Writing Secular Fantasy as a Mennonite-Part One
I didn’t grow up reading “Christian” fantasy, or “Christian” books, for that matter. Yes, I devoured some books written by Christians, where a worldview of hope and redemption seeped into the story but the story was point, not any kind of moralizing. I think I was burned one too many times by a preachy novel, and didn’t even realize it can be done well. So I avoided explicitly Christian stories.
But another part of this is my faith tradition. I’ve always been a conservative Mennonite, which meant my community, church life, and personal habits look different than that of the authors I was reading. Or the characters I was reading about. You might think that would make it hard to connect with a story, but I learned how to let it broaden my worldview and help me grow.
Mennonites have traditionally been a practical, thoughtful people, and while many of us do enjoy fantasy, it isn’t approved of in all our circles. I’ve faced a small amount of backlash from within my broader community, and perhaps some trepidation from closer in. (If you visited some of the churches I’ve attended in the past, you might understand my slight nervousness about showing them my book cover)
Mostly, though, I’ve received enormous support and encouragement and understanding that my calling is to write good stories, immersive stories, stories my readers can learn and grow from. Jesus’ name is not in my books, and God is rarely mentioned if at all.
But His heart and His hope? Woven all the way through.
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