If you had to relive one year of your life, which year would you choose and why?

 
*photo by richbunce 

Which is why I want to offer my readers these fun extras. If they fall in love with Wildflowers from Winter, I want to give them some surprises on my website.

Right now, I’m working on a page for my hero and heroine, titled A Romance Blossoms. 

Only I can’t figure out what I should put on it. I have an inkling. But nothing is solid yet.

Which is why I need your help! 

Imagine you are reading a book or watching a movie. It’s romantic. And you completely fall in love with the hero and heroine. The story ends, only you’re sad. You want more. You want the experience to continue.

Let’s Talk: What special features would you love to see?

I’ll be with junior high students 24/7 this weekend and won’t get home until Sunday afternoon. I’m sure I’ll be too tired to write next week’s blog posts. Instead of taking the week off altogether, I thought it’d be fun to ask some questions. I hope you’ll jump in the conversation!

*photo by Dimitri N

Many people go to their graves with God’s unplayed music still inside them.

My church handed out these devotionals a few weeks ago. I found this quote inside. I don’t know who wrote it. I only know that the words have stuck with me. 

Let’s Talk: What does that quote mean to you? How can we play God’s music today?

*photo by shadowzelda3

Instead of mourning the loss of a four dollar rental fee and two hours of movie time, I put on my writing-hat and decided to learn from the experience.

I asked myself two questions:

Why didn’t this movie work? How can I use the experience to become a better storyteller?

I came up with four important takeaways. 

As writers, it’s important that we….

Keep the audience immersed in story world

So many things in this movie made me stop and go, “Come on, that’s so not believable.”

The main character is clearly Native American. His parents are clearly Caucasian. Yet he never suspected they might not be his biological parents?

On top of that, we have unbelievable behavior. By the end of the movie, we should have a kid who is completely traumatized. Yet instead of asking questions and grieving, he’s all smiles with his new girlfriend.

Lesson to be learned:

As writers, it’s so important that we pay attention to details. We have to do our research. We can’t overlook glaring inconsistencies in the name of fiction.

Our characters have to respond appropriately. If they experience something traumatic, we can’t gloss over that with cuddles and kisses. A glimpse of hope is always better than an unrealistic happily ever after. 

Get to the story already

There was this hideously prolonged sparring scene between the main character and his “father”. It was a total ploy to see the actor show off his ninja skills. And it kept going on and on and on…. 

Lesson to be learned:

Every scene needs a purpose. If we find ourselves holding on to one just because it’s eloquent or clever or beautifully written, that’s almost always a sure sign to kiss it goodbye.

Make theme an integral part of the story

It was almost as if the movie writers were like, “Shoot. We forgot about theme.” So they tacked one on at the end. 

Lesson to be learned:

Our theme can’t be an afterthought. We can’t deliver it via some character monologue at the end. At least not without making our readers roll their eyes. We should take care to weave our theme throughout the entirety of the story. 

Embrace our heart, not what’s hot

As I watched, I couldn’t help wondering if the movie-people wrote the script for the sole purpose of capitalizing on this particular actor’s popularity. It was a two hour excuse to show him taking off his shirt, being all athletic, and kissing a girl. 

Lesson to be learned:

We have to write what matters to us. We have to write what we love. We can’t jump on whatever bandwagon is hot at the time. Even if we do somehow make it through to publication, our readers will see right through it. 

So there you go. Four things I learned from a bad movie. Four things I’m taking to heart. Because I don’t want readers throwing popcorn at my books.

Let’s Talk: Have you watched any bad movies lately? Did you learn anything from the experience? Do you agree with the four takeaways above? 

I’m a romance writer, which means I would be remiss if I ignored Valentine’s Day.

Right?

I have to be completely, straight-up honest. Hubby and I don’t really get into Valentine’s Day. We don’t do cards or chocolate or cute little teddy bears. It’s not because we’re not romantic people. It’s more because we’re not holiday people.

Before anyone gasps in shock and horror, let me assure you.

We enjoy holidays. We really do. 

I’m  just saying, there are two types of people in this world.

There are those who go balls to the wall with decorations and festive hats and holiday traditions. Like my aunt Marlene, who has earrings and sweaters and funny head apparel for every holiday known to man. Reindeer antlers and glittery Fourth of July top hats and fuzzy black cat ears. 

Then there are those like me and the hubs. Sometimes we watch fireworks on the Fourth of July. We hardly ever stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve. We don’t hand out candy on Halloween because we’re too lazy to keep going to the door every other minute. And we don’t exchange cards on Valentine’s Day.

I will admit though. Our son had a Valentine’s Day party at preschool and everyone exchanged cards. It was incredibly cute watching Brogan choose the Valentine’s he wanted to give his little friends. He picked dinosaurs. When I got them out, he kept trying to play Memory with them.  

But I digress.

The point of this post is to talk about Valentine’s Day. 

And although I just admitted I don’t get into the holiday that much, I do have one Valentine’s Day in particular that I will always, always remember.

Four years ago. New York City.

Hubby and I decided to go for a long weekend.

On the last night, I had a dream that I took a pregnancy test and it was positive. I woke up in our hotel, The Wellington (sounds fancy, doesn’t it?), and was super bummed. I wanted to be pregnant.  So I decided to take a pregnancy test.

And guess what? It was positive!

Four years ago, I found out I was pregnant on Valentine’s Day in New York City with my husband. For the rest of the trip, we joked that if we had a boy, we should name him Wellington. We could call him Wells for short. It didn’t stick.  

By far, my favorite Valentine’s Day ever.

Let’s Talk: What do you think about Valentine’s Day? Tell me about your favorite Valentine’s Day memory. 

*photo by tashalynn0708

So often, I catch myself praying for gifts when the Giver wants to give me Himself.

Here’s the thing. 

We can pray for a thousand outcomes. God can give us every single one. And somehow, we can still end up miserable. Unsatisfied.

Which is why I want my prayers to change more and more.

From…

Lord, can you give me this? 

To…

Lord, can you give me You?

If insane success will draw me closer, then that is what I want.

If failing will draw me closer, then that is what I want.

If waiting will draw me closer, then that is what I want.

If finding myself in a place of mediocrity will draw me closer, then that is what I want.

I won’t lie. These are scary prayers. Because of course I want to be successful. Nobody sets out to fail. 

But I’m learning that when we set our hearts on God, we always win. No matter the outcome. 

Because He is the source of all joy and all peace and all hope and all comfort and all strength.

My heart’s cry is that I would learn more and more to go to that source. To ask for the Giver. No matter the gift.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. -Psalm 73:26

Let’s Talk: Are you placing your hope in an outcome or are you placing your hope in God? Whoa! How’s that for a convicting question? At least it convicts me. Please tell me I’m not the only one it convicts!

*photo by weddingmusings
 

Lately, I’ve been reading this book called Live a Praying Life by Jennifer Kennedy Dean. I’m not reading it to improve my writing. I’m reading it to better understand God’s design for prayer. But as writers, we usually have that third eye (or ear) open and observant and aware. Ready to soak up some juicy insight. Some truth, some reflection of the human condition that we can apply to our characters and our stories. 

So when I came upon this, I immediately switched into writing mode:

Jennifer writes, “Usually, what we call ‘the desire of my heart’ is really a secondary desire orbiting around the true desire. Usually, what we think we desire is really the way we have imagined the true desire will be met.”

She goes on to say, “We think we are asking for the desire of our hearts, but we are really asking for the desire of the moment. Often, in order to give you the desire of your heart, God will withhold the desire of the moment. He only says no as a prelude to a higher yes.”

Wow. I don’t know about you, but I see major truth in these words. 

Truth that points to an overarching human condition. 

For us. And most definitely our characters.

Getting to that truth involves a little digging. It involves going beyond what we find at the surface.

On the Sand: What does your character want?

Every protagonist needs a goal, something for which they are striving. What is your protagonist trying to accomplish throughout the story? 

Let’s say your character gets on her knees in the morning, clasps her hands together, and begs you–her creator–for something. What is she petitioning for? 

Often times, these petitions are the desires of the moment. The moment that becomes our story. These tend to be external things. Like…

Please, give me this promotion. Please, make this guy fall in love with me. Please, let me get this scholarship. 

The possibilities are endless.

Digging Deeper: Why does your character want this?

Here’s what we know – or should know – that our character doesn’t. 

This thing she is “praying” for? It’s not really the desire of her heart. It reflects a deeper desire. One she’s most likely unaware of.

So go deeper. 

Why does your character want this promotion? Why does your character want the guy to fall in love with her? Why does your character want a scholarship?

In the very depth of her soul, what does your character really want? What is she craving?

Find the Treasure: What is the desire of your character’s heart?

The promotion will mean she’s not a failure. She will finally make her husband proud. The promotion becomes a matter of acceptance. 

Getting the guy to love her will mean she’s desirable. It will mean she’s wanted. Getting the guy to love her becomes a matter of worth.

Getting the scholarship means paying her own way for college. She won’t have to answer to her parents anymore. Getting the scholarship becomes a matter of freedom.

Usually, these heart desires can be summed up in one or two words and they tend to be universal. Something most of us crave in one form or another.  

Now think….

How can we, as authors, withhold the desire of the moment? How can we tell our characters no? And while they keep striving, how can we make our characters see something deeper? Something beyond the temporary? And how can we meet this true desire in a way that is exceedingly better than what our character imagined?

Let’s Talk: I brought up three heart desires: Acceptance. Worth. Freedom. Can you think of others? In your current WIP, what is your character’s true desire? 
 

Are they found or are they made?

God bringing beauty from pain.

God breathing life into that which feels dead. 

It’s a running theme in my debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter.

It’s a running theme in adoption.

Every single one is born out of pain. Out of sadness.

It starts with frightened pregnant teenagers who don’t want to be mothers. It starts with houses steeped in addiction and abuse and neglect. It starts with countries afflicted by war and poverty and AIDS. It starts with parents who die and governments that devalue life. 

Orphans exist because our brokenness is real and pervasive. 

Yet God uses what is broken to reveal His glory, showcase His mercy, bring about healing, pour out His blessings, knit together families, and draw hearts closer to Him.

Beauty from pain.

Life from death.

It’s a truth that resonates deep in my soul.

Nothing is too broken, too tattered, too lifeless, too painful for the Master Craftsman.  

Not me.

Not you.

Not any choice we have made.

Or any circumstance we find ourselves in.

He can use it all to sculpt that which is beautiful and that which is breathtaking.

All we have to do is let Him.

Let’s Talk: Tell me about a “beauty from pain” story in your life or in the life of someone you know. 

In case you missed it, Southern Writers Magazine had me as a guest on their blog yesterday. I wrote about Love Delivered. Come say hi if you get the chance!