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Free Original Storyworld Ideas, Part 2: Three Coronavirus Story Settings

Let’s say you wanted to write a story about Coronavirus but weren’t sure where to start. This post shares three original story setting ideas! · Travis Perry

Realism And Twenty-first Century Storytelling

Perhaps the twenty-first century version of realism is another way in which we are not addressing spiritual issues realistically. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Does Family Enhance Female Heroes?

Was Mark Carver’s post on Speculative Faith yesterday right about a need to have more families with children in speculative fiction? In particular, would children benefit female heroes? · Travis Perry

Realism And Twenty-first Century Storytelling—A Reprise

I think there’s something else not particularly real in twenty-first century stories, no matter how real the computer generated characters might appear. We could chalk this up to “that’s just movies” if it weren’t for the fact that screen writing is beginning to dominate the way we write novels, too. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Fantasy That Works

Next time you read a fantasy, see how it measures in these areas: premise, conflict, realistic characters that act, a dense story world, a story that says something important. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Realism And Twenty-first Century Storytelling

I think there’s something else not particularly real in twenty-first century stories, no matter how real the computer generated characters might appear. We could chalk this up to “that’s just movies” if it weren’t for the fact that screen writing is beginning to dominate the way we write novels, too. I’ll characterize this unrealistic phenomenon as too much conflict. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Why Does Romance Dominate Christian Fiction?

There is an inherent discontinuity between the Christian Faith and fiction. · R. L. Copple

What Makes Fantasy Work? Part 2

I hope our readers here at Spec Faith are thinking about the Christian speculative novel–fantasy, science fiction, supernatural, or whatever–they would like to nominate for the Clive Staples Award. Let’s find the books that work and pick the best of the lot to honor. · Rebecca LuElla Miller

Realism And Twenty-first Century Stories

If all characters are victims of disaster, I suggest readers or viewers stop caring and start looking for the “out.” Will the character die and come back? Have a narrow escape? Have a death that only looks like death? In truth, all the arguing and betrayal and refusal becomes–predictable and boring and unrealistic. Soon the characters seem more like caricatures because none acts with nobility or courage or hope. All display their flawed selves with so little inner struggle. And this, we’ve come to believe, is realistic. · Rebecca LuElla Miller