19. How Do Christian Authors Stay Sensitive About ‘Grittier Than PG-13’ Content?

This week, you can hear how bestselling fantasy novelists (including many Christians) wrestle with challenging fiction content. This is a special panel discussion from the 2019 Realm Makers conference. You’ll hear novelists Terry Brooks, Brent Weeks, Robert Liparulo, and C. W. Briar—plus our own E. Stephen Burnett—explore character swears, violence, sexual content and all the rest of it. What is Realm Makers? Realm Makers is a professional organization for Christian writers of fantasy, sci-fi, other fantastical genres. They have a membership program, online community, and monthly webinars Realm Makers hosts summer conferences every July. This year’s conference is a special Pandemic Edition. Authors can meet virtually and get training in writing craft and trade. For more information, go to RealmMakers.com. This year’s faculty include Thomas Locke, N. D. Wilson, C. J. Redwine, and Steven James. Stephen is actually doing mentor sessions, too. Slots have filled up but reply to us here if you want to learn more. Lorehaven will be there, with a virtual booth in the virtual marketplace. ‘Grittier Than PG-13: Writing and the Christian Author’ This panel’s original audience was authors, but readers and fans can benefit just as much. It may help to hear authors working through these issues. Many of these authors are professing Christians. The moderator is Randy Streu. He has the deepest voice. Next on Fantastical Truth Our next episode features an audiobook excerpt from Amish Zombies from Space. That’s book 2 in sci-fi author Kerry Nietz’s Perils in Plain Space series. Narrated by Randy Streu (the same as the Realm Makers panel moderator), this excerpt catches readers up with the spacefaring Amish, and just possibly a zombie. Or more zombies. From space, no less.