Faith 'n Fiction Saturday



My Friend Amy, who brought us Book Blogger Appreciation Week has a new carnival in the works, the Faith 'n Fiction Saturday.

Each week she will post a blogging prompt, which participating bloggers will answer on their own blogs. Then they head back to the original post and sign Mister Linky! This way we can all come to know each other more closely.

Today's Question: A lot of us are reviewers which means we consume books at a rate that blows the minds of others. As a result, we might start seeing the same thing over. and over. and over.

What are some cliched phrases or plot devices in Christian fiction that you'd like to see go?

Maybe it's because I'm a history major but I've noticed A LOT of cliched storylines used in Christian historical fiction. Just things that while they may be enjoyable to read, they weren't exactly true. I could name several authors that use the EXACT same plot in their stories, they just change the setting and the characters.
  • people ALWAYS have to sit in the front row during church
  • no one can never marry a full blooded Native American, they are always already half white, and with blue/violet/green eyes
  • Asian Americans are always adopted
  • people always kiss, back away and murmur "i shouldn't have done that"
  • why is on the west, if a woman is pregnant she always has a breech birth, ALWAYS!!! and then the doctor gets there late
  • American Indians do not always speak in halting English
  • Slave owners in CF are always portrayed as a) evil and mean or b) Christians who can't give up slavery and they want to free their slaves but they can't
  • Overzealous new Christians who become extremely preachy, tear out chapters from pages of the Bible, spout off Bible verses that are NOT relevant and tell everyone they meet they are going to hell
  • Characters who are given the names like Hallelujah, Revelation or some cliched weird Christian name
  • This is more of trait in a bunch of books but i REALLY hate it when the female character tries to stand up for herself to the guy, and all he does is just laugh at her and they end up falling in love and he's still dominating her. but i read this all the time in Christian romances. Why do we want a guy who laughs AT you for standing up for yourself?
  • I totally agree with Amy on this one: Sermons in books where the character goes to church and the sermon just happens to relate directly to them. Now this would be interesting if the sermon happened to be about finances or relationships or child rearing. But no, it's always about forgiveness, or wolves in sheep's clothing. same old, same old!!!

Comments

  1. Anonymous8:20 AM

    Excellent answer and thorough rant! LOL - I have to agree with you on all points. :)

    Got my answer up too.

    The Old Silly from Free Spirit Blog

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  2. Really liked your answer! I have to take a long time to think about it because I don't put that much thought into every book and compare them. A more attentive reader (like you) notice those kinds of things. Wish I had a more adept mind for these kinds of things. :)

    ~Mimi

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  3. HAHAHAHA

    Best. post. ever.

    Here are some I thought of:

    - I love it when all the characters in the book just so happen to be Christian. They live in Christianville, America?

    - Characters who say frickin' and fudge.

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  4. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    You are so right. So so so right.

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  5. I must say you've thought a lot about this! Some of those I haven't read enough to notice the repetition but some of them I certainly have...especially the guy laughing at the girl then they fall in love. I can't stand that!

    P.S. May, I say frickin' (actually it's more like friggin') but I'm also from the south and that's fairly common (along with dang, shoot, and dadgum-it!). So it doesn't bother me in books. On the other hand, I think "fudge" is corny. :)

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  6. I know exactly what you mean Deborah. Here is mine

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  7. I have not read Christian Fiction since high school and they were mostly Amish. I have liked them but I have not had the time to read them. I might have to read some more to pick out the cliches. The above are quite funny.

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  8. Whew! Pleased to say I am not guilty of any of these. :o)

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  9. We must read very different Christian fiction. I've only run across two of these: the "I shouldn't have" kiss and the custom-made sermon. However, I've experienced seemingly custom-made sermons in my real life, so I don't "take off points" when it's done in novels. In the Christian fiction I read, the characters often sit in the back row if it's even mentioned and the actual sermon is skipped over or goes unheard do to racing thoughts.

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