Author Appleton

Writing. Fantasy. Sci-fi. Mystery

Christianity

Destructive effects of feminism on fiction

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In the worldview of those who agree that God created a natural order of things, we understand that Adam was created first and then Eve. In the world today this is constantly challenged on many levels. From the patriarch Abraham and continuing through the New Testament it was made clear that God’s intention was that a healthy understanding of the place of the man and the place of the woman was key to the success spiritually and relationally. Looking at the move toward stories that are dominated by domineering fictional women, we see a trend and a movement away from the natural order.

This may offend some, and you should feel free to disagree. It is fun to hash out our differences of opinion. But I am a big proponent of understanding things as they were originally intended, not as we culturally want them to be. And our culture is pushing things farther and farther away from how God designed it to work.

Feminism, by definition, is: the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes.

I have often heard it argued by other Christians that men and women really are equal. But in order to believe that you have to discredit the tradition as taught by the apostles, that the man is the head of the wife and she is to be obedient to him. You must ignore Levitical law that placed men in preeminence in society and in their households. You must ignore the natural physical dominance of men. And you must discredit the fact that families where the man leads, the wife follows, and the children are in subjection, where the man is trying to lead in the Lord’s will, is the most effective kind of household there is. They are more effective at work, at play, and spiritually more satisfied because they feel secure in the order of authority God placed on the household.

When women seek equality with men (as is being proliferated throughout much of the world today) they remove themselves from their strength zone. Women are naturally more nurturing than men. The most nurturing of men is not nearly so nurturing as the most nurturing of the women. According to scripture they are the weaker vessel. Unfortunately present society instructs us that this is a horrible way to think.

They are spreading lies, and the result is confusion. Spiritual and moral confusion, as well as relational confusion.

How sad that that which is most precious and beautiful is being cast into the mud!

What is beautiful is a woman who is meek, who is a help suitable to her husband. Who is a daughter working diligently and learning under her father’s authority. Who is not independent but is dependent on her male authorities and on God.

It is well said that a man’s sinful tendencies revolve around giving up the authority God wishes him to exercise in his home. It is equally well pointed out that a woman’s sinful inclination is to manipulate that control from the man. To each gender God has given great and unique purpose. And each must beware their weakness.

Fiction writers today, especially those of us who profess Christ, must beware that our writing does not encourage feminism. Through the tale of  a strong heroine do not neglect to demonstrate virtue to the reader. When the heroine is in a position to surmount the man’s authority, let her do so only if his actions are in opposition to God’s. Demonstrate her humility as she puts herself under authority and excels in virtue so that young women will aspire to be more like that heroine. Show a woman that is kind and nurturing, wise and discreet. Make her unlike the modern woman. Show that she thrives on hard work, and show that she loves children.

I truly believe that the corruption of womanhood that we are witnessing in society will be laid bare, exposed for the farce that it is. Rather than freeing women, feminism alienates them from good responsible men and from their God-given strengths.

History shows that societies rise and fall, they change and move on. What never changes is the will of God. He created gender for a reason.

Q: What thoughts do you have on how feminism or the view of the relationships of men and women relate to writing?

Reflecting on the future you

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While cleaning and organizing a bunch of stuff recently, I glanced at a couple of manuscripts that I started writing almost ten years ago. What caught my attention was how well the prose flowed. One manuscript in particular brought me back, it is titled The Death Knight Chronicles and I wrote it as a dark follow-up to the primary The Sword of the Dragon series. After years of published writing under my belt I realized how many highs and lows my career has experienced. I’m sure every writer feels the same way.

Do you ever find yourself reflecting on your past accomplishments, much like you do on your past failings? I do. It is unavoidable when the vision for my writing future is to return to that lifestyle of frequent writing, signings, and some speaking engagements.

Sometimes it is only in looking back at our own life that we can grasp a firm hold on our future.

Stories flowing unhindered by multiplied obligations and responsibilities. Time dedicated to pursuing the passion that the soul is eager to set on fire.

But it is in looking back that suddenly my vision for the future is encouraged. Why? Because suddenly I can see an older, more matured and experienced version of that younger, passionate me. I see myself looking around at my growing family, my children pursuing their own passions. Difficult stages of life behind me, lessons learned, greater understanding achieved. It will be a beautiful thing.

And when that future me is turning pen to paper, so to speak, he will have a deeper well of inspiration from which to draw. God will have imparted experience and wisdom that before could not be communicated by written words.

Younger me had failings and successes, and the words poured freely into the stories and articles he pursued. Today’s me is struggling with different things, and growing through greater challenges, being matured as a Christian husband and father.

Nowadays I have a lot to write but not as much time to do it. Wow, future me is going to have a lot to write.

Q: Are you catching the vision for your future self?

Wildfires and Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season for me. A reminder of closeness in dependable friends and dear family. This year the wildfires raging in the mountains of North Carolina and South Carolina have given my family new perspective on gratitude as the clean air we take for granted filled with smoke.

Is it not incredible how delicate the balance of God’s creation is? After a severe drought the land combusted like a match, while the coast was hit with some of the worst flooding in decades. Two extremes. One point to make:

We humans are not as powerful or in-control as we believe ourselves to be.

A structure that took a lifetime to build will collapse in a moment when its foundation suffers from an earthquake. A people can be at the peak of power but a famine will put them at the mercy of their enemies. And anyone who has suffered through a home fire can attest to nature’s humbling might.

During times of prosperity we forget to thank God that we are not suffering. In times of blessing it is easy to rise in pride, forgetting Who brings the rain.

This holiday season is a time of reset. Thanksgiving reminds us of God’s physical provision for us. Christmas remembers the love of the Father. And when the New Year comes I remember God’s hope for my future.

Too many times I have been dragged out of spiritual focus by the world around me. But God reaches out with continual grace, forgiving and drawing me to Himself. Each new year the commitment to be more faithful must be renewed, for it is only in walking humbly in light of our flesh’s weaknesses that we gain victory.

Wildfires. They rage without and within.

Eyes to the future, the new year. What do we want our lives to look like in a year? I hope we can say that we lived out of humility and gratitude. My own sins and shortcomings are the Devil’s sharpest darts.  This year has seen its share. Fortunately God is faithful even when we are not.

What have you placed confidence in for the New Year?

Dealing with immorality when writing fiction

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During contract negotiations some years ago my fantasy novel Swords of the Six went before a Christian publishing house’s committee and a couple of editors raised objection with the violence in the story. I remember the acquisitions editor asked for a good response to their concerns. Back then I felt in my soul what I wanted to say, but it was difficult to put it into words. Fortunately another editor had foreseen this and I was able to satisfy their questions by showing them why I believed violence was a necessary element in that novel.

In my books and my short fiction I deal with tough subjects, darker themes. Being a Christian empowers the clarity of good versus evil, yet it presents its own set of challenges when well-meaning parents or readers object to elements of my stories’ content. Violence and romance are a couple of examples.

As a guideline I like to look at what God left us: the Bible. And what is the Bible full of? Along with good deeds it is full of violence, theft, incest, rape, murder, and all kinds of wickedness. But what the Scripture does not do is glorify the sin or the sinner.

Some have argued that those sins are shown only because they are part of history, but it’s important to note that these things are not glossed over. Rather, they are often told in great detail. As to historical context, a simple summary of an evil act or an act of violence would suffice but instead we are often given the details.

A prime example is Ehud who slew King Eglon (Judges 3:12-30). Some would consider the details of Eglon’s death gross and gratuitous. Who wants to picture stabbing someone who was fat enough that his body fat prevented Ehud from pulling the blade back out?

But because of the details we experience disgust, and those who are inclined toward wicked deeds find themselves horrified at the consequences of God’s retribution.

In past ages children were not sheltered as much as conservative Christian American children are from tales of violence and cruelty. Well-meaning parents often miss the point of showing the good along with the bad. The law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, and without a fear of God no one flees into His arms for salvation.

Christianity has the advantage in fiction because it demonstrates love and fear, wonder and evil and horrors. Without the darkness we cannot see how bright the light is.

When fiction is written to be “safe” it creates unrealistic expectations for relationships and our lives. It paints a picture in our mind of ideal people in ideal or easier circumstances.

It is my conviction that we need less “sanitized” fiction and more honest fiction. We need to stop avoiding evil in story in order that the light can reveal the darkness for what it really is. Too often conservative Christian youths enter the world and find that “Surprise! Sin is pleasurable.” But if they are taught to discern instead of avoid, they will have greater defense against temptation because they know that the pleasures of sin only last for a season.

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for  a whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For  the one who sows to his own flesh  will from the flesh reap corruption, but  the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7,8 ESV)

Instead of interpreting what is good by how we were culturally raised, let’s learn it from how it is demonstrated in Biblical and historical narratives. Instead of worrying how culture will respond to our writing, let’s be excited to share through stories that are true to our earthly existence, even if that means we have to drag readers through darker events and wickedness.

Show the good, but show the bad too. The Biblical cannon demonstrates this repeatedly. Writing is only powerful as long as we are willing to let it take us through the muck as well as the green fields.

Q: Which subjects do you avoid when reading fiction?

Focusing on reaching Christian readers

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Thank you to all who participated in my 2016 Reader Survey! I learned some valuable things that have helped me make some important decisions for moving forward with my website and writing. Finally I have enough data to move forward knowing who is being blessed and responding best to my writing. Before I get into the fun stuff (for the changes I’m instituting for this year) let me share with you some of the survey results:

The vast majority of my readers are devout Christian singles under 26-years-old. They are most interested in getting more novels in The Sword of the Dragon series (including the Neverqueen saga). On my blog they prefer to read about Reinforcing Christian Values through Writing Fiction.

Writing a weekly post for my blog has become all-consuming of my writing time of late, especially with my other commitments. To be candid I am writing far too little fiction and making far too little progress in continuing the novels and stories you all have asked me for. So to free up my creativity I am going to assign my blog posts to the first Monday of each month, no longer putting out a weekly article. Every now and then I plan to throw in an extra writing tip or glimpse into what I am writing. This will allow me to focus on the best content for the website but also to focus on the fiction writing.

I am spread too thin and my energies have been less effective as a result. It is my hope that this will empower my writing to get back on track with the fiction writing, putting my mind back in the story creation process. I have so many good stories to tell and I so badly want to finish writing them. But all in good time!

The second change I am making is a big one for me. My novels have had broad market appeal, reaching people from many different political and religious persuasions. But the people who disagreed with my stances prove time and again that I cannot “straddle the fence” so to speak. Some who despise my Christian values have gone so far as to attack by calling me names or reaching assumptions that were not true. I know in Whom I have believed and I believe He is able to bring all to a knowledge of repentance and that all must repent of sin and turn to God. This message resonates with the readers who are my kindred spirits and I fully intend that my focus will now be on writing chiefly as a Christian author. Christian readers most appreciate where I am coming from, they know me best. They rally behind the right things and call out the things that are wrong.

We are in a spiritual battle, and the way I am gifted to fight the spiritual is to lead hearts and minds through powerful writing that convicts, uplifts, and strengthens the faithful as I grow in my walk with the Lord. It is time to narrow my focus to the Christian readership because there my writing is having the right impact on people’s lives. Please pray for me as I move forward with these changes. Some will not be happy with my decision, but I know that ultimately God will bless it.

Q: How does your faith impact your creative pursuits?

Pondering: futility of godless stories

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Ponder with me the shallowness of stories that omit any divine purpose. Any intervention or God-given purpose. As writers creating fictional realms we have the opportunity to omit God… or do we?

A story I moderately enjoy centers around a Buddhist monk who is on a quest to find the equivalent of the chosen one. The chosen one must have certain qualities and the monk seeks out a man with those qualities. In his quest he relies heavily on a prophecy that gives him signs he can follow so that he will know for certain he has found the one. There is never a mention of divine intervention. The story as a whole is devoid of God and in this missing element it becomes shallow.

It makes no sense for there to be a prophecy unless there was One to inspire the prophecy. And it is contradictory to choose one man based on moral qualities and yet ignore where those moral qualities come from.

Is it not interesting? While purporting high moral standards, secular stories miss the all-important question, which is, that if there is a moral law then Who gave that law. And if there is no Divine giver of moral law then morals are dictated by mankind. And if mankind dictates morals then he is not responsible to a higher power, and without that responsibility mankind is free to follow their own moral codes. One person may say that a thing is wrong while another will say that it is right. Who is to say which is which? They are both men. They are both fallible. More importantly there is no Judge to hold them to a standard of morality.

You cannot have moral law without a Lawgiver, and the same law loses its power if you deny the existence of the One who established and enforced those laws. In truth there would be no solid consequences to immoral actions because no one could say that the law was any better than the lawbreaker’s moral opinion.

Q: Do you ponder the necessity of God in stories?

 

Materialism: the writer’s enemy

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Recently I took my wife and kids to the mall. It is only about twenty-five minutes from our house but I had never been. In fact, it had been a long while since I had been in any mall. Firstly, I am not a big shopper and second, I find malls are filled with clothing above all else (which generally I find clothes shopping boring). We only moved to South Carolina in the past year so there is much of the area yet to explore. But in my trip to the mall I was reminded of the dangers of materialism and specifically how they impede creativity and writing.

After eating dinner we had walked through a portion of the mall. As I said before there were many clothing stores but there were also other shops. The myriad of jewelry stores, a few department stores, various kiosks in the aisle offering anything from bracelets to perfume. Then, on the lower level, there was an apple store. You must understand that I am not an Apple-only customer. My laptops have always been Windows machines due to the flexibility of the programing. However, I bought an iPad2 a few years back and have been thrilled with the quality of the product. Battery still holds almost 10-hours of life. I’ve dropped the thing on a tile floor and still it works seamlessly. But I have never been inside of an Apple store, though many people have told me it is fascinating because they carry the latest gadgets.

I love gadgets. Technology fascinates me and I do not mind spending good money on tech that lasts longer and gives me greater flexibility in my life. My wife stopped at one shop and I walked off with my youngest boys in the stroller to check out the Apple store. When I arrived I stood outside of the doorway and looked in. It looked like fun. But the desire to go in and fiddle with the new tech left me. I found myself thinking about all of the good in life that I have… and I have it without creating new cravings for more stuff.

Do not get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with shopping for good tech. But in that moment I realized that I have all I need. A beautiful wife and four great kids, a house and a bit of land, and a good job. Above all of that is God’s love surrounding and feeding that contentment.

No greater illustration can be given of this struggle than that of Pilgrim’s Progress, in which Christian carries a burden of sin along his journey to the Celestial City. The writer is Christian and the burden is Materialism. Especially in America where we are given so much and given the opportunity for so much more. Materialism consumes many of us. It drowns creativity and exterminates healthy ambitions.

I do not want to be always desirous of the things in this life, I want to be creative in expressing the love, the satisfaction, and benefits I enjoy. Writing is my way of expressing myself and when I write I convey the things that matter most to me and why they matter most to me.

Materialism is the writer’s enemy. Seeking after things only leads to more lust. Seeking instead to find that inner peace and communion with God leads to an abundance of creativity.

Q: How do you view materialism?

Unspoken laws of fantasy fiction

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While fiction is itself an exploration of human imagination (and some might add an exploration of ingenuity as well) it must remain bound by laws if it is to impact the reader’s thinking in a positive way. The writer’s philosophies, persuasions, convictions, all of these things create the laws that bind their fiction. And this is a necessary difficulty for the writer because without laws fiction can confuse minds, even persuade them of non-factual things as factual. The unreal and imagined can be made to seem more important than reality.

If a reader is of a confused mind, or a troubled mental state, they are prone to falling for falsehoods. If a reader is, for example doubtful of God’s existence or is inclined to wish that God were not a supreme authority in the universe, the right fictional story could turn their mind against that authority. Fiction can create an excuse, which is a means of escape from the reality.

Truth and lie can be confused in story in such a way that it reinforces confusion in the reader. It may even persuade them that they are not accountable to the same laws that we know to be right and good.

For example, let’s say we have a fantasy story where the main character, a male protagonist, goes through multiple tragedies. With each tragedy he becomes angrier. First at the perpetrator of the tragedy, then at himself for not stopping the tragedy, and then at God for not stopping the tragedy, and then at God for not giving him the means to stop the tragedy. “If there was a good God then why would this have happened?” he would ask himself. Then later, as the story progresses, he submits that there is no God because cause A should have led to effect B. Therefore God, if he exists, is not good but indifferent or, worse, is himself evil.

Now to most readers this sort of transformation in the protagonist’s mind would seem tragic. We would see him as slipping into self-delusion as a result of his reaction to the tragedies he’d experienced. We would pity that protagonist, perhaps enjoy the journey as he seeks out revenge on his adversaries, but little else.

But to other readers this transformation becomes one of their own minds. They who suffer tragedy and feel just as the protagonist does. Instead of blaming the fallen sinful world in which the events occurred, they blame God. These readers find themselves relating to the protagonist, even learning from him despite the fact that he is a fictional character.

This is the power of fiction. This is the power of storytelling. This is the heavy responsibility of the writer.

To show that the man who falls to this is not a hero, but instead to show the negative consequences his thinking. Or, better still, to show a protagonist who rises above the tragedies and humbly accepts his bitter role in the created world. These are unspoken laws of fantasy fiction, to deliver truth and instruct in good and not in evil. To demonstrate what we should be and to show the consequences of wrong actions and even wrong beliefs. We look to show the good and encourage the faithful.

Q: How do you think writers should deal with unspoken laws of fantasy storytelling?