In 2019, I will self-publish my first novel -- specifically, a fantasy novel. The tentative title is
Dragon Hunter and the cover (designed by an artist I worked with at Fiverr.com) is pictured.
No, this is not an April Fool's joke. I'm posting this news today because it's a Monday - and I have the time to do it. Monday is my day off. So, this isn't fake news. It's real. I'm writing a fantasy book and plan to self-publish it on Amazon Kindle this year. And I'd like your help.
My Lifelong Desire to Write
The first story I remember writing was about my cat Pepper. I was in the 5th grade. It was for a homework assignment and we had to read the story in front of the class. I remember very little about the story itself, except that the kids in my class were howling with laughter (in a good way). I was hooked.
My love for stories had been kindled by movies, TV shows, comic books -- and my Dad who wrote fiction (as well as non-fiction) and my paternal grandfather who was one of the best storytellers I've ever known. I would love to listen to him tell all kinds of stories - about history, his life, and stories he would make up. We soon started making up stories together. We'd go back and forth -- each coming up with characters, plots, and story twists. It was a blast. Many fun childhood memories.
In my elementary and middle school (what used to be called "junior high"), I wrote lots of stories. I wrote stories about war, time travel, dinosaurs, detectives, and more -- and I put my classmates in the stories as characters! Since this was the era before personal computers, all of my stories were written by hand on lined paper. I can still feel the hand cramps.
When high school came, things changed. I drifted away from story-writing. Instead, I focused more on writing school papers, essays, speeches and sermons (our Christian school took part in annual competitions in areas ranging from speaking to preaching to art to music and so forth). My years in high school and later at George Mason University completed my transition away from writing stories to writing articles and speeches. By the time I hit my 20s and 30s, I retained a love for writing -- but the actual writing I did was all in the realm of
non-fiction.
But... a big part of me missed writing fiction. And even though I wasn't writing fiction, I still loved fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and action-adventure movies and TV programs - and would occasionally read a novel here and there as well.
My time as a teacher (2002-2006) and now as a pastor (2006 - present) impressed upon me - in a deep way - how powerful stories are, and that realization has rekindled my love for reading fiction and my desire to write it. There were many "light bulb" moments during my time as a teacher and since as a pastor that emphasized the power of a story well told. Even audience members (teenagers or adults) completely disinterested in a topic can be drawn into a good story.
There's a reason, after all, Jesus used parables as His main tool in teaching. We are, quite literally, wired for stories. One of the books on writing that I'm now reading is, in fact, titled along those lines - Lisa Cron's
Wired For Story.
My Goals as a Writer for 2019
In the last few years, I've worked to carve out some time here and there to make notes on various fiction projects. And now that we're in 2019, I'm close to being ready to put something out into the marketplace.
Let me quickly say.... While this article is focused on my plans for a fantasy book, I will continue to blog, write periodic commentary pieces (like I did for
The Federalist), and work on non-fiction book projects (which I've been nursing for a few years). The three non-fiction book projects I'm working on most are:
- 21 Leadership Principles From The Book of Proverbs (I'm excited about this one! And while it's a non-fiction book.... it's full of stories. I use stories from history to illustrate the various historical lessons taught in the book of Proverbs).
- God and Pain: Discovering the Goodness of God in the Suffering of this World (This was previously published as a short book - a devotional booklet, really - under a different name. I pulled it off Kindle and have been reworking and expanding it).
- Speak With Confidence (Title is Tentative / Subtitle is TBD -- This is also a previously published work. It was short. And it was previously titled How to Vanquish Your Fear of Public Speaking and it earned a few hundred dollars when I first published it about 6 or 7 years ago, but then tapered off. I'm reworking and expanding it.)
Those three book projects are in different categories - different genres. One is on public speaking. Another is on leadership. And the other is Christian theology. When you toss in the fact that I'm writing a fantasy book, I'm breaking a CARDINAL RULE of self-published writing and marketing. That rule is:
Brand Yourself Around One Genre (or, better yet, one Sub-Genre)
I can't dispute the soundness of that 'rule' or advice, but it's a tough one for me. And I doubt I'm alone. Most of us have varied interests. And those who know me know I have varied interests. But...
The rule exists for a reason. People buy books (and music, movies, etc) based largely on brand (name) recognition. They associate certain authors with certain genres. When you think Stephen King, you think horror. When you hear David Jeremiah, you think Bible prophecy. And so forth.
But... since I have no "brand" or name recognition outside of my friends, family, and social media contacts, things are still malleable for me. I'm going to test which genre does the best for me -- and pursue that. And...
Since I'm a pastor (I'm never not a pastor), I like having some Christian work out there (books, articles, videos) under my name. I after all unashamedly identify with Christ.
The bottom line for me, though, is that while I'm breaking the rules of branding by writing books and articles in different genres and on different topics.... life is too short for me to keep over-analyzing which genre on which I should focus. I'm going to write when I find the time, and take this one step at a time.
Last month marked the 27th anniversary of my father's passing. I'm now the same age (49) as Dad was when he passed. As I near the half-century mark, I increasingly realize something my Dad believed - and taught me - which is that life is too short not to pursue your dreams.
Why have I waited this long? Well.... let me answer that by laying out my limitations and obstacles:
- Little to no name recognition or "platform" (and, to my knowledge, very few - if any - 'connections' to compensate for that)
- Limited $$$ to invest in writing, editing, or promotion
- Limited time for writing given the demands of my job (I'm a full-time pastor)
- Fear that some of those I serve as pastor will complain that I'm taking the time to write on the side when the work of ministry is never really done
- Resistance from some to the idea that a Christian (a pastor, no less) should write fantasy
Let me take each one of those concerns in turn - and explain how I'm pushing through them.
OBSTACLE #1: "Little to no Name Recognition or 'Platform'"
If I wait for an opportunity to secure an agent or get published through a third-party company, I will probably be waiting for many more years. I may never get published. But...thankfully.... I don't have to wait.
Changes in the worlds of reading and publishing, including and especially the meteoric rise of self-publishing on the Amazon Kindle, have changed not only the rules of the game - but the game itself.
It's now possible for anyone to write and publish a book. And with so many promotional tools available on the Internet (everything from YouTube to blogging to podcasting to Amazon itself), anyone can "break out" and get their stuff read.
That said... An independent ("indie") author like myself has to be smart. There are certain genres and sub-genres that are too competitive for indie authors to break into -- unless they have thousands of dollars at their disposal for promotion and marketing. Targeting the right sub-genre or sub-niche is crucial.
It's not easy, but as I approach the big 5-0 (coming August 2019 :-) ), I realize that I need to stop making excuses. I need to stop waiting. I need to give it my best, and see what happens. I love this Michael Jordan quote: "I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." It's a great quote - and it's time I start living it when it comes to my writing.
OBSTACLE #2: "Limited $$$ to invest in writing, editing, or promotion"
This is certainly a limitation, but it can be partially overcome by writing to market. And, as alluded to above, this is partly why I'm choosing to write in a sub-genre of the overall fantasy genre as opposed to other genres.
Over the years, I've experimented some with self-published writing, and I've also read a lot of books about writing. My father was a freelance writer, and I learned a lot observing him and the difficulties he had in getting published. If you want your work to be read, you can't focus on your own interests alone. You must study what the MARKET wants.
We live in a capitalist society. The market makes the rules. You must write what the market wants. With that in mind, I've done a tremendous amount of research over the last several years, and I've chosen my fiction genre based on that research.
 |
| CS Lewis wrote both fiction and non-fiction |
Specifically, I'll be targeting the "Christian fantasy" niche and the "LitRPG" (aka "GameLit" or "RPG Lit") niche. I'll have more to say about these specific sub-genres in a future post.
OBSTACLE #3: "Limited time for writing..."
Given the demands of my full-time job (I'm a pastor), I'm only able to grab a little bit of writing time each week. I generally take just one day off a week. That's Monday. (And sometimes, I'm not able to even take that). That means I'm able to write most Mondays -- and the occasionally here and there in the evenings the rest of the week. Since my writing time is limited, I'm NOT writing an epic novel of 100,000 words. Instead, I'm writing what is called a novella. The word length I'm aiming for is between 30,000 and 50,000 words.
If I apply myself consistently, I'm confident I can carve out enough time each week over the next several months to write and self-publish a novella in the range of 30,000-50,000 words.
Time is also a factor in genre selection. I would love to write historical fiction, but that requires a great deal of research. I have several ideas - and have even written a few scenes - for a western. Same with a novel set in the Revolutionary War period and another in the Civil War. I've even considered writing a novel set in Bible times, thinking that - as a pastor - I'd have an edge. But the fact is that getting the setting right -- what characters wear, how they talk, what they eat, what their world looks like (interiors and exteriors), etc. -- takes a LOT of time! Readers of historical fiction expect their authors to get the settings right. And understandably so. I just don't have the time for that kind of research.
It's not easy - but it's easier - to create your own world. Hence, my choice of fantasy.
OBSTACLE #4: "Fear that some of those I serve as pastor will complain..."
We often allow fears to take root in our mind which, when examined, have little to no merit. No one at the church I serve has ever said they expect me to dedicate 60-80 hours per week, every week, to them - and them alone - with no time left for family, health, hobbies, writing, etc.
It's true that pastoral ministry can be demanding. Contrary to popular misconception, conscientious pastors work more than one day a week. Studies show that most full-time pastors work an average of 50 hours per week. I can vouch for this number based on my experience. Some weeks are more. Very few weeks are less. And...
The work of ministry is never done. There are always people in need. There are always calls to return, people to check in on, projects to work on, needs to address, sermons to prepare, and so forth. It never ends. And...
This is why clergy are at the top of the charts when it comes to statistics on depression, anxiety, marital problems, divorce, etc. It's why "pastor's kids" sometimes get a negative reputation. The demands can be overwhelming.
What's helped me with this concern is three things:
1) The Bible never asks pastors to carry the burdens of the congregations they serve. The Bible is clear that congregations are to "bear ye one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2) and that each member is to contribute his or her time, service, and gifts to the local church -- seeing themselves as parts of the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12). The bottom line -- Pastors can't meet all the needs themselves in a local church body, and it's unhealthy for them and unbiblical for them to try.
2) A pastor can't be held hostage to the unrealistic or improper expectations of church members -- even if those members are vocal. A pastor (like anyone else) needs time for family, for rest, for hobbies, and for side projects (writing, speaking, woodworking, whatever).
3) The people in the church I serve are wonderful and supportive. This is a biggee. No one at Olney Baptist has ever said they feel I should be in my office or available to them 50-80 hours a week, every week, with no time for anything outside of the church. On the contrary, the overwhelming majority have been very supportive of my taking time for rest, health, family, etc. I've come to realize that most of this fear is in my mind. And I frankly need to trust the congregation that God has me serving.
There may be some folks outside of the church I serve who complain. After all, many people out there (Christians and non-Christians alike) have LOTS of opinions about pastors. But...
I serve God and the people at Olney Baptist Church. Those opinions - and that of my family - are the opinions I care about the most. And of those three (God, my family, and OBC), God's opinion must be the most important.
One last point... the fact that pastoral ministry is demanding and stressful is one of the main reasons I'm pushing ahead with writing fiction. There's a reason why many pastors, politicians, business executives, and others in demanding professions take time for hobbies completely unrelated to their line of work -- things like gardening, woodworking, painting, drawing, writing, etc. Reading and writing fiction helps reduce my stress and helps me sleep better at night. Without trying to overstate the point... it's good for me.
OBSTACLE #5: "Resistance from some to the idea that a Christian should write fantasy"
Let me address this right here and now...
I’m a Christian, and I love fantasy and science fiction.
I love reading about dragons, monsters, wizards, Jedi, sword fights, epic battles, and more. I’m a Bible-believing Christian (and a pastor, no less), and I love science fiction and fantasy.
Sadly... many Christians have a knee-jerk, almost allergic, reaction to anything in the realm of fantasy or even science fiction.
I still remember when the first
Star Wars movie came out. I loved it! My dad loved it! It was something that he and I bonded over. He took me to every one of the original trilogy movies. And he and Mom bought me some of the
Star Wars comics when they came out. And I remember taking one of those comics to school one day (I went to a private Christian school) and being told by my teacher that
Star Wars was “of the devil.”
Of the devil? Seriously!?
My dad was helping me celebrate something that was "of the devil"?!
For my third grade mind, that just did not compute. And, honestly, it doesn't compute for my now 49 year old mind either.
My dad raised me to believe in God, love Jesus, and respect the Bible as God’s word. And it frankly irritates me that some Christians would think our mutual enjoyment of Star Wars, Star Trek, fantasy games (we used to make our own!), etc was all sinful. :-(
The Bible certainly condemns “mediums,” “necromancers,” and “sorcerers” (see Leviticus and Revelation). But these passages very specifically refer to individuals consorting with
actual witches and demons. These passages are not talking about Gandalf in J.R.R. Tolkien’s
The Lord of the Rings or even the main protagonist in
I Dream of Jeannie.
It’s important that Christians exercise some discernment, and it troubles me when Christians have a knee-jerk, judgmental reaction to things without taking the time to understand those things.
If you’re going to judge a fictional depiction of magic, it’s important to at least
understand that fictional depiction. You don’t just look on the surface and say “Magic? Sin!”
What’s the SOURCE of the magic in the story?
Read that again, because it's CRUCIAL. The source of a character's "magic" is crucial to how we should think about the magic in that story. The Bible condemns sorcerers and witches because their source of power was demonic. And thus the Bible understandably and rightly condemns them. Accordingly, if a work of fiction glorifies or celebrates Satan or demons as a source of power....stay away. But this is not the case with
Star Wars,
The Lord of the Rings,
I Dream of Jeannie, or
The Wizard of Oz.
Things get murky with
Harry Potter. Contrary to what some uninformed, yet quite vocal, Christians have alleged,
Harry Potter does not explicitly glorify Satanism or the worship of demons, but... it does weave in some occult practice and mythology. And it's a fact that interest in the occult, including Wicca, significantly increased as a result of the
Harry Potter phenomenon.
The same is true for
Merlin, a BBC series I thoroughly enjoyed. The show was extremely well done. Great acting. Action packed. Wonderful chemistry between the characters. And lots of humor. But I must admit that it wove lore and symbols from actual, historical witchcraft and pagan religious rituals into the series. Interestingly enough, there was (as far as I can recall) no presence of Christianity in the story -- an absence that defies history given its medieval setting. While I believe a Christian can (and, in this case, did) watch (and enjoy) a show like Merlin, it requires more discernment than what is often seen in the average Christian.
I'm not outright condemning anyone who reads the
Potter books or watches the movies (and the same with
Merlin), but much of the criticism leveled against the
Potter franchise (and shows like
Merlin) by Christians is legitimate. For more on this, I encourage you to check out Marcia Montenegro's ministry
Christian Answers for the New Age. She has written a great deal on
Harry Potter.
I would also say that Christians should stay away from
Game of Thrones. George R.R. Martin is an amazing writer and the HBO series based on his books is breathtaking in its scope and incredibly impressive for its production values. Nevertheless, the content of the books and the shows simply doesn't pass the Philippians 4:8 test of what we're supposed to think about. I would encourage Christians to stay away from
Game of Thrones.
The fantasy book I'm working on is not like
Game of Thrones, nor is it like
Harry Potter. What then does it resemble? Well...that will be the focus of my next post on this project. I look forward to telling you more about it.
How You Can Help
If you enjoy science fiction and fantasy, you can email or message me suggestions -- things you enjoy seeing in books you read.
If you're willing to read a rough draft of my story - to help spot errors and mistakes as well as identify problem spots (things that sound awkward or don't flow well or make sense) - that would be awesome. Just send me a message over Facebook, Twitter, or by email. I should have a draft ready in a couple months.
When the book is ready to be published, I'd appreciate you spreading the word. You can share posts about the book and encourage your social media contacts and friends to check it out.
If you want to pick up a copy, that would be great too. There will be an opportunity to get it for free as well as an opportunity to get it for just 99 cents. This will all be during the initial rollout phase. I'll keep you posted.
For now, I ask for your prayers. And for your encouragement and best wishes.
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. I really appreciate your time.
Blessings to all!
****
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