Featured Interview
Welcome to our most
recent conversation with someone who has actually been beyond the map's
edge and lived to tell the tale. The heroic men and women interviewed
here represent the vanguard of those working to expand the boundaries
of Christian speculative fiction.
This is our twenty-fourth
WhereTheMapEnds interview. If you'd like to read previous
months' interviews, with luminaries such as Frank Peretti and Ted
Dekker, you can find them here.
Please Welcome...Rebecca Miller
What a joy to have Christian novelist
and speculative fiction pioneer Rebecca LuElla
Miller as
our interview guest at WhereTheMapEnds.com.
Becky is one of
those ladies you need to get to know if you're serious about Christian
speculative fiction fandom. Not only is she a novelist herself, she is the
administrator of the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour, the
editor of the Latest
in Spec e-newsletter, a blogger on her own
site and at Speculative Faith, and the initiator of the Clive Staples
Award for Christian speculative fiction.
Yikes. Add all that
together and you could make a case that Becky Miller is the
hardest-working woman promoting Christian speculative fiction in our day.
Becky is a delightful person with a ready
laugh and a quick wit. She also thinks about wonderfully strange things,
like basketball players falling into alternate fantasy dimensions.
Awesome.
So
without further ado, here's the interview with one of the primary movers
and shakers working to promote Christian speculative fiction
today.
WhereTheMapEnds: Catch us up with what's
going on in your life.
Rebecca LuElla Miller: You mean besides blogging at my site and at Speculative Fiction, administering
the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour, editing Latest in
Spec, and initiating the Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative
Fiction?
I have a couple of articles coming out in the
October issue of Victorian Homes magazine.
But I’m most excited about my short story, “Haj,”
which placed in the Writers’ Digest
Short, Short Story Competition and will be coming out in the
competition collection in August (copies available here).
That story is illustrative of the type of Christian fantasy I write, and I
was pleased to see it well received in a secular contest
WhereTheMapEnds: That's fantastic, Becky.
Congratulations! What is your favorite speculative novel of all time (Christian or secular)
and why is that your favorite?
Rebecca LuElla Miller: One
of C.S. Lewis’s least known works, Till We Have Faces. Other books
have transported me to new worlds and have created empathy with the main
character as this one did, but Lewis added the spiritual dimension in such
a powerful way it made a significant difference in my
life.
WhereTheMapEnds: Tell us a bit about
the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour, Latest in
Spec, the Clive Staples Award, and your other activities promoting
Christian speculative
fiction.
Rebecca LuElla Miller: The Christian Science Fiction
and Fantasy Blog Tour began in May 2006 with thirteen bloggers discussing a review Web site that had
a fantasy fiction
feature.
The impetus for the
tour was twofold. A number of us fantasy writers who belonged to ACFW began discussing what we could do on the grassroots level
to promote the genre.
T.L. Hines had recently begun a blog tour which became the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, headed now by
Bonnie Calhoun. Inspired by what Tony was doing, that group of six or so
started off. Donita K. Paul’s DragonKnight
was the first book we featured.
Since
then, we’ve grown to a membership of over 100 bloggers. We conduct tours
once a month, highlighting the best Christian speculative books and Web
sites (and will be featuring Marcher Lord Press in September). To learn more about
CSFF, visit the
site.
As
a companion to the blog tour and in conjunction with the Lost Genre Guild, we
started the e-newsletter Latest In Spec, more like the classified ads of
the genre.
My
vision is that this publication will become a tool to bring readers (and
bookstore owners) together with books, Web sites, authors, podcasts,
chats, and all else available in the genre.
Readers
can’t buy books they don’t know about. Or go to book signings they didn’t
realize are taking place. Or sign on to a chat they aren’t aware of. Or
read the short fiction in the on-line webzine they haven’t heard about.
Latest
in Spec can serve as the information hub to report what all is
available to fans. If you would like to subscribe to LIS you may sign up
here.
WhereTheMapEnds: I can attest to the
effectiveness of the Blog Tour. You guys profiled WhereTheMapEnds.com when
it had been online only
four months or so. After the blogtour my readership at monthly hits more
than doubled and stayed at that elevated rate permanently. And
I can't wait to see what happens when
you guys promote Marcher Lord Press! So, Becky, what made you
want to write Christian speculative fiction?
Rebecca LuElla Miller: Reading
Stephen Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever trilogies,
especially the first one. He took his character to the point of realizing
his need and his inability to change, but he had no answer. I was struck
by how incomplete the story was and determined that I’d write a story that
told the whole truth.
WhereTheMapEnds:
Excellent call to arms. Amazing how people can get so close and yet still
miss the Truth. So how was your first
idea for a Christian speculative novel received (by anyone: spouse,
friends, parents, agent, publisher, readers, reviewers,
etc.)?
Rebecca LuElla Miller:
Honestly, I’ve been at it so long, I don’t
remember.
The first professional to see my work gave me great feedback and was very
supportive. When I finished the first book she took it to a publisher, and
I began to think this publishing thing was going to be easy. When that
house rejected it, I was certain another would snap it up in quick
order.
Thank God none did. I
have learned so much about writing fiction since then. The whole story is
better.
WhereTheMapEnds: That's a funny story.
Yes, I shudder to think what I would've felt if my first manuscript had
been published. Ack!
What is your favorite speculative genre to read? To write? If they're
different, talk about that.
Rebecca
LuElla Miller: I
really do enjoy reading epic fantasy. I just don’t see very many of them
out there to be honest. I suppose that’s what has helped me stay with
writing epic fantasy. I write what I want to
read.
WhereTheMapEnds: Exactly! No one ever seems
to write what I consider the ultimate book. So I have to. I think every
novelist needs to believe that. From your perspective, Becky,
how would you
characterize the current state of Christian speculative fiction writing
and/or publishing?
Rebecca LuElla Miller:
Burgeoning. So many writers are working in [Christian]
fantasy, in particular, but more and more in the darker branches
of the genre. In addition, publishing houses affiliated
with the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association are at long last increasing their number
of speculative fiction titles.
Meanwhile, a number of individuals, dissatisfied with
the cautious advances of the genre by standard publishers, have
established alternatives. Bill Snodgrass with Double Edged
Publishing is an example, as are you and your
own Marcher Lord Press.
WhereTheMapEnds:
What have you seen that encourages you about Christian speculative fiction
writing and/or publishing?
Rebecca
LuElla Miller: I’m reading more
and more really well-written [Christian speculative] books. It’s one thing for us to
put a lot of titles on the shelf and another thing to have people
clamoring to buy them. The latter won’t happen if the books are no better
than average.
I’m
also encouraged by the sales figures I’m aware of, by a company like
Zondervan signing a speculative writer (Bryan Davis) for their YA line,
and by the upcoming West Coast fantasy book tour involving eight authors,
double the number involved in last year’s well-publicized tour up the East
Coast.
WhereTheMapEnds:
What have you seen that
discourages or frustrates you about Christian speculative fiction writing
and/or publishing?
Rebecca
LuElla Miller: I suppose what discourages or frustrates me is the same
as what discourages or frustrates other unpublished authors—while editors
want good books to publish, they also want books they have a pretty good
idea will sell, which means they look for an author with a platform. And
if they don’t find a new one, they may “convert” a writer they already
have a relationship with.
Consequently, publishing is hard to break into,
regardless of genre. Add in the speculative element and the strikes
against a new author mount.
One more thing. Even though more ECPA [Christian
publishing] houses are publishing speculative fiction, agents still seem
reticent to look at fantasy. For the unagented like myself, that’s
discouraging.
WhereTheMapEnds: I've heard a few Christian
publishing people say they want a novelist with a platform (by which they
mean a large built-in readership or audience, like someone with a speaking
ministry), but I can't understand why they would want such a thing.
Novelists are not usually outgoing, speaker types.
Besides, the fiction reader doesn't care if she's
never heard of a particular novelist before. She'll buy the book if she
likes the cover, title, genre, and premise. It's not like in nonfiction
when you're thinking of buying a book on, say, parenting and you're
deciding between a book by someone you've heard of who is over a large
parenting ministry and a book by a no-name.
Sometimes I think such answers are just
reasons to say no to something these agents or editors don't want to
publish anyway.
If you were to write a novel that would be certain to interest the
core CBA fiction readership, you wouldn't be hearing about platform, I gaurantee
it.
Okay, Becky, what would you like to see changed regarding Christian speculative fiction
writing and/or
publishing?
Rebecca
LuElla Miller: You
mean, if my pipe dream came true? I’d like to see the industry embrace
speculative fiction as the form of writing that tells the whole truth
about life—physical and spiritual.
I’d
like to see publishing houses throw the whole weight of their marketing
departments behind selling speculative fiction so that Ted Dekker and
Left Behind aren’t seen
as anomalous but as the norm.
WhereTheMapEnds:
Preach it, sister! What do you think Christian speculative fiction writing
and/or publishing will look like in three years? Five years? Ten
years?
Rebecca
LuElla Miller:
God
only knows. I’m not going to second-guess Him. If we are indeed writing
stories that honor and glorify His name, I suspect He will bless the
endeavor. Whether that means an increase in published works and
best-selling status, or one more person introduced to Jesus Christ, I
can’t say.
WhereTheMapEnds:
What advice would you give to someone who aspires to write and publish
Christian speculative fiction?
Rebecca LuElla Miller: Did you say you want me to write a regular column for
you? Seriously, I’d say: don’t start with an epic trilogy. Start with
short stories that can help you learn the craft, give you sales or
publishing credits, and begin creating a platform for
yourself.
I’d
also add something I learned from my critique group—don’t feel compelled
to spell everything out for your readers. Give them credit for being able
to imagine, pick up on hints, and understand symbols.
WhereTheMapEnds: Good advice, Becky. I think
you can go too far on that and end up leaving readers completely clueless
about what's going on in your scenes or what anyone or anything looks
like. But I agree you can also go too far in explaining, and thus numb
your reader's mind and insult her intelligence. So what would you say
is
the best book or seminar on fiction writing you
know?
Rebecca
LuElla Miller:
Donald
Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel, closely followed by Monica Wood’s Description and Sol Stein’s Stein
on Writing.
WhereTheMapEnds: What’s the best part about
writing and publishing Christian speculative
fiction?
Rebecca LuElla Miller: The
best part? If you’ve ever been lost in a book for hours at a time, to the
point that you have to reorient yourself when you come up for a break,
then you know what writing Christian speculative fiction is for me.
But
the best part might be answered prayer. When I have a thorny place [in my
book] and can’t see an answer or a way out, when I bring that to God,
time and again He sparks my
imagination.
OK,
another “best” is embedding spiritual truths in the story and having
readers uncover those and actually recount the experience as affecting
their real lives. Of course this has happened only with my readers and
crit partners, but it’s exciting to think that something I’ve written can
serve someone else on the spiritual
plane.
WhereTheMapEnds:
What writing project(s) are you working on now?
Rebecca LuElla Miller: I’m
revising Battle for the Throne, book 3 of the Lore of
Efrathah.
WhereTheMapEnds:
What’s a cool speculative story idea you’ve had lately?
Rebecca
LuElla Miller: Sorry, I
keep those close to the vest. I will say I finished a story I’m excited
about called “And the Stones Cry Out,” this one for the Writer’s
Digest Annual Writing Competition, Genre Short Story Division. I’ve
got the beginnings of another short story, too, perhaps for the fall WD
contests.
WhereTheMapEnds:
What’s the best speculative story (Christian or secular, book or
otherwise) you’ve encountered lately?
Rebecca
LuElla Miller: I
recently read Demon: A Memoir
by Tosca Lee (NavPress). That is one of the
finest books I’ve read.
WhereTheMapEnds: Well, Becky, what else
would you like to say to the readers of WhereTheMapEnds.com?
Rebecca LuElla
Miller: People
in the Christian publishing business, when asked what fans can do to
encourage publishers to produce more speculative fiction, always say, "Buy
books." Sales speak louder than rants on blog posts or in email loops. Buy
Christian speculative novels for Christmas presents, birthday presents,
housewarming presents... There are good ones out and more on the
way.
That's
all for this time
What a wonderful interview, huh? Thanks again to Rebecca
Miller. Be sure to visit Becky online.
As a special gift Becky has let
us read her fantasy short story, "Swallow and Beyond." It's posted in the Special Features
section. Be sure to
check it out.
If
you missed the previous months' interviews with other speculative authors,
including Frank Peretti, Jerry Jenkins, Karen
Hancock, Tosca Lee, and Ted
Dekker, you can read them here.
And be sure to come back next month for an interview
with another mover and shaker in the world of Christian speculative
fiction.