Tag Archives: creative process

And then there was …

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ActivatemedOn November 1, ‘Activate’ final book in the Blaine Colton young adult techno-crime thriller trilogy, was released. Yay!!!! Celebration time for sure. But a thought has been edging into my mind that once the buzz of launches, signings and visits settles, I’ll be writing … Well, what will I be writing?!

Yes, I do have works in progress. I also have a quandary.

Somehow, after completing the trilogy, one of the characters in ‘Activate’ got a life all their own. So I’ve found myself halfway through a spin off story. But there’s also a story that’s been on the backburner for … well … a while. Originally penned for the general adult fiction market, I’m rewriting it as a YA. It really does seem to be working, but it’s also a challenging project. Meaning, it will take time to get it right.

Perhaps I need to admit to myself that there might be a teensy bit of laziness factoring into that equation. You see, project ‘old-made-new’ has historical elements I’ll have to squish back into whatever grey matter I have remaining in the crevices of my head. You know what that means? Lots of research i.e. lots of extra work. And well, the speculative SciFi angle the spin off is taking, doesn’t have quite so many restrictions.

My brain says something new. (Hang, my publisher probably does too. LOL.) But those characters have a way of sneaking into your mind and pulling on your heart strings.

There’s one group I haven’t asked yet. You! 🙂

What would you do? More of the same or something different. Or would you do the crazy juggle I used to, of writing multiple novels at once? Hit me with your thoughts! It would be great to hear your angle.

Veils, Halos & Shackles – A Voice for Change

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Picture a defenceless child being dragged from their home by members of their community – people they trust and love. They scream as they are held down, and again as a cruel blade pierces their skin. They beg for help as their beloved mother looks on in tears, immobile. Everyone gathered hears their pain, witnesses their shame.

And no one

did anything

to stop it.

These are some of the concluding lines of my poem Severed from the Veils, Halos and Shackles (VH&S) anthology. This statement translates the wave of helplessness I experienced upon reading an article on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), written by an aid worker in Africa. I knew about FGM, was aware it happened, but reading that article as a young mother made the practice horrifyingly personal.

My heart broke for the child who had been assaulted. Worse, there was nothing I could do to change it for them. Images plagued my mind, playing out the attack, watching the little one’s terror, hearing their cries. It challenged my comfortable existence, safe from such atrocities. Out of these roiling emotions I wrote Severed.

That was many years ago, well before the remarkable VH&S project had been birthed. What difference could one poem make? Yet, I felt I must pen those words.

vhs_coverfbThen, thanks to visionaries Charles Fishman and Smita Sahay, poets worldwide were invited to contribute to a unique work focussed on the empowerment of women by sharing stories of the oppression against them. Through Charles’ and Smita’s persistence and dedication, VH&S came to have form and eventually found a home at Kasva Press, Israel.

One could say each poem is just one of hundreds in a single work. One could say this poetry anthology is one of countless others. But in May 2015, while VH&S was still going through the publication process, Nigeria banned FGM. What a timely reminder of the need for this publication and the power of using one’s voice to instigate change. Other countries are gradually following suit in banning the practice of FGM.

To quote from the VH&S site:

Veils, Halos & Shackles aims not only to make a statement, but to make a difference—to shock, to startle, and above all, to inspire.

On her recent blog post, editor, former psychology academic and writer, Nola Passmore, reflected on her VH&S poem Petals, a reminder of hope in the midst of destructive abuse and pain. Our fellow South East Queensland contributor, gifted poet and author, Catherine Sercombe (also writing as Mazzy Adams), will follow this post on her blog on October 5, in anticipation of our online launch on October 8. Like the dozens of poets who have contributed over 240 poems to VH&S, each of us have a voice. Yes, we alone are only one, but one voice can apply a balm of healing words. One voice can inspire others to speak up. Over time, one voice can change the world.

Twice Stolen – Susanne Timpani Blog Hop

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SusanneTToday I have the pleasure of introducing debut author, Susanne Timpani. Susanne is married, has four beautiful children and works as a community nurse with families. (So, she’s a busy lady!) Themes of her work and her faith appear in her writing. She’s also the author of the blog, 10 Minute Daily Retreat, twice weekly reflections on scripture. And she’s kindly agreed to chat about her new novel, Twice Stolen:

‘After the death of his grandmother, Dimitri finds he’s been lied to most of his life. His journey into the Outback to unravel the mystery of his identity leads to an encounter with Leah, a nurse with a tragic secret.’

Twice Stolen broaches issues of identity, loss, love and betrayal, and is woven around the theme of Australia’s Indigenous Stolen Generation. You can find out more on this aspect of the novel in Susanne’s interview yesterday on the CWD blog.Twice Stolen cover high resolution

Whilst prompting deeper reflection on the generational impact of the policy effecting widespread removal of Indigenous children from their families, this novel also emulates the traditional storytelling of Indigenous Australians, entwining the Biblical Song of Songs (Song of Solomon) through this element. In Q&A format, Susanne’s going to tell us a little more about this aspect of her story.

Q. What sparked the idea of incorporating the Biblical Song of Songs as a framework for your novel?
A. The Song is considered by some as one of the greatest love songs in history. Its fame in the ancient world parallels our Romeo and Juliet or Pride and Prejudice. Given that Twice stolen is written in the genre of Inspirational Fiction, I decided its themes provided a strong foundation on which to build the plot.

Q. Twice Stolen draws on the emotional awakenings depicted in Song of Songs. How is this significant in the novel?
A. The Song of Songs is like any love story. The characters experience an ebb and flow of emotion in their relationship. They face obstacles and resolutions appear almost impossible. The reader wonders if the characters’ love is strong enough to endure.

Q. The young adult protagonists both carry vulnerabilities because of their situations. Do you feel there are similarities between your characters and the lovers in Song of Songs?
A. My characters, Dimitri and Leah, like to think so.

Q. Okay, I think Dimitri and Leah might be a little biased. 🙂 What do you think?
A. Absolutely. The Song of Songs describes the love between King Solomon, named the ‘Lover’, and a local girl, the ‘Beloved’. The Beloved finds it difficult to comprehend how a king could possibly love her, a mere keeper of a vineyard. Despite returning his feelings, she spends a great proportion of the Song denying them and rejecting his love. The Lover never wavers in his feelings, believing that in the end she’ll come around.

Q. This makes it sound like Dimitri’s love is not reciprocated as ardently by Leah. Is it really so one sided?
A. Not at all. The Song of Songs is thought to appear in the Bible because it reflects the relationship of love which exists between God and ourselves. God is our steadfast Lover, and we, His recalcitrant Beloved. It doesn’t take Leah and Dimitri too long to realize that they are both similar to the Beloved, and in the end, God alone is the true Lover.

Q. Lastly, is there a verse from Song of Songs you feel best captures the heart of this story?
A. Definitely.

for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy[a] unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.[b]
7 Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away. Song of Songs 8:6-7

Throughout the hurdles Dimitri and Leah must face in Twice Stolen, they constantly question the strength of their love. They each face a major life challenge and something innate must change within or their romance doesn’t stand a chance. They question whether it is even possible to have love as strong as this verse describes.

Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Susanne. I enjoyed reading Twice Stolen and found myself drawn by Dimitri’s and Leah’s stories – as I’m sure your future readers will, too. Twice Stolen won the 2012 CALEB prize for an unpublished manuscript and is due for release on Valentine’s Day weekend (Feb 12-14) in South Australia, and will be launched in the company of Susanne’s publisher, Anne Hamilton, founder and director of Armour Books. For more about Susanne visit her website and 10 Minute Daily Retreat. To connect you can also find her on Facebook and Goodreads.

 

Juggling Timelines

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Nola 2014 g copyThis is our final ‘Write Time’ guest blog. I don’t know about you, but I’m sorry to see the end of these insightful blogs. What I’ve found so great is the diverse angle each contributor’s brought to their post, and today is no exception as we welcome Nola Passmore to round out this series. Nola is a widely published poet and writer of short fiction and creative non-fiction, not to mention social psychologist and co-editor of the recently released ‘Glimpses of Light’ Anthology. She’s also in the throes of crafting an epic novel, which is bound to bear her stamp of excellence. But I’ll let Nola tell you more about that. Thanks, Nola. 🙂

I have a problem. I’m writing a parallel narrative where a contemporary story about Libby interweaves with an historical one featuring Maggie. The two timelines intersect in that Maggie’s actions in the past affect Libby’s choices in the present. That’s complicated enough, but that’s not my main problem. I’ve set up the plot so that the historical story takes place in the early 1880s and then jumps forward thirty-five years to 1917. How do I account for thirty-five missing years without dumping lots of backstory?

I could fill in the details by continuing Maggie’s saga through those years. However, that would add way too much to my already-bulging manuscript. Another approach would be to narrow the gap by starting Maggie’s story later (maybe the 1890s) and finishing it sooner (well before 1917). However, the plot hangs around some key historical events. Changing my heroine’s timeline would mean altering significant parts of the narrative. Maggie wouldn’t be in Halifax to bring about certain social reforms, the subplot for one character would have to change completely, and the climax could no longer be tied to a real-life catastrophe. Even if I decided to make all of those changes, I wouldn’t be able to stop there because the historical part of the novel affects the present. If Maggie’s story changes, so does Libby’s. Everything is intertwined, with one person’s timeline inextricably linked to others.

Isn’t that the way it is in our lives too? If our ancestors had made different choices about where they worked and lived, we wouldn’t be the same people we are today. Some of us wouldn’t even have been born. Historical events also have an impact in the present. What if Hitler had won World War II? What if Jesus hadn’t died for my sins? What if Lucy Maud Montgomery had never stayed at her uncle’s house with the green gables? What if Lance Hills’ wife hadn’t needed a space-saving washing line?

At the beginning of each year, we have the opportunity to reflect on how we’ve used our time and to think about what we’d like to do differently in the months ahead. We can’t go back and change the timelines of our past and there will always be things we can’t control in the future. However, we can make choices about how we approach life now. In terms of writing, I’d like to focus more specifically on finishing my novel and solving my timeline dilemma. All suggestions welcome! I’d also like to achieve a better balance between work, family life and play. How about you? What are your hopes and dreams for 2016? Sometimes the road ahead can seem daunting, but if we take it one step at a time, we can achieve more than we ever thought possible. With God’s help, it’s going to be an awesome year.

GOLCoverNola Passmore has had more than 150 short pieces published, including devotionals, true stories, poetry, short fiction, magazine articles and academic papers. She loves exploring different facets of creativity and encouraging others to develop their God-given talents. She and her husband Tim have their own freelance writing and editing business called The Write Flourish. You can find her writing tips blog on their website.

A Right Time to Write?

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Lynne1-editedCan you believe we’re up to week four of the ‘Write Time’ series? Today we have another quality guest blogger, award winning author and professional editor, Lynne Stringer. Lynne has loved to write since she was small, and as a published YA author, magazine and newspaper editor and screenwriter, she’s been able to explore that dream across numerous genres. Today Lynne broaches a topic most writers will relate to – that wrestle to achieving a workable balance between crafting a new writing project and the demands of ‘real life’. Just days before we launch into the New Year, this is timely wisdom. Over to you, Lynne. 🙂

Is there a right time to write? It’s an interesting question and one I’m pondering a lot of late.

One of the problems with being an unknown author is that you have to have a day job or else you starve. You’ve also usually got a family and so you need to spend time with them, not to mention doing things like feeding them, cleaning the house, etc.

Also, once you’ve had some books published, you really need to spend some time promoting yourself and your books.

The dilemma then becomes—when do you find time to write something new?

I recently started a new job, and although we’re closed over Christmas, I’m still trying to catch up on fifty million (okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration!) other things I have to do. This is causing a little ball of pressure to build up in me because I’ve got an idea for a new story. Am I going to find the time to write it or even start it? I hope so. It’s not quite at the point where it’s knocking on the inside of my head, demanding to be released (yes, authors are weird!) but I don’t think it will be long before it is. I’ve just got to work out the resolution (that’s the bit at the end where everything is tied up) but I think I’ve got it, so soon the little voice of my story will become a loud scream, as it decides it’s time to come out!

One of the best things about this story is that I already know what it’s going to be called. That’s rare for me. I usually find it hard to think of titles. And I’m reasonably confident it’s a title that is useable, although I’ve been wrong about that before, so I’ll have to see if that’s the case.

But still, will I find the time to write it? What I need to do, of course, is make time. While that’s easier said than done, especially at this time of the year, I’m hopeful that soon will come that exciting moment when I sit down and write the first line. The only thing better than writing the first line of a story is writing the last.

theheir_cover silver award smallLynne Stringer has been passionate about writing all her life, beginning with short stories in her primary school days. She began writing professionally as a journalist and was the editor of a small newspaper (later magazine) for seven years, before turning her hand to screenplay writing and novels. Lynne currently works as a professional editor and proofreader. Her debut novel, The Heir, the first book in the Verindon trilogy, received the Literary Classics’ sliver award in young adult science fiction in 2014. You can connect with Lynne on Pintrest, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon and Twitter @TheHeirNovel.