by Jason Joyner | Jul 20, 2022 | Blog, Uncategorized
Hello friends! I thought I had gotten an idiot-proof website builder for WordPress. Turns out you just need the right type of idiot to mess things up ;).
Thankfully, I found Jake Doberenz of Theophany Media. He was able to wrangle my messy site into something respectable. I hope you’ll check out the new layout and some of the fun bonuses under the Books tab in the menu.
I’ll be sharing some more thoughts on my blog soon. If you want to contact me, check out my socials or sign up for my newsletter. I love hearing from readers!
by Jason Joyner | Oct 9, 2019 | Blog, theblog, Uncategorized
A month ago I was able to connect with an old friend. We had both done a Discipleship Training School with Youth With A Mission
(YWAM), with our outreach in Thailand. It was over twenty years ago when I flew out of the Bangkok airport – but Phil did not. He and his young family stayed behind and became long-term missionaries serving the Thai people.
It was amazing to catch up after so many years, and to hear stories of how God has worked in their lives and in such a beautiful country. There was one story that caught my attention over all the others.
YWAM Thailand was chosen to host a global gathering for YWAMers a couple years ago. This is a big deal, drawing thousands to be encouraged and to build camaraderie and strategy going forward to reach the nations. Phil worked with a team for over a year to plan and execute this conference in Pattaya, a resort city in Thailand known for beauty and sin.
The leadership of the gathering was wise in their planning. They knew that a majority of the attendees would be from the Majority World (Third World is an outdated term – the majority of the world population lives in Asia, Africa, and South America; basically the conference would not be focused on Western attendees). Therefore they tailored the program accordingly.
Translators worked together to bring messages to a broad swath of languages. Instead of the big name Western speakers dominating the agenda, leaders from Majority World areas brought the Word. There were workshops when attendees were split up into groups where one or two experienced people would be with younger attendees, so that the wisdom of older leaders could be spread wide instead of concentrated in their own groups.
My favorite part of the story was hearing about the worship. Different groups and leaders from various nations worked to lead worship sessions. Phil spoke on how special it was to see the diversity of worship – how each nation/ethnic group brought different aspects and flavors to the times of praise. It wasn’t overdone Western songs from K-LOVE. It was a glimpse of heaven.
We saw a highlight video. It was so beautiful. To see the Thai dancers, the haka performed by Maori brothers and sisters, the special touches by peoples I didn’t even know about, it was truly a peek into future glory.
The Lord has created amazing diversity in our world. As a writer, I feel that it is my obligation to write in such a way that I can show a small taste of creation, which isn’t just natural wonders, but cultural treasures as well.
I know that there are stories that do not lend themselves to a diverse cast, and that’s okay. Sometimes the cultural mandate of the day demands a certain quota of representation, even if it’s not the story for it. And there are challenges to writing/presenting other cultures in a sensitive way that is not appropriating said cultures.
However, when I saw the nations brought together in such a gathering in Thailand, and I saw the amazing sights and sounds that came from a true unity in the body of Christ – a unity made richer by the diversity, I was deeply moved. It truly is a representation of what the Bride of Christ will be. If I can showcase that even a little in my writing, then I believe it is worshipful and glorifying to the God who made us all.
May we all be able to show glimpses of eternity in our work as Christian creatives.
by Jason Joyner | Jul 30, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
The best times in life take too long to get here and go by too fast.
That’s how it is each year for the annual Realm Makers conference for me. From July 18-20 a few hundred of my friends converged on a chalet-like hotel in St. Louis to celebrate faith, fiction, and fandom at this writing collective.
I’m the grizzled veteran for Realm Makers now, having gone to five of seven conferences. But every time there’s magic when we gather to enjoy old and new friends, sit under fantastic teaching for the craft, lifestyle, and business of writing, see writers pitch to agents and editor, learn from mentors, and celebrate the best in speculative fiction from Christian writers.conference for me. From July 18-20 a few hundred of my friends converged on a chalet-like hotel in St. Louis to celebrate faith, fiction, and fandom at this writing collective.
This year we returned to the same hotel as last year, so veterans had a comfort level with the location. The hallways spilled over with excited writers, from grey-haired folks to teens in the youth track. I love reconnecting with old friends and making new ones the most. I’ve heard a lot of great teaching, and I know there’s plenty for me to learn, but making connections with others who love fiction and faith like I do? That’s priceless.
I’m part of the staff, so I had some volunteer responsibilities. I’ve found writer conferences more enjoyable when I go with the attitude of “how can I serve?” There’s always comparison that a writer battles. When will my book get picked? Then when your book is picked, you see someone else sell more books. Or they win that award. But when I go to see how I can help others, then I get my eyes off my hang-ups and work to bless people.
Speaking of awards: Realm Makers has a unique awards banquet, in that it’s a costume dinner. There are so many creative people! From original characters to steampunk DC villains to a bevy of Doctors who aim their sonic screwdrivers at photographers, there’s always something to gawk at wandering the banquet. My friends went as the Avengers. I thought about going as Fat Thor from Endgame, but I was up for two awards this time, so my vanity got the best of me.![]()
It was very exciting to win the Realm Award for Best Debut Novel. But I cheered harder for my friend Lindsay Franklin, who won Best YA and Book of the Year.![]()
Winning the award was special. Yet I found more rewarding was people coming up to me to say how much they enjoyed Launch. It released right before Realm Makers 2018, so I was able to sell it there. This year I got good feedback from folks. When a grandfather said the first sentence sucked him in, and he was so happy to have a clean, exciting book to pass on to his grandkids—that made my day right there.
Alas, Realm Makers comes and goes too quickly. Before I knew it, my roommates (brothers in arm) had put away the Superfight card game and said goodbye. Now I’m in real life mode, and the days scream by so fast.
Even though the brilliant RM 2019 is in the past, I’m already excited for RM 2020. Atlantic City, are you ready for an invasion of Realmies?
Maybe I’ll see y’all there.
—
Jason Joyner
Author of the YA novel Launch
Available online at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and other outlets.www.jasoncjoyner.com
by Jason Joyner | Jul 16, 2019 | Uncategorized
As a writer of speculative fiction with a faith element, this is the best week of the year!
It’s time for Realm Makers again!
Realm Makers is a conference for writers of faith where the focus is to develop both your faith and your fiction, to deepen your soul and strengthen your craft. Now in its seventh year, it continues to grow and reach new writers who love the science fiction, fantasy, supernatural aspect of stories.
I’ve been blessed to go for the last five years now. It has grown from a niche group of
dedicated writers to a professional conference requiring larger meeting space each year. It doesn’t just develop a writer with craft, business, and marketing instruction, but it connects people in a tribe that lets them know they are not alone – there are faithful believers who enjoy the geeky stories as well.
Okay, I’m gushing. It’s because RM has helped me with a family of writers who support me and my fledgling publishing journey. Without RM, I wouldn’t have my book Launch out, I wouldn’t be with my publisher, and I may not be continuing in this journey.
If you’re a Christian who loves to write any type of weird, wonderful stories in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, you need to check out Realm Makers and see if coming to a conference in the future is for you. We have a wonderful Facebook group, the Realm Makers Consortium, that connects hundreds of like-minded people.
And if you live in the St. Louis region, on July 20th there’s a Book Festival open to the public where you can buy dozens of amazing books, and get them signed by the authors. It’s headlined by Brent Weeks and Terry Brooks, and it’s going to be a party!
Hope to see you there!
by Jason Joyner | Jul 1, 2019 | Blog, Uncategorized
Last week I posted some thoughts about Toy Story 4. It’s a spoiler post if you want to check it out, but I explained how I really enjoyed the movie even though I thought there was a glaring mistake.
Despite that flaw, there was something grand in TS4 that I continued to think about after leaving the theater, so here comes another blog post. But like last time, there’s SPOILERS if you haven’t seen it.
There’s several new toys introduced in the movie, including a fun motorcycle stuntman voiced by Keanu Reeves. The most important new toy is “Forky”, a craft Bonnie made at kindergarten orientation. She was very upset there and Woody had stowed away in her backpack. He threw some objects out of the trash to Bonnie’s table, and Forky was born.
Made out of a spork, googly eyes, a pipe cleaner, some yarn, and two halves of a wood ice cream spoon, Forky achieves sentience. I don’t know what kind of magic Bonnie has, but her new creation is alive and is now her favorite toy.
The only problem? Forky doesn’t believe his favored status with Bonnie. In fact, he’s in denial over his whole existence as a toy. Forky knows where he came from – the trash can. He’s trash, and all he wants to do is go back to where he belongs in the garbage can.
Thus begins an amusing montage of Forky diving for any trash can nearby, and an exasperated Woody keeping Forky from literally throwing his life away, because Woody knows how much Forky means to Bonnie.
This conflict of Forky not accepting what he was created to be leads to the main complication of the movie, when he falls out of Bonnie’s family’s RV and Woody dives after the runaway spork. Ever the dutiful sheriff, Woody tries to explain to Forky that he’s created for more than being trash, and he has a purpose in bringing joy to Bonnie.
That’s pretty deep for a kid’s movie.
It’s very impressive that they made it work. As Forky comes to life, he’s like an infant, with a singular purpose: getting back to the trash. Then he argues with Woody more and more, until he sees the light and realizes he is so much more than the trash from which he was created.
This speaks to the deep story of humanity. Too often we act like Forky. We’re created from dust and to dust we’ll go, so we live as if we are only going to return to the “trash”. We abuse ourselves, unable to be convinced of our true worth.
In our case, our creator is God the Father. We were created much like Forky, to bring pleasure to him who gave us life. That is the chief end of humanity. But how often do we wallow in the garbage of life, not willing to accept the truth that despite our humble nature, we have a glorious purpose and place of acceptance with God? All too often, I’m afraid.
But we are a new creation in Jesus, and even though we started as “trash”, we are no longer that, and we should live with a respect for the image of God in everyone, including ourselves.
There’s even a Christ parallel in Woody. He cares so much about Bonnie’s happiness that he risks himself over and over to keep Forky and Bonnie together, even when Forky openly rebels against that idea. The idea can’t be stretched too far, but it is a very noble pursuit for Woody.
So, Pixar. Even though I was critical of how you handled Woody’s character by his ultimate choice, I have to give you huge praise for setting up such a beautiful image of the One True Myth, the original heroic story of sacrifice to restore a creation in rebellion. I hope Forky always keeps his new identity – not trash, but a beloved toy created for pleasure.
Just like we are toward the Father.
by Jason Joyner | Jan 23, 2018 | #specficfaith, Blog, Uncategorized
Why do I read Christian speculative fiction?
I’ve always loved stories. As a kid I would daydream about being the hero and saving the day. I created scenarios with my G.I. Joes and Star Wars figures, making up adventures where the good guys struggled and prevailed. I also grew up on superheroes and comic books. The idea of special abilities appealed to me, a boy who was usually the youngest and smallest in my classes. What if I had a power that no one could see?
Some people think that there’s no place for fantasy or science fiction with a Christian worldview. The idea of magic is conflated with the idea of the prohibition of witchcraft in the Old Testament. Science fiction could be construed as going against God’s plan. Why would we go to the stars if the rapture is coming soon?
I read all sorts of stories as long as they’re well-told, but I do particularly enjoy when I can read a well-written story from a Christian perspective or with that moral foundation to it. I believe that there can be a seamless blend of a Christian worldview along with exciting stories of far-flung lands or distant worlds.
Fantasy can offer a clear view of good and evil—or it can explore the greys and the challenges in staying pure. A story can have a theme of sacrifice or perseverance that enhances those Biblical ideals without getting preachy about it. I believe magic can be used in stories if the consequences are reflected as well. The Chronicles of Narnia use the idea of a Deeper Magic that reflects the underlying power of God in creation, something greater than the White Witch’s power.
Science fiction has long been able to offer a critique of society and its priorities. Classics like Fahrenheit 451 warn of a future where books are forbidden. Why can’t a Christian be able to use such settings to speak prophetic truth to a world in need of change?
I believe that as long as a work of fiction doesn’t glorify what the Bible calls evil, it can be used to reflect his light and truth, whether allegorically, directly, or indirectly. There is room for quality stories that echo Christian principles. I am convinced that there is a place and a need for these stories.
As C.S. Lewis so eloquently said, “I thought I saw how stories of this kind could steal past a certain inhibition which had paralyzed much of my own religion in childhood. Why did one find it so hard to feel as one was told one ought to feel about God or about the sufferings of Christ? I thought the chief reason was that one was told one ought to. An obligation to feel can freeze feelings. And reverence itself did harm. The whole subject was associated with lowered voices; almost as if it were something medical. But supposing that by casting all these things into an imaginary world, stripping them of their stained-glass and Sunday school associations, one could make them for the first time appear in their real potency? Could one not thus steal past those watchful dragons? I thought one could.”
So today I’m joining with other fans of Christian speculative fiction to celebrate the stories. There are some great resources out there to help you find and enjoy these type of tales.
I just will share two today. Enclave Publishing is the premier publisher of Christian speculative fiction, although other houses are producing great books too. Then check out Speculative Faith/Lorehaven for a great resource building community for fans.
I’m passionate about seeing these stories get wider awareness. Look on Twitter for the hashtag #SpecFicFaith to see more people posting about this. I’ll leave you with another classic quote from G.K. Chesterton:
“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.”
