This year the CRAFT OF WRITING blog is focusing on Aspects of the Novel, such as Plot, Dialogue, Characterization, etc. Take a look at the discussions we’ve had so far: James Scott Bell on Voice, DiAnn Mills on Plotting, Debbie Burke on Antagonists, Randy Ingermanson on Scenes, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi on Emotion, Larry Leech on Dialogue, Terry Odell on Deep Point of View, Sue Coletta on the Anti-hero, DiAnn Mills on Christian Romance, and P.J. Parrish (Kristy Montee) on Description. If you missed any of these, go to kaydibianca.com/blog and choose the post you want to revisit.

Today, I’m excited to welcome back Chautona Havig, the USA Today best-selling author and podcaster. I find it hard to introduce Chautona because I’ve never known anyone exactly like her. She’s an exuberant personality, and she has written—you won’t believe this—over one hundred and twenty books! And she hosts a podcast that airs twice a week. Given all of that productivity, I can only say I am thrilled that she found time to drop by and discuss an important, and rarely explored, topic on the subject of faith in writing.

To give you a hint of what’s to come, here’s a sentence from Chautona’s own website: “I offer Christian fiction without pretense or apology–lived, not preached.”

So read, enjoy, and engage with Chautona Havig.

Faith in Fiction -- a conversation with Chautona Havig
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The name of each person who enters a comment will be put into the drawing for a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

So join the conversation and earn a chance to win. I’ll post the name of the winner after 9 PM Central Time tonight, so be sure to check back to see if you won. (Previous 2024 winners are not eligible to win.)

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Welcome back to the Craft of Writing blog, Chautona, and thank you for joining us!

Thanks for having me back. I always enjoy our conversations.

When did you decide to write novels, and what event prompted that decision?

Um… well, I knew I wanted to write at twelve when I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but what prompted my adult foray into actually writing novels was the (seemingly NEVER ENDING) question, “How do you do it all,” when people found out I had eight kids.  They’d say they couldn’t manage with the one or two they had. No matter how many times I pointed out that I got kids one at a time like everybody else, and I had time to adapt and adjust before the next one came, someone else always came along and asked again as if I was some sort of superwoman. Hint: not even close. But one time after I’d said that (the bit about getting kids one or for some people, two, at a time), I thought… “But what if you didn’t? What if you got eight all at once?” That spiraled into things like: What if you didn’t have experience with young children? What if you were only in your early twenties? What if you not only inherited eight kids… but their over-the-top grandmother (read: mother-in-law!), too???  Aggie was born that day, and her antics with her eight nieces and nephews kicked off my writing in earnest.

Oh, and I had another baby after that since it’s such a piece of cake.

Have you always written books that had elements of faith?

All but one. I learn best by reading—story is how my brain works. So since the most important thing to me is faith, it was only natural that it would spill out.  I think if I weren’t a blunt, “say it like it is” kind of person, I might write more subtly and infuse a Christian worldview into my writing. I might. But… that’s not really me. I’m very much an open book, and it comes out in my writing.

That said, I did write one book that is most definitely not Christian fiction. It’s a young middle-grade book about a kid who figures out Santa’s secret and kidnaps the jolly old elf to get all the presents for himself.  Although, it doesn’t quite work out how he’d planned.  I like to say there’s nothing redeeming about the story, but… yeah. The kid learns a lesson or three. So… it has a semi-redemptive thread.

The funny thing is that we never “did” Santa as a kid, and we didn’t “do” it with our kids.  They still tease me for writing about that “creepy guy in red fur.”

Why have you commited your writing career to writing stories about faith?

I mostly answered that above, but I’ll try for something more succinct. Jesus is such a part of who I am that I don’t know how I would write any other way.

How do you include information about faith in your books without it being preachy?

Mostly by not trying to “put faith” in the book. I let it come out. Characters behave in ways that a Christian might—good and bad—and the fallout follows (also good and bad). I don’t try to write with a theme that “teaches something.” The closest I’ve come to doing that was with my Wynnewood books. I wanted to show ONE thing in those:  that the God known as I AM is real and to be trusted even (or perhaps especially) if people aren’t.

What genres do you write in? What’s your favorite?

Let’s go with what I don’t write. It’s faster. I’ve never written horror or erotica.  Never will write the latter.  Not sure I’ve done magical realism and not sure I would, although that’s not because I object to it more than because I’m not sure if I’d enjoy the writing. I do enjoy reading it.

My favorite is probably mystery, although… I really just love writing about people and their lives and interjecting my love of Jesus and humor into it all. So… *shrugs*

For authors who are interested in including some faith element in their works, what advice would you give them?

I think the key is to reframe the idea of “putting faith into a book.” Instead, look at ways faith might naturally emerge from a character or situation.  That makes all the difference. Jesus talked about insides and outsides of cups. Polishing up the cup of your book to reflect Jesus doesn’t have the power that allowing Him to spill out onto the page naturally does.

The best way I know to make that happen is to fill yourself with Jesus. You can’t write what isn’t in you. Get into the Word. Study it. Talk about it with other Christians. Listen to godly teachers and then go compare what they said with what the Bible says.  I firmly believe that if you fill yourself with Scripture, it’ll come out in your writing and in your reading. You’ll get spiritual lessons from books that the authors never intended.  I know this because I can’t count how many times I’ve told an author, “When I read this and remembered that Scripture, I realized that this other thing was true.” MANY times the author says, “I never caught that connection.”  I got it because of what I was studying at the time. And God used that.  And that is the beauty of Scripture.

You are incredibly prolific. How do you manage it?

There’s no great secret. I write.  I know that sounds simplistic and maybe even arrogant, but it is what it is. I write. And I enjoy writing. I had a slow five years the past five… Some consider it weird when I say that because I was putting out four or five books a year, but when you’re used to nearly double that… it’s odd. But that’s okay. Because God had a plan, and now we’re in a new season where I feel like I’m back to being… ME.  Hopefully, that means lots of new books, but I’m also prepared for life to change again. My mom is getting older, and my husband is also getting older. (Okay, I am, too but I’m still relatively young).  They’ll need me more soon, so what I plan may not be what God plans.  I just have to be ready to pivot.

Practically speaking, I develop routines that get me in the writing zone, and I take lots of breaks so I don’t wear myself out.  I’ve been through burnout once.  Lord willing, NEVER again.

What Christian authors do you admire?

How long do you have?  LOL.

I love the Mosaic Collection authors and their love for and commitment to the Lord. They all come from a place of grace and support for Christian authors and readers, which I find beautiful. That’s one good place to start!  Um… genre speaking, I’ll try to throw a couple from each out but if you asked me this tomorrow, I’d give different answers, I guarantee you.

Sara Brunsvold (deep faith stories), Suzanne Woods Fisher (beautiful life application of faith), Chris Fabry (fabulous storytelling that encourages my faith), Elizabeth Goudge (not afraid to show the hard stuff and how it could be handled), Joanne Bischof (stunning writing and storytelling), Amanda Dykes (beautiful writing—I usually don’t enjoy writing that I NOTICE the beauty, but I do with her), Amanda G. Stevens (deep faith welling up from stories and a look at troublesome times ahead), Sharon Garlough Brown (falling in love with Jesus as you learn His deep love for you), Sarah Hamaker (rich faith while reading a gripping story), Lisa Phillips (excellent writing—learn just by reading), Kimberley Woodhouse (more excellent writing with unexpected faith lessons), Angela Ruth Strong (rich lessons woven into hysterical writing. Genius), George MacDonald and Michael Phillips (rich, deep faith that keeps me abiding in Him) and this one gal… ugh, what was her name.  Kay Di…something (she’s got my favorite opening scene… ever).

I loved being interviewed on your “Because Fiction” podcast. Please tell my blog audience about the podcast and how they can find it.

Because Fiction was supposed to be a way for me to chat about the books I was reading. It quickly morphed into a chat with authors about the books they’re writing as a way for readers to find new authors, learn about new books coming out, and sometimes learn about ones they missed. I’m a huge proponent of nurturing backlists!

It comes out every Tuesday and Friday (except in December) and should be on all the major podcast apps. Or you can go to becausefictionpodcast.com  (it’s also on my sidebar on my blog at Chautona.com/blog)

Where can we find out more about you and your work?

Well, lookie there!  I just mentioned it! Seriously, though, Chautona.com is the best place to learn more about me, my books, and what’s coming.  And now that I’ve written that, maybe I should um… update the site. I kind of got behind this year!

Thank you, Chautona, for being with us today.

Thanks for having me! I always enjoy a chat with you—on the podcast or on ‘paper.”

Faith in Fiction -- a conversation with Chautona Havig
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Meet Chautona Havig

Using story to connect readers with the Master Storyteller.

Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours, and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

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A note in a forty-year-old Bible compels pilot Cassie Deakin to join the search for a murderer.

Available at  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, or Apple Books.

The post THE CRAFT OF WRITING — NOVEMBER 2024 appeared first on Kay DiBianca.