Writing Christian Fantasy Without Sounding Like C.S. Lewis or Becoming Cheesy (with Andrea Renae)
At Gospel-Centered Discipleship we are not only interested in producing resources that “make, mature, and multiply disciples of Christ.” We also want to develop writers who can produce these kinds of resources. So, from time to time we publish interviews with authors and editors to get us thinking about what others have learned and how we can grow.
Many of the writers we serve also write fiction, but fantasy fiction, which has grown in popularity in the past few years. According to one website, “Today, the young adult fiction genre is huge. In fact, as of 2022, 35.03 million print copies of young adult (YA) books are sold each year. Among the categories within young adult fiction, the fantasy/magic/science fiction genre has outsold all others (by far), selling over twenty million units.” Christian authors are a part of this new trend, so I wanted to talk to an author in this world to help guide us in this genre in a way that honors Christ.
I’m a staff writer and editor for GCD, and I had the pleasure of interviewing my friend Andrea Renae, a YA/NA Christian fantasy author, on this very topic.
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Lara d’Entremont: Tell us about yourself, how you started writing, and why you are drawn towards fantasy.
Andrea Renae: I’m a mid-30s homeschooling mom to three beautiful children. My oldest is fast approaching his high school years, therefore I exist in a constant state of denial. Our busy days are filled with math-induced headaches, science projects, music practice, and several distracting furry (and feathery . . . and scaly!) companions. I am known to get insanely focused on whatever creative project I’m currently pursuing, whether it is photography, knitting, baking, painting, or writing. Sometimes, when the inspiration strikes, I forget to eat or even move for hours (days?) on end. Thankfully, my family understands this side of me and has been very gracious over the years. I’m constantly struggling to find the balance between caring for my home and the passions that cause a breathless thrill to race through my chest. But I’ve learned that there is time for all things, and both the mundane and the imaginative can be done for God’s glory.
Although I’ll have a go at anything artistic, writing is the one passion that never dims. I think my love for it ignited when my tech-junkie dad gave me a computer that contained nothing more than Microsoft Word and a paint program. What was I to do with it but write my own (terrible) stories? Typing up my thoughts under the anticipatory blinking of the word processor cursor filled me with a sense of accomplishment and joy. Could I really come up with any characters, any world, any event—and it would just automatically exist?
When my aunt gifted me The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I fell hard for the whole fantasy genre. Of course, I had encountered fantasy before (mostly in Disney renditions of classic fairytales), but that time it was more than the magical wardrobe and the talking animals that intrigued me. It was how a simple story in a made-up world could bring me to tears as it reflected the truth of the gospel. I found I would ponder the beauty and goodness of God long after the story was over, and that was a “magic” I had never experienced before.
LD: What inspired your first fantasy series?
AR: The Song of the Solas was born from the crushing knowledge that things are often praised in this world that Christians should know are unequivocally evil. Sometimes the battle is more nuanced in the real world, and I started to ponder a scenario where we as readers would easily see that something was desperately wrong, even if the characters could not. I wanted to write characters struggling, growing, failing, and persevering in such circumstances. It is my hope that by identifying the obvious untruths in a fantasy world, we can become more adept at discerning the quieter, more damaging ones in ours.
LD: Are there other authors of fantasy novels from a Christian perspective whose work you admire, and what aspects of their work are you particularly inspired by?
AR: Do I even need to mention C.S. Lewis? His handling of the concept of substitutionary atonement was my original spark of inspiration. Yet he does it so simply that a child can understand, so poignantly that it will never fade from the most aged mind.
Other fantasy authors I admire for their worldview and unique prose are Christine Cohen, Jonathan Rogers, Andrew Peterson, and Emily Barnett—although the world has only gotten to sample one of Emily’s stunning works as of yet. As a close friend, I can honestly say that her ability to stir up longings for heaven—for a world made right—while also highlighting the beauty and whimsy in the world we have is unmatched.
LD: How do you illustrate Christian themes without coming across as cheesy or overwrought?
AR: I love to ponder all of life according to the Bible, identifying the surprising gospel motifs playing out everywhere—especially evident in general market shows, movies, and books. I think a lot of life naturally reflects the truth we find in the Bible, although many would refuse to admit it. But I try to lean into those themes that are so often repeated in secular media: self-sacrifice, humanity’s depravity, a moral compass, and the search for purpose. These are universally relatable concepts, but when not approached from a biblical worldview, most depictions of these things leave people floundering with no anchor. Human hearts are starving for a want of lasting, effective hope, and this is where I love to direct them to the truth.
I try not to go into writing sessions with an agenda in mind but rather feel out how my characters will either thwart my ideas or act in response to them. If a certain Biblical theme arises and it feels like a natural concept for my character to ponder, then good! But I don’t force it if it doesn’t fit the mood of the moment. A lot of the struggles my characters have are things I’ve battled, and the wisdom they encounter is often advice I’ve been given from older, wiser Christians. In a sense, writing is my Ebenezer stone of remembrance. Stories that stem from truth can never be “cheesy,” can they?
LD: What’s an area you’re trying to grow in as a writer? What steps are you taking to grow?
AR: I really want to work at being concise. I can take a lot of words to get to a single point (can you tell this by now?) and admire authors who are able to employ brevity without sacrificing meaning. As for steps I’m taking to grow? I tried to include some answers to this in one of the later questions.
LD: Tell us about the craft of flash fiction and short stories. What draws you to this genre? How do you tell a beautiful, well-rounded story with three-dimensional characters in such a short word count?
AR: I adore flash fiction and short stories. They force you to be intentional with your words and merely give the impression of a well-formed backstory without having to spell it out. I think people tend to be intimidated by the genre because they think they need to fit a whole sweeping plot into a few words. But short stories are a lot more subtle than that. All you need for them to be a compelling story is change. A character starts one way, then ends another. It can be as seemingly insignificant as a shift in perspective, a lesson learned, or a goal attained—or failed!
There’s no room to pad the story with unnecessary detail. It forces you to state the problem (or goal) of the character early on, then be intentional with every detail. Flash fiction can be especially poignant. I think it will always leave you wanting more, but will also feel satisfying, even if it’s only in a small way. As long as we see a character have a shift, however subtle, they are going to feel exceptionally human and believable. We don’t have to know every detail about them to care, or even identify with them. If the reader has felt one of those two things, I’d say it’s a successful story. Making myself write short and flash stories regularly helps me to hone in that aforementioned longing for brevity.
LD: Any tips or advice for young writers who love to read and write fantasy and are striving to grow in the craft?
AR: Just. Keep. Writing!
Write silly scenes. Write sad scenes. Write scenes that seem to have nothing to do with anything at all. Write memories you know but with a fantastical twist. All of these will grow you as a writer and help you decide what you truly enjoy writing and what's important to you in a story. Remember: even an epic tale is made up of small moments.
Play with words—their order in sentences, the way they sound when spoken aloud . . . or even experiment with making them up. These are all things that will give you an undeniable voice that will delight your readers. And when you’re stumped, try writing an old scene from a different point of view. Don’t be afraid to hack apart what you’ve already written. Most of the fun with writing is getting a bit messy in the process. Shannon Hale said, “I’m simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.” You need to learn how the words work and stick and move together before you can build that sandcastle. So, go ahead. Play. Get dirty and have some fun.
And, most importantly, find people who are willing to read your story with eyes blurred to all the typos, who can react to the content of what you’re writing so you can see if your words are having the desired effect. These readers (I like to call them “cheer readers”) can breathe new life into what can easily start to feel like a tired, old mule.
Your writing doesn’t have to compare to anyone else’s. It’s good to read a lot and be inspired by prolific authors, but don’t ever let that get in the way of what you want to write. There is room in the world for your words!
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Andrea had even more wisdom to share specifically with our Writer’s Guild members on the topics of self-publishing and writing an entire fantasy series. Later in the summer, we’ll share the rest of the conversation inside the guild! Love to have you join us there.