December 24, 2025
Thinking about a biblical fiction book? Writing a fiction book is the goal of many authors. But the genre of fiction is vast, including many subgenres that describe the variations of topics, themes, plots and characters that each type of story can tell. An interesting and growing fiction subgenre is biblical fiction, filling a niche for readers seeking stories with a religious theme, plot, or message that references the Christian Bible and its characters and stories.
Popular biblical fiction stories, such as Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, have developed a decades-long fan base, even resulting in a movie based on the historical story that presents a compelling tale of faith set in the 1800s. Understanding what makes this subgenre unique and what readers love about it is the first step for authors considering writing biblical fiction themselves.
The way a book presents the plot, the setting, character development and thematic elements all play into how its genre and subgenre are determined. The Biblical fiction subgenre is a unique, niche category of books that has close ties to other subgenres and writers can often combine more than one subgenre in their works, appealing to an even larger cross-section of readers.
Most defined genres contain shared characteristics with other genres but retain their own unique elements as well. These commonalities are what lure readers into trying out similar genres or subgenres since some feel so similar in pacing, storytelling, characterizations and themes. The Biblical fiction subgenre shares many elements with three other popular subgenres, ultimately encouraging readers to try out each while developing interest in all four.
While tropes can imply an overdone literary device that writers use too often to be enjoyable, a literary trope is also a familiar, expected character or story that readers in a genre have come to expect and love.
The Biblical fiction subgenre employs plenty of tropes, just like all other genres, but the truth in these tropes comes directly from the familiar characters of the Bible and their lives as told in its chapters. Readers of the Biblical fiction subgenre recognize these tropes as the basis for modern characters or the role a character or story plays as they relate to the original Bible stories, making these common but beloved go-tos for writers in this subgenre.
Creating a compelling and exciting book in this subgenre is no more complicated than writing a book in any other genre, but writers do have to make some decisions early in the idea development stage to ensure the concept falls squarely within the Biblical fiction subgenre.
1 Decide if you want to write about a Biblical character and create a new story for them or if you want to create a new character and place them into a Biblical context. Choosing a character means you will develop a story that connects with the established character’s life, experiences or known characteristics. Creating a new character altogether will require the development of a situation, event or time frame that is familiar within the context of a Biblical fiction.
2 Pick the protagonist for your book and begin the process of creating a framework for their story. If you have chosen to create a new story for an established Biblical character, be sure to keep the character’s actions and motivations recognizably similar to the original character’s so readers will believe that this story could be an extension of the original character’s life. Similarly, if you are developing a completely new character, use your research on cultural norms to ensure that they act, think and live realistically within the time frame of the Biblical event in which they are placed.
3 Research everything you can. Probably the most critical aspect of writing both a Biblical and a historical fiction story, research is the backbone of your pre-writing effort. Solid research is how authors make their characters and their experiences feel authentic to the reader.
4 Study the cultural norms that guide your character’s actions and how events will play out authentically in the time period. Part of your research should help you learn what society’s expectations are at the time of your character’s life will help you create authentic motivations and actions both in your protagonist and the rest of the cast of characters.
5 Consider a trope that fits into your story the best. Work a familiar trope into your story so that your readers will identify with an instantly recognizable character trait or situation that is rooted in the Bible. The added benefit is that a familiar trope can add a layer of meaning and authenticity to your characters without having to spend pages of your book describing something well-known to practiced readers.
Authors considering creating their own Biblical fiction story should take the time to study the works of writers who have created lasting, authentic stories that readers already know and love. While this subgenre has been around for decades, proven by Redeeming Love’s initial publication in 1991, the genre as a whole is relatively new.
But there is no shortage of excellent books by authors skilled in creating memorable and heartfelt stories that readers love to read. Many of the standout books in this genre have been on the bestseller lists for years, proving that this genre has potential room for growth with new authors to bring stories to hungry readers who love fiction based on their religious faith. Some of the well-known books in this genre are:
Choosing a momentous Bible event to write a story about or using a significant Bible character to star in a fictionalized story of their life can result in a book that many faith-filled people will be excited to read.
From the first moment you decide on your story’s direction to the extensive research you do to make sure your Bible-based fiction is accurate, to the final edits you complete before sending it off to the printer, writing a book in this genre can be a unique writing journey. Publishing Xpress can help you take your manuscript and transform it into a gorgeous book that your readers will cherish alongside other stories that have impacted their faith and lives through literature.
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