Interview with author Steve Doyle

What is your motivation for writing?

In college I discovered that others enjoyed reading my poems. Soon I was fielding requests and writing custom poetry for people to give as gifts for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and other such occasions. I had great fun doing it and it was very satisfying, but I gave it up in order to focus on my career as a computer programmer.

Years later, after that path had played out, I picked up my pen once again. I joined a writer's group where someone suggested I might expand some of my poems into short stories. I discovered that I enjoyed writing those even more than the poetry.

Why do you write Biblical speculative fiction?

I'm new to the genre of Biblical speculative fiction. In fact, had never heard of it until author Frank Creed told me about it and invited me to a group of writers devoted to it. Since I'm always up for expanding my writing experience, I decided to give it a try.

The Christian community has varying opinions on the appropriateness of speculative fiction. Can you explain your take on the compatibility between speculative fiction and your Christian worldview?

I don't see a conflict between speculative fiction and my worldview. There's no "Thou shalt not speculate" rule. I would remind people who think it's inappropriate that it's fiction, not Christian doctrine.

What length of fiction do you prefer to write?

As I said, I really like writing short stories, but some time ago I began work on a historical novel and although it's a lot more work, I'm enjoying every minute of it.

What writing techniques work best for you in terms of character, plot, setting development?

For the novel I found it necessary to create a timeline of events as well as something I call a "people map" which helps me keep track of several generations of the family. It's sort of like a detailed family tree. For my short stories, I don't usually bother writing bios of the characters, but I do keep a list of possible character names. I also keep a folder full of research on various subjects.

Have you had any life experiences that have (positively or negatively) influenced your writing?

Losing my job after seventeen years was a life-changing experience for me as it had been only the second place I'd worked since college. For a while I didn't know what to do with myself, but knew I didn't want to go back to doing the same thing. That event kick-started my writing career.

Any advice for new writers in general? Christian writers?

Don't quit your day job! Seriously, though, don't get caught without a pen and something to write on. Inspiration strikes rather suddenly, and not always when you're sitting around waiting for it. I carry a 5" x 3" notebook which fits in my back pocket. I use it to record facts, ideas, to-do lists, and of course drafts. And make backups! Remember, Jesus saves and so should you. Also, pick up a copy of A.P. Fuchs' book Book Marketing for the Financially Challenged Author.

When do you write?

I don't have a set schedule, but I try to do something every day: read, research, market, improve my website, etc. I often write drafts of stories or chapters while sitting at the coffee shop or the pub. Later I key them into the computer at home.

Do you do any research for your writing?

Due to the historical nature of many of my stories as well as the novel I do a ton of research, mostly online, though I do frequent two libraries. Reference Librarians are wealths of information. I believe writers should always list their sources and give due credit to others who've taken the time to document their findings.

Who do you think would most likely enjoy your fiction?

My fiction tends to appeal to those who enjoy detective stories and stories of the supernatural. I try to write for audiences ranging in age from 13 to 93. I leave out gratuitous sex scenes and unnecessary violence and gore.

Do your stories/ novels have any common themes or threads? Do you try to provide a message for your readers?

Supernatural elements often appear in my work. Very seldom to I write a story with the intent to convey a message. "My Mistake" is one short story that carries an anti-suicide warning, but I generally write to inform and entertain, rather than to moralize or preach.

What can you tell us about "The Waking of the Dead" included in Light at the Edge of Darkness?

When I was writing "An Encounter with a Vampire" I decided I wanted the vampire to speak Greek. Since I don't speak it myself, I put out a request for help in an international community of artists and writers. Ingrid Eskitzi agreed to help and duly translated the vampire's dialogue. Some time later she asked me to write a story for her and the idea for "The Waking of the Dead" was born. After discovering some very strange customs I decided to set the story in 17th century Ireland and give it a hero brave enough to act contrary to those superstitious traditions.

Steve Doyle's website
Steve Doyle at Author's Den

Interview with author Joseph Ficor

What is your motivation for writing?

I have always wanted to be a published writer since as far back as I can remember. My sister and I would write our own stories from time to time. I usually never finished what I started. I was influenced by a lot of science fiction TV and movies in my early years. I did not become a committed reader until I was placed in foster care at the age of thirteen. It was my escape and anchor during these years. Reading helped me get through many of the trials of living with strangers.

My major motivation in my teenage years for writing was to become famous. This changed after I gave my heart to Jesus at the age of seventeen. I really wanted to glorify Him. My role models over the years have been C.S. Lewis, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, David Weber, and David Drake.

Why do you write Biblical speculative fiction?

I write Biblical speculative fiction because the regular speculative fiction market has neglected God over the last century. The science fiction community has been preaching a gospel of utopianism solely based on science and humanism. Most science fiction writers claimed that a belief in any kind of deity was a sign of backward primitivism. They predicted that God would be dead by the late twentieth century and life would be peachy and grand. God is still very much alive and we are worse off than we have ever been. People need to know that no matter how technologically advanced we become, we will always be sinful creatures and that God is still in the business of rescuing a lost world (John 3:16-17).

The Christian community has varying opinions on the appropriateness of speculative fiction. Can you explain your take on the compatibility between speculative fiction and your Christian worldview?

I do not see why there should be any conflict between speculative fiction and Christianity. For over a century, speculative fiction has given us a glimpse into how future technology can change our lives and society. It has done its best to examine the ramifications of new technologies in both positive and negative terms. Christians should be writing in this genre so that they can show world--and future generations of Christians--the Biblical response to the effects of technology on future generations.

What length of fiction do you prefer to write?

This is an area that I am still trying to figure out in my life. There are some stories that I believe that can be told in a short story format and others that need novel length treatment.

What writing techniques work best for you in terms of character, plot, setting development?

I am still trying to work on a formula for all of this in my own writing career. I am currently more comfortable with just sitting down and beginning a story and seeing where it goes. I do a very rough outline of the story that I am flexible enough to change as needed when it has to be.

Have you had any life experiences that have (positively or negatively) influenced your writing?

I will have to say that the major life experiences that most shaped my writing would be my mother's introducing a love of reading to me and my sister, my time in foster care, my salvation, my time in the Marine Corps, and attending an international church.My mother was a big reader when I was little. She encouraged us to read a lot. Reading was a big escape for me when I had been put in foster care. This had been a tough time for me. I spent of my time with two good foster families. They had even encouraged my reading. One of them even really guided me toward science fiction. I gave my heart to Jesus when I was 17. He gave me a new love and desire to write science fiction that would witness to those who had been fed the garbage that there is no God and that He is a useless anachronism in our lives.

The Marines was a big influence on my writing because it allowed me to see several different countries and get a perspective on cultures different from my own. It was during my time in the military where God gave me a great love for the Japanese people and their culture. The next biggest influence is my attendance of an international church in Southern Illinois. It has broken my mindset that the best example of Christianity was presented by the West. The international believers at my church have shown me that God does not favor one region or ethnic group over another. He can use anyone who has given their hearts solely to Him for His maximum glory.

Any advice to new writers? Christian writers?

My advice to new writers, especially Christian writers, is to ask God to give you wisdom as to what genre that He wants you to write in and do it with all of your heart. Also, be willing to accept correction and reproof to your work. Your writing is not Scripture, so it can be subject to change and improvement.

When do you write?

I usually write when I have free time available. I try to write once a day, even if it is only for a few minutes. I write wherever I have the opportunity.

Do you do any research for your writing?

I have to admit that I do not do as much research as I want. I am a little impatient and I want to get to writing the story as soon as I can. God is working on me to be patient and do research when needed.

Who do you think would most likely enjoy your fiction?

I think that my fiction will be enjoyed by individuals who want a clean and uplifting story that does not make them depressed after they had read it.

Do your stories/novels have any common themes or thread? Do you try to provide a message for your readers?

The common theme or message that I want to convey to my readers is that no matter what we as sinful humans, God is always ready to forgive and turn around any situation to His glory.

What can you tell us about “The Timeship of Semak” included in Light at the Edge of Darkness?

My major motivation in writing “The Timeship of Semak” is to show my readers that God has created us uniquely for the time and place that we live in. He has a purpose for all that He does in our lives.

The main character of Joe is loosely based on my own experiences in foster care. When times got tough, I thought that it would be so cool for benevolent aliens to come and take me away from the bad situation. I always also wished to go back into time to change mistakes that I had made so that things would turn out better.

I want to show through the experiences of Joe and the alien that God is in control at ALL times and that He will work out even the bad situations to fulfill His will in our lives and situations (Romans 8:28).

Interview with author Donna Sundblad

What is your motivation for writing?
I can’t remember not wanting to be a writer. However, the desire hovered on time’s horizon out of reach. I wrote poetry, short stories, and even a novel before taking writing seriously, but never did anything with them. As I approached age 50 I experienced an epiphany of sorts during prayer, as if God asked what I was doing with the gift He had given me. What was I waiting for? Until . . . what? I realized that the reasons I wasn’t writing were really excuses induced by fear. Fear of failure. Fear of opening a window into my mind. Even fear of rejection, didn’t have time or wasn’t good enough. I took the step of obedience and started writing seriously about six years ago.

Why do you write Biblical speculative fiction?
Once I made the decision to write, my first novel-length manuscript was biblical speculative fiction. As I wrote it I thought: I’ll never find a market for this. But it was the story God laid on my heart. For me, it’s part of keeping Him first. I write secular fantasy and non-fiction as well but my first love is biblical speculative fiction. Growing interest in the genre has recently inspired a second biblical spec-fic story line. I’ve already started outlining.

The Christian community has varying opinions on the appropriateness of speculative fiction. Can you explain your take on the compatibility between speculative fiction and your Christian worldview?
I’m afraid some people want to contain Christianity within parameters set by man-made rules. It reminds me of the hedge laws set up by Jewish leaders to warn people when they were getting close to breaking God’s law. Some of these Christian controls, while well-meaning tend to be based on personal preferences and have nothing to do with God’s Word. As a writer and reader, I know freedom in Christ. Speculative fiction is pretend. Christ is not. I know the difference. Biblical spec-fic creates thought provoking scenarios within my favorite genre. I grew up on things like Twilight Zone and Outer Limits. Adding the depth of biblical truth makes spec-fic even better.

What length of fiction do you prefer to write?
I don’t have a favorite. I write what it takes to tell the story. However, novels are a lot of fun (and work).

What writing techniques work best for you in terms of character, plot, setting development?
I tend to write character driven stories. In fact, my quest to learn how to add more but not too much detail resulted in my creative writing book Pumping Your Muse. In it I share how I keep track of world building details, character belongings, and even which characters know each other first or second hand.

Have you had any life experiences that have influenced your writing?
Even when I write things foreign to me, some part of who I am sneaks in. I grew up in a close family. I knew my grandparents and great-grandparents. In fact, "Caleb Sees the Light" reflects the influence of love between my grandparents and I, while the wooded setting and basic living mirrors the farm life lived by my great-grandparents.

Any advice for new writers in general? Christian writers?
Don’t wait to start writing. Find other writers and join a group or take a class where you can interact with peers. Allow others to critique your work, but remember the story is yours. Hold on to your voice and style. And don’t write anything you’d be ashamed to let Jesus read.

Tell us about when you write.
I fit writing into my life wherever it fits. I’m an early morning person. At times you’ll find me at the computer at 4:00 in the morning. I know it’s my creative time. My mind is refreshed and I get much more done. When I worked full time away from home, I would usually put in at least two hours of writing before I left the house. But this was a habit developed over time. I’m big on setting goals. Once I planned to write, I set a goal of twenty minutes a day four days a week. It grew from there.

When away from the house, I carry a notebook to capture ideas and first drafts. I’ve written and edited quite a bit as a passenger in the car instead of staring out the window, or pretending not to be a backseat driver. Prepare to write or research during the wait at the dentist office and time goes quickly, plus you have something more than a bill and clean teeth to show for it.

Do you do any research for your writing?
Almost everything I write takes some research. For instance, in "Caleb Sees the Light," I had to research what the lantern would be made of—what kind of handle—how to light it. I didn’t need to use all that information, but it gave me enough detail to make the experience real within the story.

Who do you think would most likely enjoy your fiction?
People who like fantasy without graphic violence, sex or unnecessary vulgar language.

Do your stories/ novels have any common themes or threads? Do you try to provide a message for your readers?
One common thread that creeps into my novels is division and unity. Different things divide. In my fantasy novel Windwalker the protagonist cannot move on until he learns that his own unforgiveness is as detrimental to unity as the racial prejudice trying to annihilate his people. In my Christian spec-fic novel The Inheritance, the protagonist’s search for Truth creates division between him and others in his world. When he meets Truth and becomes a Light-bearer he realizes his need to go back into that world—even to those who mistreated him. In my novel Beyond the Fifth Gate (due out in 2007), two species must overcome their differences and learn to work together. Each story is different—but that one theme is there.

What can you tell us about "Caleb Sees the Light" included in Light at the Edge of Darkness?
My fiction carries a historical or old-fashioned flavor. In one of my writing groups, the weekly writing prompt dealt with a character graduating from high school. I was in the process of moving from FL to GA—from a flat landscape to mountains and foothills. The character Caleb was born, and you’ll find him walking in the hills to his grandparents’ home. Young people of each generation are ready to change things, and make them better and new. Caleb is no different. He struggles between the desire to leave small town life behind and abandoning his loving grandparents who depend on him. An alien encounter in the back woods of Liberty Hollow offers the 18-year-old an escape from living out a life sentence in small town America. But is that what God wants?

Donna's website: The Ink Slinger
Donna at Inspired Author
Donna at Authors' Den