I’m putting my cards on the table for this one.

I’m a Christian.

I’ve never hidden that, of course, but I also don’t write strictly in the Christian market (as a YA author). It was something I felt pretty strongly about when I stepped into the YA space. That I would be the Christian behind the books, not that my books would be Christian.

To be clear: I have NOTHING against Christian fiction. I love it and I still write it (under other pen names) but I didn’t feel called to add strong faith elements to my books.

But there is something I am massively passionate about when it comes to my books and it’s pretty simple:

As a reader and writer in the Young Adult space (and in so many other genres because I read very widely) I have seen a disastrous trend going around. What is uplifted, what is pointed to, what is celebrated is often not good things, but skewed versions of it.

A big one for me is the rise of the “morally gray” character1.

Why do we like bad guys?

One of the first things I watched that really caused conflicting emotions inside of me (when it comes to morally gray “heroes”) was the movie V is for Vendetta. I left the theater after seeing it thinking so many different things. I wanted to cheer, but I was also sickened and confused. I felt coerced to like a main character who did bad in the name of good and…well, there was conflict in me about it all.

That was perhaps not the start, but an early example of a shift in trends. In having the bad, brooding hero do terrible things in the name of good. Where we’re always wondering “will he go bad again”? Or “how will he justify his reasons this time”? Or even “what terrible thing will he be forced to do in the name of what’s right”?

Beyond that (and worse, to me) are the “heroes” who are obviously “bad guys” disguised as hot and attractive characters who the female main character is meant to fall in love with—despite the fact he will obviously be bad for her—and who treat her terribly until he decides it’s okay to care for her.

Why? Why do we fall for this dark and dangerous trope that tells us to love what’s bad for us? In other words…

Where have all the good guys gone?

I’ll admit my preference here: I like a White Knight. I love a cinnamon roll. I crave a hero who will stand up in the face of evil to the point he’ll lay down his life for what is right. He doesn’t have to be the strongest/best/most handsome, but I believe he should stand up for good.

What’s more crazy? I want to see young men (in YA) being kind to the female main character. I want to see them caring for her—NOT because she’s helpless, but because treating her with respect is what matters.

I’m all for a strong female main character! What I’m opposed to is then making men second-best to her to prove a point. If she needs to be stronger, fine. But let’s not do that at the sake of the men in the book.2

We see this so prevalently in adult and YA fiction, especially the fantasy category. The preferences then shift to the dark main character who kills without remorse and has no softness since it is seen as weakness. He has issues, is broken in a way only she can fix, and is probably willing to kill her…until his lust (and that’s usually what it starts with) overcomes his cruelty and he decides to defy logic to pursue her.

Don’t get me started on all the instances of heroes and heroines calling each other “mine”. As if possessing someone is all that matters when it comes to love.

I’m not saying these things can’t be written in a redeeming way (some can), but the fact that it’s what the market craves is what bothers me.

What do we do when fiction interferes with reality?

Why do I care so much? Because, as much as we can say “oh, it’s just a story”, books influence us. Yes, they are fiction, but (especially to the young mind) they can set a president or create desires in us.

Regardless of heroes, I am constantly surprised by the subject matter in YA books. I’m not saying teens don’t deal with difficult things or can’t handle them, of course they do and can, but when we use that as an excuse to press into darkness in books (because it elicits a buying frenzy for the next “dark MC book boyfriend”) I think there’s a problem.

As much as we may think that reading can be separated out from reality or that books are just entertainment, even entertainment affects us. The movies we watch, the TV shows we quote, and the books we read all shape us. Especially younger readers and viewers.

When we let the dark in—and uplift it—without the light, what does that teach us?

Why not write Christian fiction then?

I’ve wrestled with this question a lot. It’s not that I won’t write Christian fiction. And it’s also not that my books aren’t Christian-friendly. They are. They hold my world view as a Christian and I could no more separate that from my writing than I could separate out my writing voice.

But for me, it’s more important to get books into the YA general market that will uplift the good. That any reader can pick them up and enjoy them, regardless of their beliefs, and that they can see how exciting a story of good wining over evil can be.

In my books…

There might be darkness, evil, danger—but it will never stand up to the light of the good in the end.

There may be death and destruction, but sacrifice will always be more powerful.

Characters will have flaws and make mistakes, but they will eventually make the right choice by the end of the book to show change and hope.

There may be broody heroes here and there, but they will always have a soft heart and a respect for the girls in my books.

Good winning over evil is not a tired trope.

I fear that the tastes of today’s reader skews so dark that the light sometimes can’t reach. That death and destruction are praised over fighting for what’s right and that we want to see a hero treat the heroine poorly because it awakens something in us that should not exist.

When good wins over evil, it’s not boring. It’s not tired. And it’s not overused.

It’s a picture of what every heart desires (secretly or not).

It’s the feeling of Gandalf coming over the rise at Helms Deep. It’s the bright hope of Aslan’s return. It’s the bravery of characters who stand up against overwhelming evil despite the odds and win.

So, I write.

Perhaps this post is too rant-y to make my point well, but as I’ve seen more and more books come out that uplift so much darkness I can’t help but think…my books are needed. Your books are needed, fellow author.

No matter the genre, we need books that show good winning over evil in the end. We need characters we can root for and respect. We need examples of healthy relationships. We need to show what happens when you make mistakes (small and big) and what it looks like to repent from them and move on. We need to read books that encourage us, make us smile, and show us people like us making challenging decisions to do what’s right in the face of unreasonable darkness.

For me, that looks like writing sweeping themes of found family, redemption, valor, sweet romance, and sacrifice from my world view, but in a way that resonates with any reader.

I don’t hide my personal convictions as a Christian, but I do believe that God can use my general market books just as he can use me as a Christian in whatever way He deems best. I’m prepared to “give an answer” for my beliefs as it says 1 Peter 3:15 and I don’t hide the fact that the good things in my books are good according to God, not just my own opinions. But I do think leaving that door open for any reader to enjoy my books is important.3

In the smallest aspect it means uplifting books are entering the market. In a larger aspect I hope it means opening a door between me and readers. To connect, for them to see why uplifting fiction is so important to me, and ultimately to share why I have the hope I do—my faith in Christ.

Why this post?

I saw yet another book publishing soon that uplifts things that I think are destructive. No need to name the book—I could name a hundred—but it strongly reminded me that what matters most is what I do with my books. What I say with my platform. What I advocate for here and everywhere I have a presence. And who I am behind that platform: someone who is genuine, honest, and kind.

I believe in good winning over evil. I believe that there is hope.

I will always do my best to portray that with everything I write. To me, there is no greater burden and no greater joy.

If you enjoy pulse-pounding action, sizzling but no spice romance, and enjoy a Star Trek vibe to your sci-fi mixed with fantasy elements like in Star Wars, check out the Xerus Galaxy Saga. Award-winning author Nadine Brandes said, "E. A. Hendryx pulls no punches (and spares no kisses!) in this galaxy-worthy sci-fi romance."

Learn More