Is what you read believable?

One of the lessons I learned early as a writer was to write what I know. That's why my first heroine had the name Dani, lived in Lincoln, NE, and worked at a TV station. That's why my second hero and heroine were based on my grandparents and their love story in my hometown of North Platte, NE. That's also why Ciara Turner, the heroine of Dying for Love in Cherry Blossom Capers, is an attorney living in the neighborhood she does in the D.C. area.

You see, I went to law school inside the Beltway at George Mason University School of Law. One goal of many law students is to land a prestigious clerkship between graduation and that first law firm job. We start preparing for the application process in our second year. Then we send out approximately 100 packets of information to sitting judges. In my case, that packet included a copy of my published casenote, plus cover letter, resume, and more. I was targeting judges in Indiana, Virginia, Maryland, Iowa, Nebraska, and a couple other places.



Because I thought I might want to teach at some point, a clerkship was an important piece of the puzzle. It plain looks good. But it also gave me an incredible opportunity to see the legal system from a judge's perspective. After interviewing with several US district court or magistrate court judges, I was blessed to land a clerkship with Senior Judge Loren Smith of the Court of Federal Claims. It was a great experience. One that has  opened many doors for me.

So if you read Dying for Love and wonder if the relationship between former clerks and their judge is realistic, it is. When you are working for a judge and taking his thoughts and legal theories to craft drafts of opinions and legal memos, you develop a deep relationship. One that would make you think you are better equipped than the marshals or deputies assigned to find his killer.

Have you ever wondered if something you read was believable?

Learn more about Cara Putman and her books at her website.

Writing Through Emotional Pain

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Life happens. And sometimes it happens painfully. Professional writers must write even when their hearts are broken, and life is delivering its most powerful punches. 

I’ve lost two dear friends within a few months of one another and have another devastating situation in my family right now. Crying myself to sleep, navigating my days in a vice-like fog and swallowing a constant lump in my throat—these physical reactions to emotional pain challenge my ability, nay, my desire to write. But write I must, because, you see, I’m a writer. And that’s what we do. And the publishing world doesn’t care that I have issues. The publishing world will go right along publishing without me. 

The only way we can write through hard days is to keep our focus. And frankly, the only way we can survive through hard days is to keep our focus. The focus isn’t on the writing. The focus for the Christian writer is on Him.

Psalm 22:5 says, They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed (NIV). 

In Kay Arthur’s book, As Silver Refined: Answers to Life's Disappointments, she writes about how life’s disappointments are really His Appointments. By changing just one letter in the word, we have a whole new perspective because the focus is on Him. 

We can trust Him, even when things don’t make sense.

We can trust Him to give us the words to write even when we’re so broken we can barely move our pen over the page, or our fingers across the keyboard.

We can cry unto God, and not be disappointed.

We will be appointed.

We will write.

"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later"

(Revelation 1:19, NIV).

 Karla Akins is a pastor's wife, mother of five, grandma to five beautiful little girls and author of O Canada! Her Story. She lives in North Manchester with her husband, twin teenage boys with autism, and three silly dogs. Her favorite color is purple, favorite hobby is book-hoarding, and favorite food group is cupcakes.

Making the Most of the Time

A forty-something friend posted this message to her Facebook page on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:

People are up far. too. early. - and are far. too. productive.! - on a day off. Clearly, we define 'holiday' differently.

I replied:

Are you kidding? I'd made a trip to the store, had breakfast, and wrote a couple of pages on my novel before 9 AM. And Judy went to the office. We old folks gotta "make the most of the time," 'cause we have less of it.

Funny, my friend didn't respond to that. (Maybe she'd gone back to bed.) But I stand by what I said, because I do feel a greater urgency to be productive as the years speed by. That exchange also started me thinking about ways I've learned to make better use of my time as a writer. Here are three obvious (but oft-neglected) principles:

1. Put First Things First. That particular morning, I began writing right after my devotional time. Before checking my e-mail, putting out the trash, washing the dishes, or doing a dozen other good things that I usually do before I start writing.

Following James Scott Bell's advice, I wrote my "nifty 350" (first 350 words) before taking a break to do any of those "good" things. Since I'm slow to warm up on a Monday, that first 350 took an hour to write. But after checking my e-mailbox and assauging my guilt with the other chores, the next 350 came a lot faster.

On many days, I've put those "good" things first and never did any writing at all. I've come to realize that all those "good" things are not the first things I need to do as a writer.

2. Write What's Ready to Write. Writing historical novels, I spend a lot of time on research. If I'm not careful, research can take the place of writing, especially if I get bogged down trying to mine the facts about a particular person or event related to my story.

My second novel takes place in 1932, when one of the main characters attends the Democratic Convention where FDR was first nominated as President. I discovered a wealth of research information about that event -- books, newspaper articles, even You Tube videos. Before I realized it, I had invested two weeks in research with no writing, and the end of research wasn't in sight.

So I started writing the next chapter while I kept on researching the convention. Eventually, I had to stop indulging in all that delicious research and finish my chapter about the convention; but in the meantime, I'd written several thousand words beyond that.

3. Resist the Temptation to Edit as You Write. We all know this principle, don't we? And at some time or other, we all violate it, don't we?

Certainly, we need to allow generous time for revision. Theodore Rees Cheney says about 75 percent of our time should be spent in revision, the other 25 percent in writing. I'll not debate that idea, but simply make this observation: If I spend all my time revising, my work will stall like a stunt plane in a steep climb. And we know what happens after that!

Scripture counsels us to be "making the most of the time because the days are evil." Take it from a sixty-something guy: The days are fleeting, too, so I want to squeeze from them every drop of juice I can get.

"I don't care."

Last night, after I finished page 244 of a 378-page novel, I came to a decision: I wouldn't finish this novel. Why not? Because the author had created a hero who left me apathetic. After 244 pages, I realized, "I don't care what happens next."

Please understand, I do enjoy reading. Finding a novel that grabs the imagination like Velcro and keeps your mind engaged all the way to "The End" is a sweet experience. Unfortunately, the author of the novel that I abandoned failed to do that, at least for me. Since I have far less time for pleasure reading than I'd like, there's simply no reason to waste pleasure-reading time on books that don't capture my imagination.

I pondered the cause of my apathy. Was there no action? Sure, there was action, including a a couple chapters with explosions, a chase scene, a kidnapping, the sinking of a boat, and other dangers. Was the grammar or other style flawed? No, the grammar, punctuation, and style were all fine. I never spotted a single error in mechanics.

The shortcoming was in the main character. Although the hero was handsome, intelligent, and brave, the author had given no reason for me to cheer for this person. I had no reason to care whether he survived or not. What were the hero's goals and aspirations in life? Beats me. What did he think about? Again, no clue. The reader simply followed this guy from one page to the next, watching him face problems and escape dangers, but never truly caring about him as a human being. On the screen of my mind, I "watched" his exploits, but the author gave no insight into the character's mind and soul.

I'm thankful for this experience. As a writer, I too must bring my characters to life in such a way that readers will care, will want to know whether they succeed or fail, whether they live or die. If we writers fail to accomplish that, then we will have no readers. Our fiction will become pointless.

Have you ever read (or at least started) a book that you purposely decided not to finish? If so, what did you find lacking?


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Ramblings on Romances

Christian love stories. Not a genre I usually read. Perhaps it goes back to childhood. My father forbid me to watch soap operas or read love stories. He contended they made women overly emotional. I've got to say, he had a point. I've watched friends, nieces, and some of my daughter's acquaintances who are secular soap and romance fans. The drama they create in real life is embarrassing, ridiculous, and destructive.Does it have to be that way? What is it that separates Christian romance from general market?

Of course, there is the lack of sex. Today's Christian romance can admit the existence of sex and sexual attraction without characters indulging in it. There are some who would claim that isn't realistic. Some also claim it's unrealistic to have a trucker who doesn't swear or a dock loader who isn't a neanderthal. Yet in the real world—by that, I mean the world as I experience it—truckers and dock loaders can be followers of Christ who conscientiously and thoughtfully live their witness without profanity. People learn from what they read. Characters influence readers.

I remember how much I learned about life from the fiction I read as a small child: The Five Little Peppers series, Little Women, and Rose in Bloom. These taught me conduct, the value of prayer and faith, and consideration. What I read, I mimicked. (The point being made, I won't speak of the preteen years where I read stuff I wouldn't read today, which, of course, affected me negatively.)

There is value in Christian romance as characters respect themselves and others, and pay a price if they don't. Rather than being strictly social, a fall gives opportunity to learn of forgiveness, grace, and redemption. Compare Anna Karenina to Angel in Redeeming Love. In real life, who doesn't need forgiveness, grace, and redemption?

Fictional stories that have impacted me are Coming Home, These Is My Words, Love Comes Softly, Color the Sidewalk for Me, and Demon. A great story will endure even amateur writing, for example, The Shack. (The title alone scared me into avoiding it for months. The story stays with me because it bears truth.)

In spite of my initial disclaimer, there is an element of romance in each of these books, regardless of genre. Yes, even Demon and The Shack are stories of God's love for us, His Bride. He is sooo in love with us!

A recent study at York University found fiction readers were more compassionate in real life than non-fiction readers. Reading activated the part of the brain dealing with emotive response, with empathy. In other words, the reader learned from a vicarious experience. Fascinating, and not simply because it backs up what I've always believed: stories are powerful. Jesus knew this. He engaged the crowd through parables.

Most authors know this at some level, too. So, where's the romance in your stories? Is it overt or covert? What emotional/relational threads enhance your sci-fi, fantasy, or crime novel? Who are you hoping to influence? What romantic ribbon of any genre impacted you? Speak up, writers. I'd love to hear your comments.