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Agent Terry Burns on Unclean Speech

By Adam Blumer December 17, 2012 Clean Speech Initiative, Inspiration, Publishing No Comments

I saw this great post and wanted to let my readers know about it. Recently, Christian agent Terry Burns said some great things about publishing that go right along with my series on clean speech. It’s great to hear other voices of reason participating in the discussion. Check out his article, “The Wrong Question.” Here’s a good quote: I know bad men use bad language and bad situations occur in real life, but I believe a good writer can show what they want whether it be someone cursing or other non-family-friendly content without actually using the words or showing the action in a graphic manner. And if done well I don’t believe it dilutes the power of the scene. But it does take better writing skills. . . . Never mind what the publisher will or won’t accept, what are we willing to attach our name to? Because when Satan lures…

In Defense of Clean Speech in Christian Fiction, Part 8

By Adam Blumer December 14, 2012 Articles, Christian Living, Clean Speech Initiative, Current Events, English, Inspiration, Writing No Comments

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7. Secondary Considerations: How Can We Know Whether Certain Words Are Vulgar or Profane? When I began this series, I mentioned participating in an online discussion about whether certain . . . ahem . . . words were ever okay to use in Christian fiction. One problem that hijacked the debate was the inability (or unwillingness) on the part of some to agree on the vulgarity of certain words. “Well, that word doesn’t seem vulgar to me,” they said. First, those in the discussion were all from the United States. Unless some of us grew up Amish, that we couldn’t reach some level of agreement doesn’t seem credible. Second, refusing to agree seems like a clever way to shift the debate. If the debate becomes about the vulgarity of certain words instead of about what God has said, then one need…

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

By Adam Blumer December 12, 2012 Interviews, The Tenth Plague, Writing 8 Comments

My friends, today I’m talking about my next novel, The Tenth Plague, which is due for release on January 15, 2013. This is part of the Next Big Thing “blog hop”—where authors present their latest work-in-progress, with the hope it will spark your interest and cause you to “hop” from blog to blog to learn more. I was invited to this blog hop by Dave Fessenden — check out his Next Big Thing at his blog: fromconcepttocontract.com. So, without further ado, here is my self-interview about my novel (a disclaimer: I did not choose these questions!): What is the working title of your book? The Tenth Plague Where did the idea come from for the book? “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the…

In Defense of Clean Speech in Christian Fiction, Part 7

By Adam Blumer December 7, 2012 Christian Living, Clean Speech Initiative, Inspiration, Publishing, Weekly Post, Writing 7 Comments

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8. Secondary Considerations: What about the Weaker Brother? My allegory in Part 6 illustrates the current debate among some Christian authors. Some, like the “edgy chef” in my story, feel they have the Christian liberty to use a crass word or a profanity or two in a Christian novel. But others reject the premise that this is even a Christian liberty issue. They believe, based on biblical absolutes, that using unclean speech is unacceptable for any author who calls herself or himself Christian. In Part 3, we looked at the main verses that support their position. A Christian Liberty Issue? For the sake of the debate, let’s pretend the debate is a Christian liberty issue. What does the Bible teach about Christian liberty? If I use this rationale, can I use whatever words I want in my novel, regardless of what my…