This Wednesday as we continue on our Writer’s Journey, I’d like to recommend the book The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction by Jeff Gerke.Christy Award-winning editor Jeff Gerke entered the Christian fiction publishing industry as a novelist. Under the pen name Jefferson Scott, Jeff has had six of his Christian novels published. He's served on the editorial staff of Multnomah, Strang Communications, and NavPress. Novels that Jeff has edited or acquired have won multiple Book of the Year awards. He's also the founder and publisher of Marcher Lord Press.
The Art and Craft of Writing Christian Fiction is divided into three parts.
Part I is devoted to the “Spiritual Heart of Writing Christian Fiction.” This section of the book asks the reader to examine such things as: Who do you write for? Why do you desire to be published? What is your calling as a writer?
Part II covers “Strategizing Yourself, Strategizing Your Novel.” As writers we need to find our story and create interesting, likeable characters. The tips shared can help us do just that.
Part III, “Writing Your Novel,” explains the tools needed to write great fiction. Topics include show vs. tell, dialogue, point of view, and description.
There are tons of books available on writing techniques, characterization, plotting, etc. Some are excellent, while others can tend to feel bogged down, or even overwhelming.
Jeff allows his personality to come through, which makes the book not only helpful to fiction writers desiring to grow in the craft—but FUN to read. I felt like I was sitting down with a cup of coffee and having a conversation with him.
I’ve read many books on writing, and this has become one of my favorites.
Although Jeff has retired the tips column on his Web site with the publication of this book, you can still access his 100 tips for writers, by visiting this Web page.
To learn more about Jeff and Marcher Lord Press, please visit Where the Map Ends.
Happy Reading!
Dawn
