Honoring Christ Through Story: Inspiration, Tips, and Encouragement from Young Fantasy Author Emma G. Mckee

Hello and welcome! I’m thrilled to be talking with the young author, blogger, and fantasy writer, Emma G. McKee. I was recently honored to have her article, “The Art of Sub-Creation,” posted on Be the Blaze, and now she has returned with more about her writing journey, tips for fantasy writers, and more!

1. Your mission is to “honor Christ through story.” What first inclined you to use your writing as a tool to serve Christ, and how has your faith shaped your writing mission over the years?

Hello! I’m so excited to be here! Be the Blaze is such an amazing place, and I’m thrilled to be back!Well, my own story with writing starts in August of ‘21, when we had just started homeschooling. My mom had heard about a Christian book series called The Wingfeather Saga, and so I looked it up and quickly became interested. I flew through the first book, but as I read, I could feel it stirring something within me. Rarely had I truly thought about the power books can have, but that series showed me that books can do more than entertain. They can uplift and inspire.The more I got into the world of Wingfeather, I began poking around on the author’s website (www.wingfeathersaga.com) and discovered something that would ultimately start my entire writing journey. I found Mr. Peterson’s Note to Parents, and while I am not a parent, I immediately could relate to what he talked about. He shares the reason why he hopes parents will trust him with their childrens’ imaginations, and why he writes not for money or to push an agenda or just because he has a thing for dragons and swords, but because he was created by a Maker, and created in the image of the Maker, and believes it is his task now to make things with all the beauty and goodness and Truth (with a capital T) that he can.Reading that note, I immediately felt like I had found it. My purpose. My mission was in front of me, written plainly, and all I had to do was accept it.So I did. I began penning my own stories for God, hoping and praying they would be able to impact others the way the Wingfeather Saga impacted me. I joined the Young Writers Workshop the next year and grew tremendously in my writing skills, and now I run a blog and email list, have published a short story, and am writing the (third iteration) first draft of my epic animal fantasy trilogy I’ve been planning since the start, when I first decided to become an author.

2. What specific disappointments in current books have driven you to write your own inspiring fantasy, and how does this promise of wholesome writing link to serving Christ through story?

There are many ways for a book to “go wrong”, so to speak, in my personal tastes. It might not be very interesting, or might push a certain political agenda, or contain content such as language or gore that I don’t believe is necessary and good. But rather than give details on every disappointment I’ve seen, I simply want to say that anything that goes against the Word of God, even something as simple as a character motivated by the wrong thing and yet shown in a good light, is not something we should be reading. As Christians, it is our job to discern what is good and true from the instructions God has given us, and that discernment takes practice.For example, what’s the difference between “good” violence and “bad” violence in stories? Christian authors like myself strive to show light in the darkness, but what about that darkness? How can we write it in a Christ-honoring way?It all depends on how we portray it. Are we showing our characters fighting for their lives in order to survive and complete their mission? Or are we showing our characters grinning while killing someone for little reason? Or even showing them undisturbed by death and the consequences of war? By the end of the story (because no character is perfect, especially at the start) if our characters are celebrating violence, that is not honoring Christ.There have been many things in stories that have disappointed me over the years, but the unifying attribute between them is that they are celebrating the darkness rather than glorifying the light. Because my mission is to honor Christ through Story, I strive to write stories where darkness is not ignored, but it is shown plainly as something evil and different than what our Maker intended. I write stories where light and goodness are celebrated, and darkness is the enemy. My characters will fight the darkness, and sometimes they will fail. Sometimes they might even embrace it. But there are always consequences for our actions, and I don’t hesitate to show them. By the end, my characters will always have learned that light triumphs over darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

3. In your new “Faith-Forged Fantasy” series, you talk about finding your writing purpose. What was your personal “first spark” in realizing your stories could have a deeper, God-given impact?

From the moment I decided to pursue becoming an author, I always thought I would write stories that honored Christ. I knew it was my purpose to pen stories that were wholesome and filled with goodness, as well as to shed a light on the darkness. But truthfully, I’ve recently found a deeper, more personal part of that purpose. For almost a year now, I’ve struggled through debilitating anxiety, and it’s affected almost every part of my life. I’ve been working towards conquering it with the help of my family and especially God, but through this battle I’ve realized that it, too, has a purpose– my role as an author is to not only write good, truthful stories, but to write stories about healing and casting our cares on the Lord rather than looking for control or escape. My current writing project (which you can learn more about below) includes themes of leadership, control, and even battling anxiety and past trauma, and my hope is that by mirroring my journey through anxiety in my characters, future readers will find hope for healing and peace.

4. Tell us about your current and upcoming projects. Are you working on any short stories like “The White Stag” you wrote for the Illuminate the Dark anthology, or are you working on a fantasy book/novel? How do these projects tie into your mission of honoring Christ through story?

Over the years I’ve started many, many writing projects, most of which lasted only a short while before I began writing something new (whoops!). I’ve written stories in a wide range of genres, from whimsical fantasy adventures with silly dragons, magical flowers, and many a parenthetical aside, to Victorian espionage where the main characters from different roles in society switch places, along with a boarding school and a suspicious headmistress. (That one was surprisingly difficult to write!) But my current project is something far larger than any of those. It was the first story idea I ever came up with– well, sort of. Since then it has been through several iterations where the entire plot, world, characters, theme, and even concept have changed, and yet somehow that’s the one idea that has stuck with me all these years. When people ask what it’s about, I like to tell them that it’s an epic animal fantasy trilogy about wolves, fallen stars, and the consequences of magic, which I feel is quite accurate for where it’s at today, but truthfully the scope of this story goes a lot deeper– and by deeper, I mean an entire year of worldbuilding and plot development and research and language-creation (because fantasy languages that actually work are always fun), and even a “book of history” that is over ten thousand words long (did I mention that worldbuilding is my favorite part of writing?). As mentioned above, this project, currently titled Project: Mystwolf, is like a translation of my mission and purpose onto the page. My main character, like me, deals with anxiety as well as trauma and must learn that being a leader doesn’t mean you have to be in control of everything, and that relying on others to share the burden can not only be a relief but can heal.

5. For new fantasy writers, what are your top 3 practical tips for building immersive, Christ-honoring worlds, including settings, characters, or themes?

I think my biggest tip for creating immersive worlds is history. Building layers of history for your world that actually have a purpose constantly gives readers something new to explore as well as making the plot feel much more realistic. For example, the history of my world in Project: Mystwolf directly influenced everything that happens in the plot, meaning that the story isn’t just “floating” in a void. It has a foundation, a series of events that built up to it. Think of your on-screen plot as the climax to a long, winding story that has been going on for years. When you write a book, you don’t just have a climax– you have to have tension that builds and escalates until the climax occurs and your characters reach their breaking point. Having a history is like having support for everything that happens in your story– it holds it up and gives it a purpose for being there.In a similar vein, theme can be connected to worldbuilding, too. Rather than trying to insert your own theme into a story that might not be the right fit, look at your characters, history, and world, and try to feel what theme you can pull from it. What have your characters and people groups struggled with throughout history? What can be learned from it? How can your characters be a force for change in your world, and what is the driving factor? How can the growth of your characters through their trials be illustrated as a theme? I’ve read lots of stories where it felt as though the author was trying to push an agenda on readers, and it completely ruined the actual storyline because it didn’t fit in the world.And finally, I think that verisimilitude (or the adding of tiny details to create a realistic feel) is very important. Simply thinking through all the little things in your worldbuilding can truly make the story feel alive. For example, my main project is about wolves, similar to how the Green Ember series by S.D. Smith is about rabbits. There is a lot of warfare in my books, and I wanted it to feel very grand and epic, but I know that wolves would not be able to use conventional fantasy weapons like swords and bows, let alone make them. So I spent a lot of time simply thinking through what kinds of weapons my wolves would be able to craft and wield in battle, what would be accurate for the relative time-period the story is set in, and what would actually enhance their fighting (since claws and fangs are usually quite effective on their own). I also thought about architecture– what would they be able to build? What would their version of castles look like? Villages? What would the different kingdoms and cultures do differently? Would houses look different in a thickly forested Norwegian landscape compared to an arid desert canyon region? What materials would each kingdom be able to access, and what does trade look like between them? Even thinking about common motifs between cultures (stars, fire, or plants, for example) and what things in the natural world that these wolves would use for them can add verisimilitude to your stories, bringing them to life in a new, vibrant way.

6. One of my biggest writing struggles is staying consistent in my writing ideas. I get one idea, write a few chapters, then move on to the next book idea. How do you stick to one idea all the way through? What is your writing process? Do you outline, start with characters, or dive into scenes?

If I’m being honest, I struggle with that as well! I think every writer juggles story ideas, testing them out and seeing what sticks (at least, that’s how I look at the process). For me, I would always come up with a new idea and get so excited for it that I would immediately sit down and begin writing, only to lose steam and abandon the project a few weeks later. It can be really hard to lose motivation on a project, especially if you (like me) have a tendency to dream and plan ahead, already envisioning designing the cover and sharing it with readers and doing book signings and marketing it and planning for launch day and all those things a new author dreams of. But sometimes, you come up with an idea and it just sticks. Even when you feel like you’re “not ready” for it yet, or you’re afraid you won’t do it justice, and you set it aside to write “simpler” stories, it stays with you, carrying a different kind of shine than all the other stories crowding your brain. So my advice is to really think about all your story ideas you have. Would you feel sad if a certain idea were to never reach readers? Are there ideas that don’t mean as much to you, or ones that are just for fun? How long have you wanted to write some of them? Are there ones that stick with you and beg for attention, even after you decide you want to work on something else first? I think something that was pushed on me a lot as a new writer is that the first few books (and I mean finished books!) you write won’t be very good, so you should write “practice stories” first before finally writing and publishing your heart story. But the more I juggled ideas, testing them and feeling that imposter syndrome all too well when they didn’t stick, all while my heart story was looking at me from the corner of my brain’s idea closet, the more I realized that my heart story wasn’t just important to me– it was the story that God wanted me to write. And when God calls us to do something, He doesn’t just give us the mission and take a step back. He equips us and guides us like a mentor character throughout the hero’s quest. If there’s a story you feel like you are meant to write, don’t let other “practice” ideas crowd it out and make you feel unprepared. Write that heart story, and if it isn’t the best the first time, there’s a thing called editing that’ll fix it right up ;)

7. Having been published in an anthology like Illuminate the Dark, any tips for young writers hoping to submit their writing?

   
   

The process of submitting writing, even a short story, has a lot more steps to it than some realize. First you have to ensure your story is polished and ready for publication, or else potential publishers won’t accept it (and that goes far beyond prose! Even if the actual writing isn’t publication-ready, publishers look for potential in the story and the author, so prose isn’t everything.) Having others read it and give feedback can help you see mistakes you didn’t know were there. Then there’s actually finding a publisher. This took the longest for us, since my requirements were very niche! My biggest tip for this is knowing what you want in a publisher and what things you would be okay with not having. For “The White Stag”, I knew I wanted a Christian publisher, and they had to accept short stories. My story in particular was quite long (almost eight thousand words before edits) and most publishers I found wouldn’t accept anything above a couple thousand words, sometimes less. I also needed a publisher that accepted fantasy, but some publishers only accept certain genres. There were other factors too– type of publication (anthology, digital magazine, etc.), audience, age for submission, and the like. All of these factors made my search much harder, but when looking for a publisher, it won’t be easy, no matter what you’re looking for. It helps if you can ask a parent to look on Facebook for anthology ads or look in certain groups with people who want to submit writing. Using specific search terms can help, too, but mostly you just have to have good discernment. Read the site’s requirements, and be wary of whether it’s a trustworthy site or not (I found several sites that looked a little shady after some digging). Always remember that when having a story published (not for a competition) you should never have to pay for services (entry fees are standard in competitions though). Those are called vanity publishers, and not only will they charge you to “publish” your story, they’ll also steal your story and publish it elsewhere under their name. Sometimes they might even try to steal your identity and personal information. It’s very important to be responsible and discerning when searching for a publisher. And once you’ve found your publisher, follow directions! If they ask for the story to be sent with certain formatting rules, follow the rules exactly. Fancy fonts and images can turn away publishers if they see you breaking the rules they’ve set, because that can be a sign of inexperience, laziness, or just plain disrespect. All in all, submitting a story (even a short one) can be a lot more work than you’d first think, but it’s worth it to know that you have words out there impacting and inspiring people.

8. What do you hope readers take away from your stories (like renewed hope, encouragement, or truth about Christ)? And how can young writers stay encouraged in their own Christ-honoring journey?

   
   

Something I’ve discussed is how my journey through anxiety and panic attacks has affected me in almost every area of my life. Well, it’s affected my writing too, but I have to say it’s definitely for the better! Now I’ve found a passion for writing about anxiety and how to fight through it, and my books not only will include stories of light in the darkness that are filled with truth and goodness (but also the reality of our present darkness) but now they will also contain themes of battling mental things like anxiety, PTSD, and depression. I hope that readers will see my broken, flawed characters and will want to read more, so that they can find out if their story has a happy ending (which of course it will!) I want to share the hope that these battles of the mind do have an end, and they’re only for a season, even if that season feels like an eternal winter. I want to share the hope of our salvation in Christ and that no matter what happens here on this earth, we have a loving Father who orchestrates everything for His good and His glory, and that through all of our suffering, there is a purpose that we may not see until later. I want to write stories of healing for readers’ souls, stories that aren’t afraid to bring to light the struggles we face, and stories that show that there is a happy ending for all suffering.When you are in a season of doubt, whether that’s facing a mental battle like anxiety, or feeling imposter syndrome, or everything around you feels like it’s falling apart, I pray you remember that God has a purpose and plan for all of it. Everything that happens is according to His will, and His glory will come of it. “In order for the sun to rise, the moon must first disappear, and the stars must first fade away.” – quote from Project: Mystwolf.

9. Where can readers and young writers find you or your work online?

   
   

You can find me in my little corner of the internet at emmagmckee.com, where you can subscribe to my email list, join the discussions around my blog posts, and (if they’re feeling friendly) say hello to the mail dragons! I’m also published in the Illuminate the Dark anthology, with my short story “The White Stag”, an allegorical tale about a girl, a deer, and the hope they bring to their dying village. (Bonus: if you like poetry, it also contains a poem at the end!) I would love to connect with you, so please don’t hesitate to dive into the community!

10. Thank you so much for sharing your insight, wisdom, and stories with us, Emma! Any last words?

    
    

Becoming an author takes time. A lot of time, and effort, and growth. I’m still learning and growing every day as I work towards publication of my debut novel, and I don’t expect to stop learning any time soon! But I know that writing stories is my purpose, my quest given to me by the Maker Himself. And if He’s given you a quest as well, then He will certainly equip you and guide you through it. Everyone’s author journey looks different. Some young writers speed through drafts and publish three books a year. Some young writers are able to grow a massive following on social media. Some young writers might get a huge book deal from a Big 5 publisher. It’s so easy to feel less-than, to see these accomplishments and think that you aren’t good enough and don’t have what it takes. But you have to remember– every author’s journey is different. Tolkien spent twelve years writing The Lord of the Rings, and did that make the story any less impactful? I would say not! God has a plan for your writing journey, and even if it doesn’t look like His plan for other authors, He can still use you to bring stories of light and truth and goodness into this world.