Why I Write Christian Fiction - Update

by Elva Cobb Martin

I wrote the below blog some time ago but feel it's message still needs to be shared. Christian publishers, bookstores, and authors are under more pressure than ever to do whatever it takes to stay in business or to reach more people and sales. Some think watering down or eliminating the Christian emphasis of their books will do the job. What if we just eliminate all Christian "buzz words" that might make someone of another faith uncomfortable? We can still give them an exciting read and a good moral lesson that will fit the beliefs of a lot more than just Christians. So goes the line of thought. Some of you may be struggling with this issue.

So here again, is why I write Christian fiction:

Why I Write Christian Fiction  - posted January, 2016
by Elva Cobb Martin

The beginning of a new year is a good time to remind myself that I am above all a Christian writer, endeavoring to write Christian fiction.
Two opposite worldviews drive fiction today.


Jesus in John 10:10 gives a succinct description of the two "drivers" behind fiction (and life itself).

            "The thief comes not but to steal, kill and destroy. 
          I am come that they may have life and have it more abundantly."

Our son Tim and grandson Samuel, both readers.

I am not writing fiction just to get books published, sold, and give readers an exciting read, although those are goals. A deep desire burns in my heart to see readers, and generations yet to come, find some truth that enlightens, some kernel of God's abundant life that helps them on their way.

This is not the main goal of secular fiction. Christian fiction and secular fiction are divided by two vastly different worldviews. Many believe America has lost her moral compass, so it is more vital than ever that I do everything I can to turn this tide around in my writing (as well as in my lifestyle).

Someone has said worldview can be determined by the answers to three questions:

• How did we get here and who are we?
• What went wrong?
• What can fix it?                                                                                                

The Christian world view short answers would be:

1. God created the world and made mankind in His image to have dominion.
2. Adam and Eve sinned and brought condemnation and Satanic rule upon      mankind.   
3. Sin must be punished but God loved mankind so much He sent Jesus Christ as our substitute to defeat Satan and take our punishment so we could be forgiven and restored to God's original plan.                         

A naturalist worldview would have quite different answers to these questions and secular novels, movies and TV reflect this. This kind of story can steal one's peace and faith in God, tempt into sin, and leave one with a cynical outlook on life and the future. And it's all part of the enemy's deception to keep people in bondage. Truly, two different spirits are inspiring writers today!

In my writing I want to expose the lies and tricks of the devil and show that good does conquer evil, that God's great drama will prevail and believers can confidently look forward to a happy ever after. I want to increase hope, faith and peace in my readers. Otherwise, I'm just not interested in all the hard work it takes to write novels. 

Prayer over my writing is a vital component. I am convinced Father God is interested in getting Christian writing, including fiction, out where it can do some good. So I study, write and rewrite and rewrite some more. ( :

I believe there will always be a great market for Christian fiction because the world is looking for hope.

I think that's a big part of Downton Abbey's success. It is now touted as the best selling series in British TV history. (Sorry, Agatha, Jane Austen and Sherlock.)

Writer Julian Fellowes was asked what he thought has made the series so popular. Here's his answer: "Most of the characters are just decent people trying to do their best with the cards they've been dealt. They are just trying to live a decent life."

Christian writers have much more hope to give for those cards life may deal our characters.

Why do you write fiction? Do you believe God loves good stories that illuminate life more abundantly? Do you think America needs us to keep at it?

Thanks for stopping by and do join the conversation. 

                                               ***

So, the above is still my stand. How do you feel about Christian fiction? If you are a writer, are you tempted to compromise a Christian emphasis "to reach more people" or sales? Do you agree with me there will always be a market for good Christian fiction?

Would love to hear your comments.

http://ctt.ec/5Jr_w Click to Tweet Why I write Christian Fiction Update

Elva Cobb Martin is president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers (2014-2017). She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have carried her articles. She has two inspirational novels contracted with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. Summer of Deception, a romantic suspense, available on Amazon. An historical romance,  In a Pirate’s Debt, is slated for release May 30, 2017. Elva is represented by Jim Hart of Hartline Literary. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives with her husband Dwayne and a mini-dachshund Lucy, in Anderson, South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site www.elvamartin.com, her blog http://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com on Twitter www.twitter.com/Elvacobbmartin, on Facebook and Pinterest.

                                                                                                  

Questions Interviewers Ask Me (and might ask YOU)

by Elva Cobb Martin

Today I would like to share some questions I am being asked in author interviews for the March 24th release of my debut novel, Summer of Deception. This might help you know me better, and also help prepare you for requested interviews. ( :

How long have you been writing?

 I have been writing stories and poems since seventh grade. I recall writing a story about a race horse winning a race, even with a broken leg. Only in fiction, my sweet teacher informed me! My writing grew naturally out of my great love of reading. As a child I was a voracious reader first of childhood fairy tales, then other fiction, like Black Beauty, Flicka, and Nancy Drew Mysteries. Later, I loved Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emily Dickinson, and Poe. I’ve actually written dozens of poems myself, some of which were published in college anthologies. My most beloved book today, however, better than any fiction or poetry, is the Bible. I love studying it, teaching it, and confessing its great promises.

What was your most embarrassing moment as a writer?

Some years ago Charisma Magazine sent me to Virginia Beach to interview the Revs. John and Anne Gimenez for the magazine’s Most Outstanding Churches in America series. I invited a sweet elderly church lady to drive up with me. She turned out to be a nervous talker, and I overshot an exit to Virginia Beach, and ended up 60 miles out of the way. When we finally arrived at the church member’s house late, where we were to spend the night, I had a black headache and nausea. I barely said hello to the family and went straight to their bathroom and threw up. Wonder what they thought of the wonder woman Charisma sent to interview their pastors?

What spurred you to write this novel?

 I fell in love with an historic, romantic, southern plantation I toured in Charleston, South Carolina--Boone Hall. I also discovered some old newspaper clippings about a famous coastal drug investigation in the 1980’s organized by a U.S. Attorney, Henry McMaster. Those clippings led to the suspense plot in Summer of Deception. Henry McMaster, by the way, is the new Governor of South Carolina. Do I plan to send him copy of the book? In good southern vernacular: Yessirree.

What has been your most difficult challenge as an author?

Learning to write constantly in deep POV and showing, not telling. The two are definitely connected. 

How do you process the rejections and/or negative reviews?

Summer of Deception was rejected 26 times by editors and agents before I received a contract offer.  I learned from each rejection, kept polishing my craft, and refused TO GIVE UP!  Pastor Steven Furtick says it best: “Rejection is just a sign of a new direction.” I call myself a rewriter.

What do you feel is the best success so far in your writing career?

Receiving a contract on my first inspirational novel, Summer of Deception, and justifying to my wonderful husband all this time I spend at the computer and paying for writers’ conferences. ( :

What would be your top three pieces of advice to newer, up and coming authors?

1) Determine you will never give up or quit writing, revising, polishing, submitting, and praying over your writing.

2) Network with other writers, groups, and attend writing conferences. Writer friends and critiques are so important.

3) Learn how to choose and submit well to editors and agents by studying their sites and submission guidelines.

As a Christian author, what would you like your legacy to be?

I am not writing inspirational novels just to give someone  an exciting, satisfactory read, although that is certainly a goal. Never would I go through all this toil and effort for great sales either, although that is definitely a goal. My greatest desire is to impart some nugget of God’s truth that might help someone come to know Christ as Lord and Savior, or find a closer walk with Him, or a deeper faith in God’s blessing and power available to us, and do it through story, rather than preaching.

What is your current work in progress?

I am currently working on Book 2 in an historical series set in the 1700’s. Book 1, In a Pirate’s Debt, will be released by Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas (LPC) in May, 2017. (The photo is one of my sample covers I sent to the publisher.)

I also have a cozy mystery simmering on the back burner. (Hope it doesn’t boil dry before I get to it.)

So glad you dropped by. Have you another question for me?  Do leave a comment and it will be so appreciated if you click on the social media buttons below to share this blog. 

Blessings on your day,

Elva

 Elva Cobb Martin is president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers (2014-2017). She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have carried her articles. She has published a Bible study, Power Over Satan, available on Amazon.com. Summer of Deception, a release by Pelican Book Group, is her debut novel. She has also completed an historical romance, In a Pirate’s Debt, slated for release by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas in May, 2017. Elva is represented by Jim Hart of Hartline Literary. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives with her husband Dwayne and a mini-dachshund writing helper, Lucy, in upstate South Carolina. She also leads an internet prayer task force praying for a Great Awakening. She would love for  you to connect with her and/or sign up for her newsletter. Email: elvacmartin@gmail.com; web site www.elvamartin.com, her blog http://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com;  Twitter http://twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin;   Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin, and Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin/

New Cover, Tag, & Galley Proofs

by Elva Cobb Martin

Drum Roll! Here’s the new cover of my inspirational romantic suspense novel, Summer of Deception, being released by Pelican Book Group in March. 

Tag: A wounded warrior, a woman searching for answers. Can she  risk all to uncover the truth?

Nicola Martinez, Editor-in-Chief of Pelican, designed this cover, and I think she did an excellent job. In my next blog I'll describe the information requested from me to help her build this cover and what you can do to get ready for your cover!

Next to seeing the cover design, I really do love to see the galley proofs of the novel. The interior is designed like it will be in the final printed book and it finally looks like a book.

The important thing to remember is that the galley is the last chance to make any small changes, like catch a misspelled word. BIG editing changes would have already been made in other edit rounds. Also the galley comes to you in a pdf file. Any changes you need to make have to be listed on a separate sheet of paper and sent to your editor in a list like:
Page ____  Line _____Edit _______

I am so happy this publisher numbered the lines in the galley so I can easily list the line number if I find an error. Another editor asked me to count paragraphs with no line numbers! 

Here's a sample of the galley proof and first lines of Summer of Deception. Of course when you try to copy from a pdf, you do lose a lot of the format. But this gives you an idea.

Chapter One

5

6 Charleston, South Carolina

7

8 Rachel York gasped when the taxi headlights

9 pierced the stormy night and illuminated Barrett Hall

10 in all its southern grandeur. Her travel fatigue faded,

11 and she leaned forward, energized, as the cab

12 crunched its way up the tree-lined shell drive to the

13 entrance. At the gate, she exited the auto with her

14 umbrella extended, and the taxi driver placed her large

15 bag and tote at her side. Rachel thanked him, paid him,

16 and hurried up the front walk, pulling her valise

17 behind her. The vehicle disappeared down the drive,

18 and darkness closed in as she made her way up the

19 front steps.

20 On the wide porch, she propped her umbrella

21 beside her suitcase, took a deep breath, and tried to

22 ignore a shiver of disquiet that traveled up her spine.

23 She would discover the truth. This summer job in

24 Charleston was her first step.

I try to ask at least two dear writer friends to help proof the galley with me, mainly to catch misspelled words that can manage to creep in.

I also like to set aside blocks of time to proof the galley at a few sittings so I can keep a good grasp of the story and details.

How do you like the cover?  Have you gotten to the galley stage? Would love to hear your comments. And please do click on the social media buttons below and share this article if you liked it.

Elva Cobb Martin

A New Blog Series: America's Prayer History - Part 1

by Elva Cobb Martin 

America’s Prayer History - Our  Most Precious National Treasure

As we head into the inauguration of a new U.S. President in January, I am going to share some amazing answered prayers that are part of our spiritual national treasure. 

These prayers were by American leaders and by prayer warriors just like you and me, and they impacted our nation’s destiny. Unfortunately, we don’t find these in most of our school textbooks, so we must share them with our children and grandchildren. 

At the end of this series, I hope you’ll decide to join the long line of praying Christians before us, take up the torch, and continue the prayer march down the halls of America’s history. YOUR prayers can impact our nation in the coming years and birth the next Great Awakening.

In this series I hope to share sample stories of how simple but fervent prayer led to the discovery of the Americas, helped the colonies become established and preserved and strengthened our ragtag Continental army to break the back of the formidable British war machine, inspired the documents that have guided our country through two centuries, inspired four Great Awakenings, and forged a broken nation back together after the Civil War. 

Truly, through all our national conflicts, from the Revolutionary War to the current Middle East Wars, America has been preserved through the incredible power of praying Americans.

For this series I give upfront thanks to researchers David Balsiger, Joette Whims, and Melody Hunskor and their work, The Incredible Power of Prayer, published by Tyndale House in 1998. The Incredible Power of Prayer traces the power of prayer in our nation's history through nearly 100 miraculous instances where prayer changed the course of our destiny. 

Here's a bit about Christopher Columbus:

Columbus Sailed to the Americas in 1492, praying the earth was round, not flat!

 Educators teach that Christopher Columbus’s main purpose for sailing west to the Americas was secular. But his personal diary reflects a different  motivation: “It was the Lord who put into my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) that it would be possible to sail from here (Europe) to the Indies...The fact that the gospel must still be preached to so many lands in such a short time, this is what convinces me.”

A priest friend shared a verse of scripture with Columbus  that convinced him the earth must be round. “To whom then will you liken God...It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth...” (Isaiah 41:18,22).

Hope you are having a blessed Christmas Season!

Elva Cobb Martin, President ACFW-SC Chapter
www.elvamartin.com

Juggling Plot Plans for a Novel - Part 1

by Elva Cobb Martin 

I am now plotting my third book. Have you honed your method of plotting a new book or are you still juggling thoughts and methods to organize them? 

Here is a list of some plotting plans I've explored. I used parts of more than one to plot my books and these work for those who write by the seat of the pants or those who love outlining.

1) Authors Boot Camp Manuel from Seekerville blog

2) Snowflake method by Randy Ingermanson

3) Carolyn Greene, The Plot Doctor, "Prescription for Plotting"
4) MaryLu Tyndall’s method

1) The detailed Authors Boot Camp Manual can be found at

     http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-authors-boot-camp-manual-for-         2016.html

    There are tons of links compiled for every aspect of plotting and writing a book!

     And its all free—the best articles from some of the best authors. 

2) The Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson. Find 10 detailed steps at:

       http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/

          
Randy, a former software architect, lists 10 Steps that he compares to a snowflake in building a novel. He has a software program on it and a detailed book you can purchase here Grab your copy here on Amazon. (Kindle or paper)

   Here are the first 4 steps briefly which he covers in detail on his site and in his book.

      Step 1 - Take an hour and write a one sentence summary of your novel idea. This will be your fast pitch to editors and agents.

       Ex. “A rogue physicist travels back in time to kill the Apostle Paul.”

      Step 2 - Take another hour and expand that sentence into a full paragraph describing the  story setup, 3 major disasters, and the ending.

      Step 3 – Characters: Write a one-page summary for each character telling their name, their storyline, their motivation, goal, conflict, and epiphany (Details on site and in book)

       Step 4 – Expand each sentence in your paragraph summary into a full paragraph each. The final paragraph should tell how the book ends.

3) Carolyn Green, the Plot Doctor "Prescription for Plotting"  This is a great workbook full of plotting information and forms to fill in. This has been a great help to me. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be able to find a web site for this
workbook, but you can google her name and find some information about her.


4)  MaryLu Tyndall’s basic method: (Start with research)

         
  1) Do detailed main        character sketches, add photos and index cards with basics

           2) Write synopsis of basic story line

           3) Write the first draft down fast in creative mode. No                   editing or research details. Get the main plot points                     down. 

           4) Rewrite/expand adding the polish: research details,                    sharpen deep point of view, 5 senses,more conflict,                  end each chapter with cliff hanger. 

           5) Edit for final draft

           6) She keeps three docs to pull up in computer:

                   a)Chapter by Chapter summary which she puts                           together with the first draft

                   b) A To-Remember Doc which list things she                                needs to keep track of like how long was                                  someone married, or deceased. What battles                            they fought in. What year did their brother,                              mother, or dad die, etc.

                      c) Add-in Doc – lists all the extra ideas that she                            comes up with while doing other stuff that                                 she wants to add in later.
           MaryLu's writing advice has been a real help to me.

                Find her great Writing Tips at her site                           http://www.crossandcutlass.blogspot.com

Don't miss Part 2 when I'll share how I am plotting my work in progress, using a mixture of the above methods.

How do you plot your books? Hope this information has helped you choose a method if you don't have one. Do leave a comment and share this blog.

Blessings on your plotting!
Elva Cobb Martin

Why I Write Christian Fiction

by Elva Cobb Martin

The beginning of a new year is a good time to remind myself that I am above all a Christian writer, endeavoring to write Christian fiction. Two opposite worldviews drive fiction today.


Jesus in John 10:10 gives a succinct description of the two "drivers" behind fiction (and life itself).

            "The thief comes not but to steal, kill and destroy. 
          I am come that they may have life and have it more abundantly."

Our son Tim and grandson Samuel, both readers.

I am not writing fiction just to get books published, sold, and give readers an exciting read. A deep desire burns in my heart to also see readers and generations to come, be able find some truth that enlightens, some kernel of God's abundant life that helps them on their way.

This is not the main goal of secular fiction. Christian fiction and secular fiction are divided by two vastly different worldviews. Many believe America has lost her moral compass, so it is more vital than ever that I do everything I can to turn this tide around in my writing (as well as in my lifestyle).

Someone has said worldview can be determined by the answers to three questions:

• How did we get here and who are we?
• What went wrong?
• What can fix it?                                                                                                

The Christian world view short answers would be:  

1. God created the world and made mankind in His image to have dominion.
2. Adam and Eve sinned and brought condemnation and Satanic rule upon      mankind.   
3. Sin must be punished but God loved mankind so much He sent Jesus Christ as our substitute to defeat Satan and take our punishment so we could be forgiven and restored to God's original plan.                         

A naturalist worldview would have quite different answers to these questions and secular novels, movies and TV reflect this. This kind of story can steal one's peace and faith in God, tempt into sin, and leave one with a cynical outlook on life and the future. And it's all part of the enemy's deception to keep people in bondage. Truly, two different spirits are inspiring writers today!

In my writing I want to expose the lies and tricks of the devil and show that good does conquer evil, that God's great drama will prevail and believers can confidently look forward to a happy ever after. I want to increase hope, faith and peace in my readers. Otherwise, I'm just not interested in all the hard work it takes to write novels. 

Prayer over my writing is a vital component. I am convinced Father God is interested in getting Christian writing, including fiction, out where it can do some good. So I study, write and rewrite and rewrite some more. ( :

I believe there will always be a great market for Christian fiction because the world is looking for hope.

I think that's a big part of Downton Abbey's success. It is now touted as the best selling series in British TV history. (Sorry, Agatha, Jane Austen and Sherlock.)

Writer Julian Fellowes was asked what he thought has made the series so popular. Here's his answer: "Most of the characters are just decent people trying to do their best with the cards they've been dealt. They are just trying to live a decent life."

Christian writers have much more hope to give for those cards life may deal our characters.

Why do you write fiction? Do you believe God loves good stories that illuminate life more abundantly? Do you think America needs us to keep at it?

Thanks for stopping by and do join the conversation.

Elva Cobb Martin