So I got to thinking. I switched days with another Seeker because of a conflict on my regular day to post. Then I forgot that I’d switched and scheduled an appointment for this morning. All is well as I shouldn’t be out more than a couple of hours. (I’ll be back, so y’all behave!!!)
In addition, today is the 16th, and I blog in Heroes, Heroines, and History on the 16th of every month, rain or shine, much like the postman makes his rounds.
My topic on HHH today is taboo foods. I started mulling over the topic when thinking about why it is that the five whites (sugar, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes) tend to be shunned in American society these days. Is it a fad or truly that these foods can be detrimental to our health and our waistline?
Anyway, today’s post here in Seekerville isn’t about taboo foods, but more about writing-related taboos, and I’m not just talking about taboo topics. There can be all kinds of taboos, and they change as often as the foods that it’s currently hip to avoid.
Taboo Language. It’s no secret that there are certain words that many Christian readers would prefer not to see in their reading material. It’s not that we’re prudes or that we like to pretend we don’t hear or see those words in the world around us. But you can’t unsee a vulgar word. Sure, I can get past one or two here or there, but when my reading material is riddled with them seemingly just for the shock value, then I notice and I remember and I can’t unthink them. Same with the spoken word. I’m visual and soak up the written word more than what I hear, but I’m not a fan of being around people who curse with abandon or anything that comes over the “tube” that’s riddled with obscene language. I’m not even a fan of “potty” humor. It’s just not funny to me.
So it’s a balancing act. And words that were frowned upon ten, fifteen or twenty years ago would probably pass muster in a lot of Christian fiction these days. But in some cases, not, depending on the publishers guidelines, and each reader’s personal preferences.
Taboo Topics and Visuals. When I searched the internet for this, a blog post by Steve Laube from 2017 was one of the first to pop up. In his post, Edgy Christian Fiction, Steve says, “There are three main areas of dispute: Sex, Language, and Violence,” regarding taboo topics in Christian fiction. The post and the (very civil) comments are enlightening as visitors to the blog discuss what is “too much” or when it’s “too sanitized” for real life. I suppose we all have our hot buttons, but depending on the skill of the author, the purpose of including violence, etc. in a novel and the set-up leading up to the questionable scenes, I might accept or reject accordingly. Case in point: There were a lot of scenes in Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers that in many novels would have made me stop and never read that book again. However, the skill of Ms. Rivers to portray the subject matter in a tasteful, believable, and sympathetic manner made the book memorable, not stomach churning.
Taboo Styles. Maybe not taboo, but third person, first person, omniscient pov, and/or a mix of all the above has been in vogue or out of vogue depending on the season and which way the wind is blowing. While omniscient pov is out of style right now, a mix of third and first person within the same novel can be found. It’s not common, but it’s out there. Third person is the most common (at least in the novels that I generally read), and first person is a bit more rare.
Taboo, or rather, out of favor, genres. In 2005 (give or take a few years), publishers didn’t want historical romance. Women’s fiction, Chick Lit, and Lad Lit were all the rage. Three days later, the pendulum swung and historical fiction was on rise again and Chick Lit had sprouted wings and flown away. In the last 19 years, the pendulum has swung back and forth hitting all the genres, mixing them up, combining, and spitting them out again. Time slip is popular now. This is not time travel. It’s two (or more) storylines from different timelines within the same novel with some thread that ties the stories together.
One thing is for sure, change will swing again. Just as tomatoes were frowned upon in 16th century Europe, words, topics, styles, and genres will change, morph and grow.
CBA Bestselling author PAM HILLMAN was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn't afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove an Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn't mind raking. Raking hay doesn't take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that's the kind of life every girl should dream of. www.pamhillman.com
Hi Pam, thanks for sharing this and reminding us how fickle and crazy this business is, but also how worth it. I fell victim to the "nobody wants historicals" a couple years ago. Probably just as well, but it stung at the time.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Francine Rivers had to write "Redeeming Love" the way she did or there would have been almost no point to it. Another writer who had the skill to do that is Bodie Thoene and her character Rachel in the "Zion Covenant." Rachel was a former prostitute for the SS Nazis. Period. It shaped her life after the war, shaped her shame, shaped her coming to the Lord. The Thoenes handled this with sensitivity, but at the same time they didn't shy away from what she was and how it was for her.
On the other hand, I was advised by more than one person to change Jenny Thatcher, a secondary character in "Westward Hope," from a prostitute to a "saloon girl." I complied. Maybe some day I'll write a prostitute. But Jenny still had plenty of shame to overcome before she came to the Lord. I also cleaned up Michael Moriarty's past a little, having him swear off drinking on the boat coming from Ireland and having him swear off other women when he finds out Caroline is on the train. Trust me, Michael still has plenty to feel guilty about.
I have been grappling with the whole concept of "marketability." I go to seminars at conferences and the instructors tell us, "Write what's on your heart." I talk to agents at same and most if not all tell me, "It's got to be marketable." For now at least I'm splitting the difference and asking GOD to put MARKETABLE IDEAS on my heart.
I'm being Martha today, careful and troubled with many things, but they're all good things. If I don't get back I'll see you Friday.
Kathy Bailey
Always your Kaybee
Kathy, you just touched on something that drives this train... marketability. The owner of the multi-million dollar company I worked for almost 30 years used to have a sign on his door. It said, The Customer is Always Right.
DeleteGranted, we sold a high-dollar item and customers could pick up the phone and call our office and offer their complaints and their praise. Other than distributors and dealers, there wasn't a gatekeeper who told us what the customer wanted. We got that directly from the horse's mouth.
I think for publishers, marketability is more about figuring out how to reach the MOST people with our words vs. a smaller market who are accepting of our words. They are taking a risk. For us as authors, sometimes we do have to decide what we're comfortable with as well.
But, on the flip side of that, in some cases, (say, the books you mentioned above), either the author or the publisher, decided it was worth the risk to push the envelope more than a bit. Even then, if we go to read the reviews of those books mentioned, there are going to be disgruntled readers because they were uncomfortable with the content.
Have a great day, friend!
Pam, I agree that the pendulum keeps swinging on what's the most popular genre at the moment. That's why I think it's important not to chase trends but to write what we love and feel passionate about. I think there are ways to make every standard genre marketable. Mainly, to write a GREAT book! :)
ReplyDeleteYep. That just about sums it up. :)
DeletePam thanks for your post this morning. I recently read a CF novel that dealt with the topic of premarital sex and I thought the author handled it with sensitivity. There wasn't a description of what was happening but the reader knew by the end of scene it was going to happen. The rest of the story dealt with the emotional upheaval afterward (which no one ever talks about come to think of it). But oh my! The comments of readers in some of the reviews - some were downright angry and had nothing to say but horrible things. I appreciated the focus on the emotional aspect and the issues of forgiving oneself, God's expectations, and forgiving the other person.
ReplyDeleteI think fiction should be reflective of real life, but yes, when it comes to "taboo" topics a real sensitivity to the reader has to be taken into consideration. If done well, it can really bless a reader.
Lee-Ann B
Lee-Ann, it's a tightropes for sure.
DeleteI remember sitting at my first ACFW conference in 2007 and hearing agent after agent and editor after editor say that Historical Romance was dead, long live Chick Lit! I was discouraged to say the least. Historical Romance is my jam!
ReplyDeleteThen things completely flipped around, and the next year, Chick Lit was gone, and everyone wanted HR.
This is a crazy business, and we're one blockbuster hit away from a genre being all the rage. Vampires, wizards, time-slip anyone?
I was at that conference, Erica! If we'd known each other back then, we could've cried together. It was such a bleak seeming time.
DeleteIf they'd known how devastated those panels were to us newbies....
If us newbies had known how quickly things change....
Yep. Me, too. I realized that year that we're smart to do what we love and let the pendulum catch up. Unsold manuscripts are like gold bars in the bank.
DeleteGoodness, I didn't even know there was such a thing as Lad Lit. Doubt I could keep up with the ever-evolving trends.
ReplyDeleteGreat points on the language and "edgy" topics. I remember that post by Steve Laube! Handling the more controversial issues of life well requires a lot of grace and discernment. I admire those who do so.
I agree. I have never heard of Lad Lit.
DeleteGreat topic, Pam! That pendulum thing is crazy, for sure.
ReplyDelete"Write the book of your heart, just make sure it is marketable. It's as easy for your heart to love a marketable book as it is to love an unmarketable one."
ReplyDeleteHi Pam:
I enjoyed Francine Rivers, "The Atonement Child," which is a Christian book about rape and abortion. That was an edgy book and still is. Mary wrote a likewise edgy book, "The Bossy Bridegroom," which is about spousal abuse. Excellent book but I feel it was never marketed properly. The marketing needs to be directed to readers who want to read such a book and not the general romance market.
What I find so interesting is not what is taboo but what, to me, are invisible taboos. For example, it never occurs to me that no one in Love Inspired books drinks or smokes. Language is clean. And yet the books don't read as stilted or unauthentic. That's why I can enjoy them so much. The primary focus is always on the romance.
I don't think I've ever seen the word 'abortion' in a LI book. Nor have I encountered any doctrinal disputes which threatened to split a church in two. I have not read about big disputes over buying a bigger church and moving miles away. (This has happen three times to my wife in the last twenty years.) Then there is the much beloved pastor who leaves to be promoted to a bigger church and greater salary. (This has happened often over the years.)
It's not what is not talked about but rather making sure that what is talked about is authentic.
Keep it real.
Vince
Those are interesting thoughts, Vince.
DeleteI'm pretty sure we can't have doctrinal disputes in Love Inspired because the focus is on the romance, not the church and that makes for a strong line in the sand. And no one wants to fight over doctrine, right? I figure the disciples followed along without arguing fine points. So should we.
I like keeping it simple even though life is very, very real.
I'm a strong advocate for right to life. Not because I'm Catholic. Because I'm human. And The Atonement Child may not have seen print if it was attached to a lesser-known author.
Great thoughts.
Interesting post, Pam. I enjoy all types of Christian fiction. But there are definitely readers out there who think it should only be one way. I'm glad there is such a variety.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great topic to tackle, Pam.
ReplyDeleteThat genre swinging...it catches all of us at one time or another. I find myself second guessing - What will be selling a year from now? What will the publishers want to see? What's next on the horizon?
Only God knows.
So, as I prayerfully write proposals for my next book(s), I'm going with my strengths. Amish. Historical. But not both at the same time. We'll see what happens!
Then you also talked about Taboo language and subjects. I think we've seen that most subjects are acceptable if they're handled with care and grace. Language is different...
On a related note, one of my husband's coworkers told him she planned on giving one of my books to her niece, but wanted to read it first to make sure there wasn't a lot of language and non-teen-friendly situations in it. He told her what I've often said, that I don't want to publish anything I wouldn't want my children and grandchildren to read. That's my standard, and it works for me.
Pam.
ReplyDeleteBest Topic Ever.
Well, okay, there have been others, but this is crucial and timely because things change, don't they?
I remember reading Chick Lit and liking the light formula but I didn't like the heroines. They were like Hannah Montana snarky (the ones I read) and I didn't like that. I wasn't sorry when they faded...
But the time slip!
I just finished mine for Guideposts (and I loved, loved, loved writing it! Even though I wasn't familiar with the term and kind of thought of it as a dual timeline... which it also is.)
I loved that you touched on how markets change. I was at that conference when they talked about the demise of historicals... and then BOOM! And didn't we notice that with our Seeker historical novella collections? People ate them up.
Great post. Great thoughts.
Pam, Thank you for sharing this informative post!
ReplyDeleteI've been dealing with this recently. I've been debating whether or not to have my villain use a period-appropriate word to address my hero. In the 16th century, the word was acceptable and unobjectionable. However, in current Japanese the word is possibly the most vile thing you can say to someone. I've decided to go with it and put a "warning" in the notes not to look it up.
ReplyDeleteAs for my first samurai novel, one editor declined it for too much blood.
This is very interesting, especially in relation to profanity or swear words. Honestly, I come from Britain, and there are words here that would barely be considered swearing, but are R rated in the States. I know one American author who used some typically 'British' words starting with B in her book set in 14th century England. I barely noticed them, but her American readers really complained.
ReplyDeleteWe have two British monarchs whose nicknames might be considered swear words, but they're actually just references to the circumstances illegitimate birth in one case, and their reputation in another.
Also, I know some Christians strongly object to any reference to people drinking alcohol, but there were times in the past, and even in cultures now where it did happen. My ancestors drank Ale. It doesn't mean they were alcoholics, it was just often safer than the water.
I sometimes wonder if the rules are a little too rigid and should historical or cultural accuracy allow for some flexibility? Honestly, British people don't really say 'jerk'. Jerk here usually means a type of dried, cured meat. (Joke, we do know what the Americanism means, we just don;t really use it).