In recent posts I’ve written about my faith as a Christian (here and here). I’ve also written about my passion for writing. Outside of family, those are my greatest passions, loves, and reasons for being. It occurred to me recently that some of you might be wondering why I haven’t blended the two. In other words, why am I not a Christian writer? Well, it’s a complicated answer, and I can’t say it won’t change somewhere down the road. Here it goes.
Let’s start off with a reiteration of my faith and why it’s important to me. I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. That he came down from heaven, lived a perfect life, and died for the forgiveness of my sins. I, a sinner, condemned, unclean, am made clean by that sacrifice, which was accepted by baptism. That’s the Good News. That’s what I believe. I have refrained from sharing my story on this blog in the past. Now, I fear I was wrong. After all, am I not called to proclaim the Good News? That’s what this is. That’s what this is about.
Now, Let’s talk about why I write. I’m sure that I’ve written about this before, but it’s good to reiterate the point here. I write because I must. That’s the short answer. The long answer is that it’s a compulsion, an itch inside my brain that must be scratched. I write for the way it makes me feel afterward. I write because I’m a better person when I have a creative outlet in a world where I can control so little. I write for all the reasons that were in the previous blog post. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.
So, what is a Christian writer?
A Christian writer is a writer that chooses to write for a Christian audience. That’s usually through the confines of the Christian genre of fiction. For the purposes of this blog, we’ll only be discussing fiction, although I’ll get to nonfiction at the end.
Why don’t I write Christian fiction?
It’s a personal choice, honestly. Horror was my first love. That wouldn’t change, even if I decided to write Christian fiction. Christian horror does exist and could be an option down the road. For now, however, it simply isn’t for me. I am a big proponent of reading what you write and vice versa. I read horror, not Christian horror. The Christian writing I intake is of the nonfiction variety, mostly having to do with spiritual growth.
I write mainstream horror, but with a code of ethics that derive from my faith as a Christian. In the two blog posts linked above, I documented my struggles with maintaining that code of ethics. I try not to use profanity in my writing, though have at times in the past. In The House That Wasn’t There, my upcoming novel, I stayed true to those ethics. There is an intentional use of profanity later in the book, symbolizing the struggles that remain in my life. It’s a good book. I hope you read it when it comes out, hopefully later this year.
The choice to continue writing mainstream horror instead of changing to Christian horror, despite the calling I’ve felt recently to speak out on faith, was an intentional one. My fiction is the most likely way I can make a widespread impact on nonbelievers. “But Stephen, you don’t write Christian horror. How will you have an impact on them?” Most readers will read my novel and move on with their lives, and that’s fine. A few of them, however, might decide to visit the website in my author profile (this website). Here they will find a writer that talks about the struggles he has had in his writing career. Hopefully, that will help them with their own struggles. They will also find posts like this one, where a writer proclaims his faith, unafraid of what the world will think of him. You see, what good is proclaiming the Good News if it’s only done to those that already know? It’s those that haven’t heard, the doubters and the naysayers, that I’m trying to reach.
I hope this post clears up any confusion about the purpose of this blog going forward. There will still be writing related content, however, there will also be more posts like this. If you like this post and think I should do more like it, leave a comment below.
One last thing. Reel Ghosts is struggling with getting reviews. I am willing to send a copy of that book to two readers willing to CONSIDER leaving a review on Amazon. Simply considering leaving a review is enough. Send me an email if you’re interested (sroth2006@yahoo.com). I’ll post in the comments when this offer has closed.
I know this is my first post in a while. I’ve been working on getting some freelance writing samples done while working on a new novel. Writing about faith is something I’m considering with freelance writing. The other topics are parenting/family and digital marketing. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
If you enjoyed this post, please follow, like, and share. Remember to follow your dreams, even if they terrify you. “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
Stephen Roth
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Stephen Michael Roth 