LEVEL ONE: Safe to be read by any age.
Author Bethany Klassen
*This post may contain Affiliate Links*
Fiction - entertainment or influence?
Have you ever picked up what you thought was a Christian book, only to be disappointed when you found out it wasn’t completely clean? Me too. It seems that we, as Christians, have to be so careful these days about what we read. People are easily influenced by the different things they come into contact with, and fiction is no exception.
Because novels are for entertainment, we often drop our guard where they are concerned. We’re not on the lookout for wrong teachings and influences like we would be with other books because they are not true stories. Because of this tendency, we should take warning. Some authors are very good at sneaking subtle teachings and ideas into their writing, which can have a great impact on us - whether good or bad.
This is exactly why I write clean fiction. Let me backtrack a little to help you understand…
The need that inspired action
I grew up in a family of “bookworms.” Every one of my siblings loved reading (those who were old enough to read, that is). We would read any good book we could get our hands on - whether it was mystery, historical fiction, or adventure. Still, whatever the genre, there was always one common criteria for each book we read: it had to be clean and could not be contrary to important beliefs we held to.
I love writing even more than I love reading. Long before I published a single book, writing was a favorite hobby of mine. I would create stories for the pure joy of it, finding inspiration from life and the people around me. As I became older, the idea of publishing my books became a dream. I slowly became more aware of the need for Christian fiction and wondered if that was a need I was meant to help fill.
By this time, I had been writing for years and had completed half a dozen full-length novels. It made sense to take the next step and publish…right? Well, I hesitated for a while - quite a long while, in fact. I was torn. I knew if I put my books out there, I’d open myself up for criticism. Some people may not like my writing or wouldn’t agree with what I was doing. Then, again, others would be excited to find another Christian author. They would enjoy the same style I did and fall in love with my characters just like I had. These potential readers kept coming to mind when I weighed my options.
A step forward
My decision to finally take the plunge and publish my first book was not made in a rush of emotion or sudden inspiration. Instead, it was a simple, prayerful decision. I saw the opportunity. I prayed about it. I sought counsel from my parents. Then, I chose to move forward. I dedicated many hours, days, weeks, and months to producing a quality novel. In the process, I learned much about writing and being an author (I still don’t feel like one sometimes).
The path I traveled took a lot of unexpected twists and turns. However, my goal of providing other young Christians with good reading material continues to motivate me in my work. You folks are the people I write for!
If you are a Christian reader looking for good books like I was, please make the decision to protect yourself against fiction that may end up damaging your spiritual life. It’s not worth it to allow the wrong books to affect you negatively.
Purchase Bethany's book here!!
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