While Ellison could win first place in a Bible Bowl, the only verse Jack has memorized is “Jesus wept.” The diversity of faith backgrounds (various Christian faiths, or no church involvement) gives the main character an opportunity to consider how he lives out his faith and how that influences his friends. One example of faith as part of characterization is Ellison Henry, the best friend of my ten-year-old main character, Jack Finch. The Tree Street Kids characters include three characters from an evangelical background, one from the Catholic tradition, and one who doesn’t attend church but is learning what God means to his friends through their everyday interactions. My rule of thumb for making faith part of the story is 1. However, most kids and their parents also don’t want catechizing. Many of my readers are from homeschooling families or families who actively practice their faith and want their children to read books that don’t shy away from God, religion, and the Bible. That’s why it’s imperative to know your ideal reader as well as your publisher’s audience-which shouldn’t differ widely, or you likely won’t be contracted. ![]() What readers want varies, even among a Christian audience. What have you learned works, and what do today’s readers want regarding faith-based fiction? A big question many of us have-integrating faith into fiction. So, at about the age of six, I wrote one, and I never really stopped writing. A small glass doll sat on the dresser in my bedroom, and she was just begging for a backstory. But I recall wanting to write stories before I became a voracious reader. I was the proverbial bookworm, big glasses and all. My desire to write fiction was fed, if not actually sparked, by my childhood love of reading. First, what drew you to write fiction, and how did you begin? ![]() We’re thrilled to hear from her about the craft and the industry, specifically how it relates to fiction writing. Amanda is also the senior developmental editor at Moody Publishers in Chicago, where she works closely with authors to help shape Christian nonfiction books in the areas of Christian living, church and ministry, and personal and spiritual growth. She is a children’s author, and the Tree Street Kids is her middle-grade series (Moody Publishers). This month, I interviewed Amanda Cleary Eastep. Many of the writers we serve also write fiction. So, from time to time we publish interviews with authors and editors to get us thinking about what others have learned and how we can grow. ![]() At Gospel-Centered Discipleship, we are not only interested in producing resources that “make, mature, and multiply disciples of Christ,” but we want to develop writers who can produce these kinds of resources.
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