Developing a Christian Teen Fantasy Series — Looking for Advice
Hi everyone! I'm a Christian writer developing a teen fantasy/animated series with a Christian worldview, and I'd really appreciate some advice from Christian writers.
The series follows teenagers who have extraordinary supernatural abilities and attend a modern academy where they learn to understand and control their gifts. It would have teen drama, friendships, rivalries, fashion, adventure, fantasy battles, and character growth.
The main idea is that having a gift doesn't automatically make someone good or important. The characters have to learn humility, responsibility, courage, forgiveness, self-control, and how to use what they've been given for the good of others.
I'm intentionally not trying to make the characters gods or objects of worship. The fantasy world would be fictional, while the story's underlying worldview would be Christian. I also want the characters' struggles with pride, temptation, identity, forgiveness, sacrifice, and faith to have genuine consequences rather than simply using Christianity as decoration.
One thing I'm unsure about is the use of magic-like abilities in a Christian fantasy setting. I don't want to accidentally write something that contradicts my faith or glorifies occult practices.
So I'd love to hear from Christian authors:
- How do you approach fantasy and supernatural elements while keeping a Christian worldview?
- Where would you personally draw the line between fictional fantasy and occultism?
- Can a story use a fictional “magic” system without endorsing real-world occult practices?
- How can I make the Christian themes feel natural rather than preachy?
- What are some mistakes Christian fantasy writers should watch out for?
I'm still developing the concept, so constructive criticism is very welcome. I'm especially interested in hearing from people who actually write Christian fantasy or YA.
Thanks!