I love writing about Bible stories and how God works in the lives of His people. If you had asked me back in elementary school if I would become a Biblical Fiction author, I would have asked you, “What’s a Bible?” I had no concept of God until my mom took me to church in my later elementary years. Now, God is an integral part of my life, and I can’t imagine writing a story without Him in it.

I wrote three books before I decided to write a story featuring Bible characters. Those early books remain unpublished, but the Bible story caught a publisher’s attention. After writing seven books based on Bible stories, I have learned some writing truths.

Join us today on Pages of My Life while Barbara Britton shares about writing about the Bible Share on X

-Sunday School materials need a refresh.

We all probably know the story of David and Goliath, or Elijah battling the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Prominent Bible stories tend to be repeated year after year when there are amazing stories that most Christians have not heard. I had been a Christian for four decades before I learned about the daughters of Zelophehad. What about King David’s friend Ittai the Gittite? Does anyone know his claim to fame?

The Bible never ceases to teach me new and exciting things. Sometimes we need to venture into the books of the Bible that are seldom studied.

-Cross-reference your Bible story.

When you read a swath of Scripture and discover a Bible story, you should see if the story is mentioned in other books of the Bible. Details emerge throughout Scripture on certain stories. Naboth is killed for his vineyard in I Kings, chapter twenty-one, but we don’t discover that Naboth’s sons were murdered, too, unless we read II Kings 9:26. Balaam (Of donkey fame) in the book of Numbers doesn’t seem too bad unless you read about his wickedness all throughout the New Testament. An author can make a mistake if they do not research the Bible in its entirety.

-Bible names are hard to pronounce.

If you have read any lengthy Bible passage, you know this to be true. Many Christians defer to others when they have to read a list of Bible names. Heroes of the Bible are historic people, so their names cannot be changed for simpler names like Zack or Emily.

-Has The Chosen helped Biblical Fiction sales?

There’s not a week that goes by that someone on a Christian reading group doesn’t ask about Biblical Fiction recommendations because they have watched this new series. Personally, I would like to see more programs about the Bible. I loved The Bible miniseries.

Christian authors write in many different genres. We are blessed to be able to shine a light on God in our stories. In Biblical Fiction, a major portion of the story comes from God’s Word. I am thankful that I became a Christ follower, and my prayer is that readers are encouraged, enlightened, and/or brought to faith in Jesus from reading Christian books.

Christian authors have one of the best jobs in the world. I’m humbled and blessed to be one.

 

Barbara M. Britton not only loves to write about the Bible, but she has also taught Bible stories for over thirty years. She is multi-published in Christian Fiction where she brings little-known Bible stories to light, or she makes you swoon with her sweet romances. She has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. Barbara lives in Wisconsin with her husband of almost four decades and an indulged cat. Her sons are grown but they still come home and request their favorite recipes.

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