly say - such stories COULD work but they operate within very set boundaries, and these boundaries *are* damn hard to manoeuvre around. I, for one, was crap at it. It's true the OP might not be. She's asking if it'll work. In my experience, it doesn't always. You need to know how to work around the boundaries, you need to have a knack for the genre. It's simply not something I'd attempt until I have much more experience, at the very very least. I point to my own failure - seriously, 300,000 words is painful to ditch, as I'm sure you know. I don't want to see the OP do the same thing. She gave very little information beyond that she wants to write a faith-based story, and I had to comment based on the little she gave. The idea of writing the Christian God that also adhere to the Bible - that's challenging in itself even without the doctrine. How do you write perfection? Your character cannot sin, and actually, cannot be questioned, because anyone who questions God is wrong. Now God is gentle and merciful, I believe this, and as a personal journey in my life, I have always found that trusting in God always led to peace. Where I have questioned Him, He has gently corrected me and shown me grace anyway. But translate this to a story - if the reader knows that EVERYTHING God ever asks the book characters to do is good and right, and if the characters just do it, everything will always turn out all right, it just doesn't make for a good story whichever way you look at it. Note the word STORY. If it were non-fiction, I'd read it, because that's inspirational. In fiction it's different. This is basically the dilemma the OP will get to if she writes faith as a superpower, and it is not an easy one to solve. Unless she has a clear vision for how this could work, it's wiser to leave it on the shelf until she's a more experienced writer. Now, if her story was going to be about how devoted believers of this good and perfect God nonetheless still die, still get put in prison, get flogged, still have their loved ones die, still lose a limb and become disabled - essentially a reflection of the book of Acts - and throughout it out, somehow it still makes sense to hold on to God. And somehow, the OP is able to portray God as ultimately good and merciful even as He lets His faithful believers die - if the OP can pull THIS off, now heck I'm totally going to read it because that would make one fantastic story indeed, and would take equally fantastic writing to pull it off. This dilemma is difficult to explain even in real life. How do you explain why a just and merciful God is allowing the Syrian churches to get persecuted? Yes, you can quote the Bible at me, and I can anticipate which verses they will be (last days, we do not belong to the world, remember the world first hated Jesus, example of the first century church and the great works God did through the persecution of His people which has enabled you and I to be called Christian today). But look a broken man in the eye and tell him, "All this happened for a reason and God is still good." This is why my responses to suffering nowadays is always, "I know God weeps with you." Faith is not something I can explain, but it is hard to understand whether we wanna admit it or not why we insist on holding on to a God who lets His people die everyday, and yet still believe He is loving, and just, and holy. I believe that He is indeed loving and just and holy, but that is my faith - I do not pretend to be able to explain this. I hold on to it because I've seen it in my own life. And this - well, like I say, it'll take a heck of a writer to translate THIS to believable, relateable fiction. Esp if the OP does not want to target the Christian market but coming from the Christian POV, likely there's always only going to be one interpretation of things. Therein lies the main problem - if there's only one interpretation, then the story becomes flat, and faith is not something that you can pull off as "trashy entertainment" like Tom Clancy can with action thrillers. And if it is to be thought-provoking, the faith must be real, the characters must be real, the faith must be questioned and multiple interpretations need to be presented as all equally valid, while of course the MC will have to decide on one perspective in the end, and go for that with all his heart and mind and soul and strength - go with it all in faith, and pray that it turns out right. And then it doesn't - it doesn't turn out right - but he still believes he did the right thing. I can believe that. Unfortunately when I hear "Christian" genre, I immediately think of the simple - one truth, one way, one interpretation. You know, sometimes I don't know why I believe, because it's getting harder and harder to believe there's really only one way of looking at things. That's real life, with real questions, with mysteries to which God can say, "Were you present when I laid the foundations of the earth?" Questions to which God can kneel beside us, lift our chins like the little children that we are, and say, "You don't get it now, but trust me, because I love you. Believe in that." (in fact, one of my favourite quotes is from Corrie ten Boom, when her father tells her, "I would be an irresponsible father if I gave you things before you are ready. Some things are too heavy for you, so until you are strong enough, trust in me to carry it for you." This reflects the way we should trust God for me. Another lovely quote is, "God will give you the strength - just in time." That He always provides at the moment when we need it, but never before. You should so read her book. And I loved her sister's quote, when Corrie was given the vision of her and her family being put into a concentration camp, Betsy's response was, "It is enough for me to know that God knows what's coming. Because that's why He shows us things sometimes - to show us that even this is in his hands." But you know, none of this would have the same impact in fiction. It moves me because these were real people who lived and died. Betsy died in her concentration camp. This is what happens to faithful believers, and I adore her faith, and I believe God was with her and Corrie every step of the way.) I believe God is first and foremost our Father and Friend, nothing moves me more than the gentle shepherd who left his 99 sheep to roam the mountains to find the one lost one. But in a world where "faith is a superpower" - I can't see this. If faith is indeed a "superpower", then it is predictable, it must work every time someone has faith, and faith is not measurable. And how do we know what God's will is? That's yet another important question for the OP to answer - how will her characters know what God's will is? Getting a convenient whisper at the opportune time (as my allegorical story which I scrapped did!) is bad story-telling, it's called a plot device that's jutting out like a sore thumb. So will it be a booming voice? Unless, of course, the OP left God's voice to be interpreted by the reader. What I mean is this - the characters and God talk, but the commands and conversations are never revealed to the reader, leaving the reader to decide if it was really God's will or not, if the character was making a mistake. But, if the law of "If it's not God's will, then the character will have no power and/or will certainly fail in his mission", then once again that turns the story black and white without any shades of interpretation. Perhaps I'm unimaginative, but I would't write something like this as a fantasy. I'd much rather write a proper non-fiction book with good research and discussions. For me, it is far too complex to simplify it down to fiction - which CS Lewis did with Narnia and it was brilliant, I loved the books. But I'm certainly no CS Lewis myself. That doesn't make me a bad writer, but my point is, not everyone has the gift to boil something so complex down to a few basic principles and points and still make it make sense, and, more than that, make it entertaining, esp entertaining to non-believers. It's not that I'd bash down anything with a "Christian" label, but I also do not uphold the belief that anything with the label "Christian" is something I must immediately support and uphold as brilliant, and be excited by the very label "Christian" without any consideration for whether it is good art. This latter trait amongst my Christian friends annoy me to no end. Anyway these are just my thoughts. I understand your objection though that it feels like someone asked how to write sci-fi and the whole thread of people telling them to write a romance instead. I get that that's annoying, but I cannot in good conscience let someone go through with it without knowing the struggles and pitfalls that I have come across. Of course the OP might not have the same problems, or any problems, in which case, great. But the OP should be aware of it. 3 years of failed work on my part is painful! Go in with your eyes wide open, sure. But I went in not knowing any of the pitfalls and ignoring the advice of others when they said it turns things a little 2D, and I wish I had listened. It's not to say it can't work - it's to say it is difficult.
The ones with this gift have a bigger dose of something - watch out you don't run into a theological dilemma here. With the Holy Spirit, the only mediator is Jesus Christ Himself. All of His saints have an equal chance of hearing God's will directly. Now I understand, some people are more intuitive with God's voice - but that surely comes from growing in the knowledge of God, which, once again, every believer has an equal chance of growing in. What I mean is, this superpower couldn't be exclusive with your special group of believers. It is theologically possible that the special group hears God more often, and are more sure of it - but they cannot be the only ones who do. Otherwise you're running into the Catholic model of the priest being the mediator between God and man, and then we have a whoooole can of different worms! Also, yet another heads up for you - when I was researching for agents (because I did finish my manuscript actually, when it was still supposed to be Christian-themed), there were many many agents who solicited fantasy, but not any kind of faith-based or spiritual fiction. If you're unsure about which subgenre of fantasy you're really writing, you might run into submission problems later - as in, you might not know who to submit to. And with faith as a superpower, you couldn't possibly hide it as most definitely spiritual fiction, which means you've knocked off a bunch of good agents in the non-Christian market. No worries with hating allegory. As I said, mine didn't work, so... You sound like you're thinking hard on this, and you sound enthusiastic. What I have come to believe, however, is that you do not need to write Christian fiction, or fiction that even mentions God, in order to glorify God. I think the very fact that you're writing glorifies God, because you're already using the gift God's given you. If God has a story for you to write, you will certainly write it. If God has blessed it, no amount of discouragement or practical obstacles will stand in your way. God did say, after all, the door that He has opened, no one can close. But now, you must discern IF this is your way to glorify God with your writing. For me personally, I have a feeling that one day, when I'm a lot older, God would probably use my gift in the non-fiction area instead, even though I have only ever written fiction, because when it comes to thoughts and paradoxes of faith and life, I muse over these a lot, and I have found that I see things rather differently to what the church majority that I've been in touch with thinks. This leads to thoughts, and more questions, and ultimately, one day, when I have more wisdom, this is the kinda stuff I can write to encourage people in their faith. But it will not be in my fiction. It could well be in yours Don't think of all this as discouragement - I'm really just trying to give you a heads up. My advice is, if you go through with it, perhaps the most honest approach is to bring in your own questions - why do you still believe despite XYZ? Why did Paul still believe despite being persecuted and then martyred? (don't tell me he had faith - it needs to be something more concrete - it needs to be grounded in questions answered, or perhaps even only half answered. It needs to be grounded in the honest confession that sometimes you just don't know) My best advice is to base it on your own living, breathing faith. Bring out the hard questions - why is there suffering? You know, every month in our church we get an update from a pastor in Syria right now. Right now. Our pastor reads out his emails, how the electricity has been cut again, how the Muslim fighters were firing right outside their church, how a new family just lost their home. Most recently, the pastor has been stranded in one city because his home town has been captured by the rebels. His church is in that home town, and the people inside are starving. Why? And what does God say when the Egyptian Christians formed a circle around praying Muslims to protect them from attack? For me, it is the unity Christ Himself has prayed for His believers, shown between apparent enemies. Where is God when a woman cries and grieves because she is lonely, and single, and without children, and getting older everyday? Don't give me the line "It is better to be single" or "Seek first the kingdom of God". No. Look these people in the eye and tell me you understand, and I have found that I certainly don't. What am I to do with raped women, raped men, women impregnated by rape and now wish to abort the children? What am I to say to a friend's failed marriage? And how is it possible that a North Korean interviewed by a Christian organisation, still living in North Korea today, says that he is blessed and everyday he prays for his leader to turn to the Lord? What do I say to these Christians, whose faith is far greater than my own? What can I say to people like Corrie ten Boom, who preached of God's great love even as she recalls her beloved sister Betsy dead in the concentration camp, her beloved father who only ever loved the Lord dead in prison, Corrie herself dying lonely and without family or a husband? What can I say to my friend from Burma, whose father is monitored by the government because he is a pastor and my friend's uncle is imprisoned because of his relationship with her father? I see their great faith, but to make sense of it, I cannot. I admire it, but I can't begin to imagine it, let alone explain it, far less so that I should write it! If you can ask these questions and answer them honestly, and bring these things up in your book - not these specific issues, these are only the ones that move me because of the people I have met and the things I have read - but if you can portray faith like this, and still make the reader understand HOW God could still be good, then you have a very special story indeed, and I will certainly read it.
Are you really surprised people don't read your obtuse walls of text? I don't even skim them anymore.
To quote a particularly wise club member "If you don't have anything nice [or constructive] to say, don't say anything at all" - Duchess-Yukine-Suoh.
I'm an atheist, but if a story along this theme was written well I would stick around for it. It sounds interesting and I believe it sets up a lot of interesting questions to explore. Why does god listen to this select group only? How does the group gain their powers? Do they understand them? How do they feel about their powers? Do they work all the time? Do the protagonists ever fail? If they do, why? I think it would need to be handled carefully. If 'faith' was treated as an instant 'I win' button, it would quickly become dull. Consider your audience. If you are targeting a specific religious audience, they will expect and understand certain things. If you want a broader appeal, your approach will have to be much different. Best of luck with your story.
I think that what is being suggested actually has less little to do with 'faith' and far more to do with 'divine communication' and any superpowers would be to perform miracles etc. I would be interested in the 'nuts and bolts' of how this would work but coherent functionality has never been a strong point of religions and any theoretical dis-functionality could easily be glossed over. When dealing with things that are mysterious and supernatural you can do practically anything you like and if it doesn't make any sense then any difficulties can be explained away by saying, 'it's mysterious and supernatural'. Have fun.
Thanks everyone, I'm still not sure if I can carry-off the Faith thing, but I'm more and more sure I'm doing good with my truly- twisted, compromised, conflicted, passionate, confused, weak and willful characters. They are not perfect, but they are believable and most definitely interesting. My story is its' very own, and follows no other prescribed plot or trying to fit an excepted representation of other peoples understanding of stuff. Thanks Mckk, I agree with the bit about basing it on my own experiences, it's got to be real! All those things that make no sense, face it, faith makes no "sense" either! I will throw all sorts from my own life in there, I've screamed abuse and questions at God, why shouldn't my MC? Lol I didn't really want to label my fantasy "christian" but it is based on a creator-God, has angels demons and spiritual rather than magical powers. My story God is not distant and unknowable, but personally involved in the world, although even the MC doesn't always get what God is up to, or what the 'big-picture' is, and sometimes has issues with what does/does not happen. It sure is going to be interesting working this stuff out..
In Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, about a wizard detective in Chicago, the character Michael Carpenter is a Knight of the Cross, possessing a sword blessed by God and containing one of three nails used in the Crucifixion. Michael uses the sword--Amoracchius--to protect humanity from demons, dragons and other wicked beasties, and it has some pretty cool properties. Michael himself is also a step above the rest of vanilla humanity, in terms of his physical capabilities. But, these powers are all gifts from God, to be used for His work. If Michael does something against His plan, his powers are revoked. In the books, we've seen how using Fidelacchius--the Sword of Faith--in an act of treachery or deceit robs the sword of its powers, leaving it just a bit of sharp metal. I imagine striking out in hate would depower Amoracchius (love) or using Esperacchius (hope) for suicide or some other act of despair would depower them. In CC Finlay's Traitor to the Crown series, a historical fantasy trilogy set around the American Revolution, Proctor Brown inherits his mother's gift of magic, but given the attitudes of 1175 New England towards such things, he tries to suppress it, even though he wants to understand it. He encounters some other magic users, though, whose spells are really prayers, giving God the glory for what is accomplished, and making sure to ask that these things be done if they are His will. Essentially, I guess, your hero could be given certain skills he could access when needed, provided he trusted in God, gave Him the credit for the deed, etc. Using his powers for his own gain, or taking all the credit for a heroic deed, or something similar, would rob your hero of his powers. (This would actually be an interesting event in the story, as the the hero would have to redeem himself.) I agree with those who said this could be really good if done right. It's just REALLY hard to do a religiously allegorical story well. CS Lewis is the only one who comes to mind who really pulled it off.
@MustWrite I remember a Nintendo game when I was a kid that had Moses fight Egyptians by shooting "Words of God" at them (the sequel, I think, was about Joshua playing a trumpet) ... ... ...no, I am DEAD SERIOUS!!!!
