That's it. I can stop writing this post. We can all go home now.
Just kidding.
Look, I've got nothing against Amish people. But because of the sheer amount of Amish Christian Fiction out there, I have a slight automatic abhorrence towards anything Amish (in literature).
After all, every time I walk into a Christian bookstore or the CF section of a bookstore, I see this:
What makes a good CF novel, anyway? Well, I'm so glad you happened to ask...
It's well-written.
A story isn't going to stick in a reader's mind unless it's descriptive, imaginative, detail-oriented, stimulating, and dynamic. An author can have the best intentions, themes, and storyline, but all of that loses its weight if the writing style is mediocre.
It has relatable and developed characters.
The reason CF can be an effective medium for conveying the gospel and/or the truths of Scripture is that the reader is immersed in situations that provoke thoughts and questions through the characters. A character can be an example of a person making right decisions, a person making wrong decisions, or the process of changing from one to the other. A character can also lead the reader along a certain path through reflection and experiences to arrive at a certain conclusion. If the reader doesn't care about the characters, then he won't care about their decisions, personal journeys, or problems.
A lot of scenes are in a secular setting.
Churches are great. Amish communities are great. Southern-Tiny-Towns are great. But what about readers who don't go to church, or don't understand what it's like to be in a rule-following, close-knit, Christian community, or who don't live in the part of America where there is a bustling church on every corner? There is nothing wrong with these settings, but CF authors don't like straying from their comfort zones, and that might damage the effect of the genre. CF shouldn't be afraid to get a little dirty in order for the cleansing power of God to be that much clearer.
It addresses our problem and His solution.
Humans sin. Humans have issues. Humans are broken. They do terrible things. Christ offers hope. God offers grace through Christ. Sometimes that is evident through actions and not those exact words. Either way, it's what sets CF apart from secular fiction. It needs to be there.
It can stand on its own.
No Christian lingo or unexplained references to "churchy" things that might deter a non-Christian reader. Having a character that does that is okay, but when it's embedded in the tone of the narration (even when it's first person), it can be overwhelming to readers who didn't grow up in the Bible Belt or a Christian home and therefore aren't familiar with "fellowshipping" or "traveling mercies" (which is apparently a thing, according to my roommate.) (Bonus: watch this video.) The book also shouldn't assume a deep knowledge of Scripture and depend on that for its significance; sometimes even Christians don't know enough for that to work!
It's hard to generalize these criteria, especially when everything I say makes me want to bound away on various rabbit trails. But stay tuned for some specific analyses on CF books in the coming weeks. Hopefully the qualities of a good CF novel will become more obvious as I dig into some actual literature!