On Fiction and the Christian: The Problem

Since the earliest time I can remember, I have been fascinated with words and stories.  Even before I could write, my mom tells me I’d spend hours pretending to write words, covering pages upon pages in childish curly-cues.  Even in elementary school, I read with precocious concentration and speed, having greater stamina for long stints of reading than many of my classmates.  As I’ve aged, I’ve ventured many writing projects (rarely finishing the longer ones) and continue to read voraciously in nearly every genre of Christian and secular fiction (particularly juvenile fiction, as it’s often more interesting and less likely to contain objectionable material). 

I knew “adult” books were taboo, but it wasn’t until the Harry Potter controversy years ago, and upon hearing other comments from Christian acquaintances, that I began to wonder if I unconsciously sinned by reading and enjoying certain (or all) non-Christian fiction, especially those dealing with magic and presenting worldliness as normal.  Eventually, I began to wonder if even Christian fiction were acceptable because of the way it influenced my thoughts in non-Christian ways.  My own experience validated the argument that the excitement and eventfulness in novels can stir in us a dissatisfaction with our own more mundane lives, which we may have been content with previously, leaving us ill-tempered and restless for inappropriate goals.  Unlike Jesus's parables, humans' stories--even works written by Christians--may come out of somewhat skewed worldviews or doctrine, which may subtly introduce the idea of sin or doctrinal fallacy as acceptable.  Repeated exposure could numb us to its wrongness.  Also, reading fiction can become an addiction valued over real relationships and responsibilities, which hurts our friends and family, hurts our Christian witness, and robs us of time we could use for more godly pursuits. 
Then again, how much of these problems are due to fiction or to the fiction reader?  When one finds reading a temptation, what balance between fiction and the rest of life would be acceptable and pleasing to God? 

I felt vaguely guilty, but I didn't want to give up my precious pastime, and not having many clear answers, I pressed on as I had been.  Yet, from time to time I would still come up against the questions “should a Christian read this kind of book?” and “as a Christian, what kind of stories ought I to write?”  Some Christian publishers, for example, require a conversion scene in every fiction book they publish, which often comes across as ham-fisted; must I write that way?  I'd also think, "We are called to be in the world, but not of the world..." but what does that mean, specifically?  I want to please God, but does that require giving up parts of a hobby I enjoy so much?  My mind rebels at the idea.  Yet if it’s true, mustn’t I submit?

As the reader can see, I am favorably disposed toward writing, but above everything, I’ve realized I’d rather be obedient to Christ than fulfill my own desires, so I have set out–I pray with an objective perspective–to find God’s view of the matter.  Posts on this topic (which I'd originally thought to make into a book--but those who know me are aware how reluctantly I work when faced with such a long task) are the result of my study.  I draw most heavily upon Scripture, but also on the lives and works of other Christian fiction writers.  Many of the points brought up on this topic could be similarly applied to other forms of entertainment: movies, plays, and video and computer games. I hope other Christians similarly struggling will feel free to use this as a springboard for their own study and conclusions.