As a fiction writer, my main job is to make up stuff and write about things that I’ve never experienced (and probably never will, since I write fantasy and sci-fi). And sometimes, in the course of writing about people, places, and events that I’ve never seen or experienced, something comes along that directly violates my personal principles and beliefs. 

So what do you do, as a writer, if, for the sake of the story, you need to write about something that is the very antithesis of who you are as a person? I’m sure plenty of mystery and thriller writers have asked themselves this question. After all, the vast majority of people who write murder mysteries are not, in fact, murderers. 

What if you’re a Christian, and you’re writing a story featuring black magic and witchcraft? What if you’ve never smoked, drank, or done drugs, but your main character does all of these things? What if you’re a proud pacifist, but your hero shoots first and asks questions later, and likes to solve problems with his fists? 

This is something that I’ve struggled with in the past. As a Christian, I’ve found myself worried about what others might think, or worried even about the depth of my own convictions. I write secular fantasy—that genre includes all kinds of “non-Christian” things like magic, violence, characters who drink and swear, characters who belong to all sorts of other (real and fictional) religions. 

I’m finally at a place in my life where I am fully and totally secure with my own beliefs and principles and my relationship with God. And I’m also totally secure with writing about things that are quite the opposite. 

If anyone else has ever struggled with thoughts like this, here are some concepts that have helped me to reach this place of confidence and personal security. 

• If you’re a fiction writer (especially genre fiction like fantasy, romance, mystery/thriller, etc.), then your job is to invent people and situations that are not like you. If every character in your story shares your exact beliefs, ideals, and morals, then you run the risk of a boring story and a flat main cast. 

• You are not your characters. Yes, every writer puts a bit of themselves into every character and story, but unless you’re specifically basing a story off of a real situation in your life, then what you’re writing isn’t you. Cornelia Jones, the main character in my dieselpunk historical fantasy stories, drinks, smokes, swears, and has no problem holding a gun to someone’s head. Aside from drinking the occasional glass of wine, I don’t do any of those things. 

• What are you glorifying in your stories? This mindset can help if you’re having trouble reconciling your own beliefs with writing a gritty or explicit genre. Your thriller might involve a cop with a shady past or a villain who commits unspeakable crimes—but what is the actual main point or theme of the story? Does the story promote these illegal or immoral behaviors as something good, or is the point of the story to show characters overcoming these issues or paying for their crimes? No, not every story has to have a “happy” ending, a moral lesson, or even a positive character arc for the protagonist. But if you’re struggling with writing character traits or situations that you consider to be immoral or against your own principles, then pay attention to how you are portraying these things. 

• Give yourself a line that you won’t cross. This line will be different for each and every person, and that’s okay. For me personally, I do not write explicit love scenes (I don’t read much of it, either). I’m not writing a romance genre, so it can be easy to avoid love scenes altogether if I want. I often have some mild romance as a subplot, but I have chosen to not have any explicit or highly detailed love scenes. This is not a judgement against anyone who chooses to be more explicit than I am with their love scenes. This is simply a boundary I have set for myself. If you’re struggling with a particular issue in your writing that is pricking your conscience or grating on your principles, then give yourself a comfortable boundary, and rework the story if necessary to fit within your personal limits. 

Please note, that with everything I’ve just said, this is all my opinion and my personal experience. I am not judging anyone for what they write or don’t write. Each writer can decide for themselves what they’re willing to write and not write. Just as each and every reader gets to decide what they like to read and what they don’t like to read. There’s enough room in this world for every person to choose for themselves, and to follow their own principles regardless of what anyone else might think. 

I hope this has encouraged you, if you’ve ever struggled with reconciling your fiction writing with your personal beliefs and standards. Now, decide what you want to write, and go write!