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Portraying Characters When Your Worldviews Clash

Posted on September 23, 2025May 13, 2025 by R.M. Archer

As authors, we want our stories to reflect the values that we believe in. We want to write with integrity, discouraging those things we believe to be wrong and championing those things we believe to be right. But our characters don’t always believe the same things we do (nor should they; we write stories, not sermons!), which can lead to a tricky balancing act: being true to the characters and their stories without compromising what we believe or endorsing behavior we believe to be wrong. How do you handle that tension? Here are some tips.

This question was originally brought up by an email subscriber. Thanks to Joshua for the question!

There are two things I try to show in my writing when characters are Continue reading “Portraying Characters When Your Worldviews Clash” →

What Does it Mean to “Read with Discernment”?

Posted on September 9, 2025May 13, 2025 by R.M. Archer

If you’re a Christian reader, you may have heard the term “reading with discernment” tossed around, or something like it. Read carefully. Choose your books wisely. And this is good advice. The problem is… it’s vague. What does it mean to read with discernment?

Ultimately, I think reading with discernment will lead to different readers choosing different books. There is no one-size-fits-all result when it comes to reading with discernment. But there are a few principles to keep in mind as you consider what reading with discernment means for you and how you can choose your reads wisely.

Expose the Works of Darkness

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” – Eph. 5:11, NKJV

The world is broken, and fiction Continue reading “What Does it Mean to “Read with Discernment”?” →

How Should Christians Write About… LGBT Issues

Posted on February 4, 2025February 13, 2025 by R.M. Archer

This post topic has been on my “to-write” list for a long time now because, frankly, it’s a scary topic to broach. I expect it will offend people (possibly those from multiple directions), and I don’t prefer to intentionally make people uncomfortable. That said, I believe this is an important topic that Christian authors should be addressing, one that Christian authors have largely ignored and abdicated the conversation around, and since it recently came up again I decided it was time to actually post about it.

As always in this series, this post is meant to be food-for-thought, to lay out the scriptural guidelines for a particular topic and what we do or don’t have the freedom to include in our stories (or how we do or don’t have the freedom to portray it) based on that scripture. I’ll put forth my interpretation, but all of these topics are ultimately between you and God and the intention is not to bind or to violate your conscience.

The Biblical View on Homosexuality

The most important question to ask is (as always): What does the Bible say about homosexuality?

(Verses are in NKJV, and I encourage you to read the broader context as well, on your own.)

While we have Continue reading “How Should Christians Write About… LGBT Issues” →

Book Review: Winter’s Maiden by Morgan L. Busse

Posted on June 25, 2024August 7, 2024 by R.M. Archer

Morgan Busse is an author who has come up numerous times over the years I’ve been in the online Christian writing world and a handful of her books have made it onto my TBR, but her upcoming Winter’s Maiden was the first of her books that inspired me to apply for an ARC. To my surprise, I got one, so today I’m here with my review!

(Required disclaimer that though I received a free copy to review, the following opinions are my own.)

What is Winter’s Maiden about?

Warrior. Survivor. Daughter of the North.

From the moment she is born, Brighid fights to survive in the wastelands of Nordica as a clanless one. But when a new power arrives offering a trial to join the Nordic warriors, Brighid enters, hoping to rise above her station. Soon she becomes one of their fiercest fighters and joins the war against the south.

Kaeden carries the blood of the ancient Eldaran race in his veins but turns away from his heritage after the death of his parents. Years later, he is called back to his homeland and invited to be a healer for the southern forces. With the help of an old mentor, the power inside of him starts to awaken. However, his life is turned upside down when a mighty warrior of the Nordic forces is captured.

As Kaeden interacts with the enemy, he discovers there is a darkness behind the Nordic Wars, one that is manipulating the people of the north. But who will believe him? And is there a power strong enough to break the hold of this hidden adversary? Or will the world burn in the flames of war?

The first few chapters of this book really Continue reading “Book Review: Winter’s Maiden by Morgan L. Busse” →

How Should Christians Write About… Allegorical Religions?

Posted on November 28, 2023February 13, 2025 by R.M. Archer

One of the earliest installments in this series covered how to write about false religions, those that aren’t even real within your world. But today I want to cover the separate issue of how to write about religions that are designed to reflect the truth of who our God is within the context of a fictional world.

As always, this is intended to be food-for-thought, not the one proper Continue reading “How Should Christians Write About… Allegorical Religions?” →