One of the things I hear a lot when I’m poking around in reader groups is how much readers want “realistic” fiction. For the longest time, this gave me a lot of hope. My stories are full of realism!
Over time, however, I’ve started to wonder if maybe my definition of realistic is different than the majority of readers. (Kind of like how I don’t see a lot of reality in reality television.)
When I say I like realistic romance, I’m looking for several different things. First up, the characters.
Realistic characters, to me, means the people in the book should feel like people I might know (or I could get to know, given the right situation.) So, more often than not, that rules out the mega billionaire, the movie star (or other famous person), and royalty. And none of that is to slam those sorts of novels – if those are your jam, read on! When I’m not reading romance, I’m more often than not reading something with spaceships and aliens in it or a detective chasing down a serial killer.
“But Elizabeth,” you might say. “Don’t you ever think your scifi has realistic characters?” And I guess I go to…kind of? I can see the argument for a realistic character being anyone who behaves and speaks in a way that’s accessible and approachable. Maybe it’s splitting hairs, but I’d be more inclined to say those scifi characters are relatable. Not realistic.
Relatable totally matters though! If there aren’t characters I can care about, I know reading the book isn’t going to be as enjoyable as it could be.
More than the characters though, at least for me, for a story to be realistic, I want to see these characters struggling with modern-day problems. I want to see them not have all the answers. I want to see them seek out advice and wrestle with God. And I maybe even want to see them get it wrong now and then. I want them to the “wrong kind” of friends and not live in a picture-perfect small town where there’s only the two old women who gossip mercilessly as the fly in the ointment.
These are the stories that I try to write. It’s why my books include Christian women who have had an abortion and discovered it wasn’t the total solution to their problem they hoped it would be. Or a pregnant teen with a father who’s trying to be supportive but failing miserably. Or a recovering alcoholic who has swung past grace into legalism because he’s still so ashamed of his past, despite Jesus’ forgiveness. Or couples going through infertility and being tempted to give up on their marriage because easy is a lot more attractive than perseverance.
But those story lines haven’t been commercially successful.
And so I started to tweak things. I moved out of the city and suburbs to a small town. With my Peacock Hill books, I tried hard to keep things lighter. And I managed it for three books. Then one of my characters turned up with a gay best friend. I contemplated taking Brian out, but he was there. Just like he would be in our real lives. And figuring out the right way to love as Jesus would love while still holding to the Truth of the Bible is the kind of thing we should all be wrestling with if we’re going to live in today’s world.
I thought Brian might be a one book guy. But he’s back in the next book–possibly with even more air time than in the previous–and I love him. Because, to me, he’s realistic. And the challenges he brings to the page are also realistic. But I suspect he’s going to end up being too realistic for the bulk of the readers out there. And that’s okay.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what to write when I finish my Peacock Hill series in the fall. There’s a part of me that wants to figure out what stories are selling and join that crew – there are bills to pay, after all! But the larger part of me has realized what a relief it’s been to write Brian and return to incorporating the challenges of living for Jesus in today’s culture that are so often pushed aside as hot button political topics rather than heart issues with which we all have to grapple.
What about you? When you say (if you say) you want to read realistic fiction, what do you mean? What are you looking for? I’d love to know!
I’ll choose 2 commenters to have their choice of my books on the morning of Saturday, July 20th.
Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace on their way to their own romantic happily ever after.
First when you mention Brian the gay best friend I think about Virginia Smith. Her books (I only remember the second one’s title) Simply Mayla had a gay couple in it. Mayla was very much a rebel before she became a Christian.
I also had a gay couple living a couple doors down from me and have to say while I don’t agree with the lifestyle he was one of the few neighbours who offered me a ride to the shops when he saw I was struggling. None of the other ones did.
When you say realistic stories or characters I think its very much a buzz word. Some who say they want more realistic stories or issues don’t say what they really want except that they think a lot of CF is to sanitized. To me a realistic story is what you said, a relatable story. I think its also people with real issues and not perfect characters who everything always goes right with no problems.
For me realistic means not only that I can relate, but that these characters are not fake. Your books in the abortion, infertility and alcoholic were very powerful for me….you wrote them with heart and soul and the struggle was real in every way. Plus they made me feel…and cry too!
I like the gazillionaires and movie stars too…I mean hey, beneath it all they are people too!
It’s so easy to fall into media portrayals and forget that there are real people behind the caricature (I think that applies to any group – Christians certainly aren’t all as the media portrays either!) I’ll look for the Virginia Smith books!
I like your last sentence – people with real issues. That’s what I always hope to write.
Ha. That’s true, they are people too. Just not anyone I know – and I’d love to see them have a problem where their money is 100% useless in solving it. :)
I have had a dear friend and a cousin die from aids acquired through a gay lifestyle. I loved both of them. I have a bisexual friend. My best friend is an alcoholic with a son who struggles with heroin addiction. Her marriage is a train wreck. My siblings spend time together rarely. One of my brothers spent a year in prison for growing marijuana. This is real life where I sit. Sometimes I want to read books that take these situations and bring hope into them. Sometimes I want to read a romcom that takes reality and throws it out the window.
I think there’s absolutely room for complete escape in reading!
Do you think it’s possible to blend realistic themes and fiction in such a way that it’s still an escape from *your specific reality*, or is there a clear demarkation – it’s either realistic or it’s a fun, escape-y romcom (or whatever genre)?
This is a really great post. I think you hit it on the head when you talk about relatable. I agree with the realistic part. This is one reason I like to read Inspirational historical westerns. Certain authors (for me) make the characters relatable and realistic. I can put myself into their lives and learn something and at the same time, root them on or tell them to go back and try that again. LOL Yes I talk to my characters in a book. I have recently started to read cozy mysteries and I find that those are not so relatable or realistic. But they are fun. They are not turn offs, just fun. Thanks for sharing your thoughts today.
To me it means the character a very relatable and I can identify with what they are going through.
I’m right there with you, Elizabeth, as both a writer and a reader. I always find it amusing how one reader’s “realistic” is another reader’s “totally not realistic”. It’s like how one story can get accusations of being “preachy about God” while, at the same time, getting reviews that say the reader couldn’t find God anywhere in the story.
I decided, though, the main question I had to ask myself is who am I trying to please with my writing? Man or God. Guess who won? Unfortunately, books with a solid faith message aren’t as popular as “fluffy” stories with little or nothing to teach, no genuine conflict.
Thank, Lori. It’s good when relatable AND realistic combine :) And I don’t think you’re alone to talk to the books, lol, I do that too.
Thanks, Kim. I think most people use relatable and realistic interchangeably. (Even though I maybe wish we wouldn’t.)
Ha. The struggle is real. But yes, ultimately God’s approval is the most important.
For me, realistic fiction means that the characters are having real life struggles just like we go through. They don’t live in a perfect world, nor in one where everyone lives in mansions, have cooks, maids, etc.. They deal with their faith walk like we do, where we know we need to rely on God, but sometimes don’t, where they struggle with why things happen as they do. Life isn’t always a bed of roses, and I like books that reflect that, but that things can be overcome, or gotten through, because of relying on God, and growing in our faith. We don’t need to live defeated, and we don’t have to, we can get through. It’s nice to know we aren’t in things alone. I also like characters that don’t have “perfect” looks, too, so they if they struggle with dieting or something, that just makes it more believable!
I LOVE that your stories are real, authentic, Elizabeth! I’d encourage you to keep at it, as there are readers (like me) who hunger for those stories that show life at its truest, and often grittiest, because that’s where we can really see God at work.
Honestly, I agree with your definition of realism. When I read a book that includes your defined level of “realism” I feel like I’m getting a genuine story … almost an allegory. I appreciate wrestling with the issues the characters are. It helps me consider what I might actually have to think or do in real life. And, it holds a mirror to me and shows me the places in my heart I need to work on. Isn’t that the point of being on this earth? To work on ourselves by wrestling with and coming to terms with God’s truth? Keep writing your level of realism. It serves a larger purpose!
Love this, Trudy!
Thanks, Brenda!
Oh I love this — yes! We definitely need to be working on that constant process of sanctification! Thanks, Nicole!
Elizabeth, thanks for the thought-provoking post. I read a lot of secular fiction before I ever discovered Christian fiction, especially romance. I know what you mean about writing stories that people will buy. I have to relate to characters in a book, or I will quite reading it. When I wrote for a publisher, I couldn’t always write the kind of stories I wanted to write. So I love being indie, but being discovered is another thing. I wonder if the majority of contemporary Christian romance readers want a certain kind of story. I know Amish stories are very popular, and I can’t relate to that. Maybe someone in this group can explain the appeal. My Front Porch Promises series has a hero who has been in prison, a hero who has cancer, a heroine who struggles because of a sick child, a heroine who doesn’t look before she leaps (a reviewer hated her for that), a heroine who is pregnant and the father is a married man. But I hope I show that in the end no matter how much we mess up our lives or circumstances are not what we wish that God can bring us through it all, if we just put our hope in Him.
I enjoy reading books that have more depth and where the characters have real life struggles and problems that are larger and more complex than the kind they would face in a Hallmark movie. I have nothing against Hallmark movies (I watch my fair share of them) or lighter reads but I usually want something “heartier” and not quite as predictable to read.
I have loved your front porch series for exactly those reasons! But it does seem to be a challenge to find big numbers of readers who also like that :)
I’ve been told the appeal of Amish is the blend of almost-historical with modern day but also simpler times. I agree it’s not for me, but I do love that there’s so much variety available for readers to find.
There is definitely room for heavier AND lighter reads. It’s good to have variety.
I like realistic characters because real people are not perfect every one has something they struggle with. As a nurse in a faith based hospital I deal with everyone who walks through the doors. I need to have empathy for each and everyone who needs our help. Whatever their personal beliefs they are deserving of the best care possible. The family may not be standard or according to my beliefs but we need to care for the patient and family most definitely not the biblical type I grew up with. That is the now reality so each character in the books we read should reflect what Christians deal with in their daily lives. Reading books that show real issues and people deal with them may show us a different way to approach something in our own lives, or we may just enjoy the story as relaxation.
The last thing is so true! Looking at how characters handle situations has helped me think about things. Even if I decide I want to do it differently, it’s good to get new perspectives and see how one person applies the Bible in their life.
I love realistic books that I can totally relate to, that struggle with issues as I would but ultimately lead to a relationship with Jesus. Therefore I love all your books and have them all. You have become very dear to me and I consider you a dear friend even though we have never met. Love you dear friend!
Thanks Linda! I feel the same about you. You’re always a sweet encouragement.
Great post, Beth! The market vs. our own reality is a very real struggle.
Thanks Lee. It’s so hard to know how to navigate the disparities.
I’m enjoying all these posts and the ideas! I’ve read historical, science fiction, and other books in which the characters are very relatable/realistic to me, and others in which they weren’t. I like Carol Moncado’s royalty books because her characters feel “real”, even though they live in much different surroundings than I do. On the other hand, I’ve kind of given up on the billionaire books (I haven’t read that many – just decided not to).
I’ve really liked your books, Elizabeth, and feel you’ve done well on being realistic and relatable. Keep up the good work!
I enjoy books with some realism. I can only read so many in a row of books with all perfect people. At the same time, I don’t enjoy books that include that totally mirror today’s society with all the profanity, etc. I enjoy a respite and your books always provide that for me.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post! I read a lot of Christian fiction and appreciate that so many authors (like you!) really do make the characters relatable. They are flawed, like all of us, and ultimately learning and growing through the situations in their lives. I have come to see these books as an extension of my own faith-building. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought of people I know or situations in my own life while reading a novel. At those times I feel as if I’m shoring up my own faith and learning how to better understand others with certain struggles, as well as preparing myself for future challenges that will certainly come. Of course, I love to escape into a lighter plot sometimes, too :-)
Thanks, Margaret. I agree that many of our IR authors do an amazing job with relatable even in less realistic settings (I mean maybe I’m a crown princess and don’t know it, but it seems unlikely ;) )
Yes, it is nice to escape into a land where language isn’t quite so R-rated. Although that is and can be a struggle in the world too (true story – it’s probably one of my biggest struggles. I come from a long line of women who swear. It’s a daily battle to hold my tongue.)
Flaws are so necessary for characters, aren’t they? I think I probably grow right along with my book people as I write them.
For me, realistic is something that we may deal with in our lives, or know someone who does. The more challenges we can see in books, may give some an more approachable idea on how to deal with a challenging situation in real life, like you mentioned Brian may challenge some. We are called to love, simply put, but it’s not always easy. Characters that struggle with any number of things as yours have, do make them relatable, a their situations are realistic. I love your books for those reasons. Sometimes we need our minds broadened to think outside the box, because everything doesn’t fit neatly inside of a box most of the time.
Thanks, Andrea. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a box and everything fit perfectly inside it? One more thing to look forward to in heaven.
To me, realistic…simply means that I can relate to the characters in the story. That it “really” can happen :)
Good info! Thanks!
Good post. I will have to try one of your books. Yes, this is what I want to read and write. Realistic, relateable characters. I don’t want to write ‘fantasy’ even if it sells. I look forward to trying one of yours.
Thanks, Christine! I hope you enjoy it (I might recommend the Grant Us Grace series as a place to start.)