As a novelist, I am probably biased when it comes to the answer to this question. I think fiction is a legitimate and impactful medium to convey truth, and I have written my own novels to do just that.
As a pastor, I am very concerned about the type of fiction that is being read by our Christian families, having seen how minds can be changed and influenced by what they read.
Readers often think that fiction is just entertainment, but that is just not true. Fiction carries as strong and as powerful a message as any other type of medium. With that message comes real dangers to the reader. As writers, we must keep this in mind. Our writing will influence. It is a heavy responsibility, one none of us should take lightly.
Fiction Conveys Messages
To the mailable mind, worldly fiction novels can easily present concepts and messages that clearly violate the Bible and our Christian values. These messages have more of an impact on readers than you might think. The more they are exposed to an idea, the more they will come to accept the idea. This is good when the ideas promote Christian values. Not so good when they do not.
The more exposure a reader has to an idea, the more comfortable they will become with it. Christians like entertainment just as much as anyone else, so if we can fill that need with wholesome, well-written content, then as writers, we will be uplifting Christ in the minds and hearts of readers.
Remember, Jesus used fiction (parables) to teach truth.
The Influence of Heroes
Another danger to reading non-Christian fiction is the attachment a reader can have to the main characters. Once a reader starts to care about a character, they will begin to identify with the character. If the character has opinions that are anti-God, anti-Christian, or anti-religious, the reader will be much more susceptible to adopting those opinions themselves.
This is particularly true if the character you begin to identify with is the hero or heroine in the story. In many cases, the author will see to it that the character’s opinions and motivations are the reason for such heroics, which often inspires emulation.
Fiction offers inspiration, and as Christian authors, there is a need for well-written fiction that offers heroes that uphold Christian values. If we can fill that need, we will be expanding the Kingdom of God within the kingdom of men. That is a good thing. We are also helping to inspire godly emulation—which I suspect was one of the main reasons Jesus told His fictional parables.
Distinguishing Fiction from Reality
All fiction can blur the line between reality and fiction. A child watching a Superman movie may put on a cape and jump off a roof to be like Superman—clearly, the line was blurred. Kids the world over began buying owls after watching or reading Harry Potter. In the latter case, the books and movies intentionally tried to blur the lines between reality and fiction. How many kids think witchcraft is now okay and hope they aren’t a muggle?
This blurring of lines is dangerous, particularly for children and teenagers whose minds are still developing. Some fantasy books, like the Narnia books, are Christian based and make a clear distinction between reality and fiction, but many secular works out there make no attempt to do so. They have their own agenda.
So as Christian writers, we need to offer content that does not promote evil or anti-biblical concepts. We can deal with those negative things in our writing, but we must ensure they are put into proper biblical context. Witchcraft is evil. Harry Potter is wrong. Our kids need to know this. So well-written fiction can convey the proper message.
Conclusion
Fiction has a place in the Christian’s world. If you read your Bible at all, then you know that Jesus told fictional stories to try and convey truth. We call them parables. These parables were used to help His listeners relate more easily to the truth He was trying to teach.
And that is the power of fiction. Through Christian fiction, we can convey truth and then relate it to our readers in ways that can’t otherwise be done.
A good Christian fiction novel will reinforce the values and morals that you hold. I’ve written several novels myself, and the purpose of those novels are to convey messages that are consistent with my values. This is done in a relatable manner that people find entertaining, but also healthy.
A good Christian fiction novel will encourage you to transpose the qualities and attributes you read about into real life scenarios. This was Jesus’ hope when He told His parables. He wanted His listeners to adopt into real life the values that were promoted in fictional stories.
A good novel can encourage readers to be kind, loving, generous, wary of sin, to choose friends better, and to understand life better. This is a powerful tool, and so, yes, Christian writers should write fiction!