How Much Have You Forgotten YOU Had To Learn?

My first two novels

During the last few years as time has permitted me, I have been privileged to have opportunities to try and help other writers attempting their first novel. Some of the mistakes in some of the manuscripts really made me blink. After reading the first few chapters of one I even groaned and muttered, “Where do I even start with this one?”

What actually decided me to mention that in today’s blog was the prayer of our delightful grandson last night. His Dad, our own precious son, had just left very early in the morning to catch a flight on the first leg of a long trip overseas. Our grandson is now just over ten years old. He thrilled Ray and I with his maturity and faith as he asked God to keep the traveller safe and watch over himself and the rest of the family. As he prayed, I have to confess having to remind myself he is still only ten years old!

I was dwelling on this again today and my thoughts went back many, many years ago to another ten year old. I suddenly remembered how I used to pray too to the Lord I knew without a doubt loved me. Certainly since then I have been learning more and more about that same Lord, more about how He wants us to pray in intimate fellowship with Himself. Even when the answers are not always what I want, I am even more sure He is listening, is always faithful to His word, and yet have I forgotten just how much I have had to learn over the years about God and His ways?

My first novel I started writing over twenty years ago. There had been a fairly brief course about writing fiction, including setting, plotting, characters and other basic elements of a novel. Even though I did buy “How to Write” books as well over the years, learning the theory and then trying to put it into practice are often two different things. Now I look back and realise just how much I gradually learnt – and not only with that very first attempt. Fortunately for that first novel I had one editor who pointed out what we now call “head-hopping” or my bad use of Point of View. For many years I did not even know the technical term for that problem. I won’t even attempt to mention the grammar I had to learn and still get wrong sometimes!

Today I am very aware that even after having written seventeen stories I am still learning how to improve my writing to try and give my readers an enjoyable “Emotional Experience”.

One problem I have noticed writers need help with I am presenting in a workshop at The Word Writers Getaway in October – “The Structure of the Novel”. It is still not too late to register so do check out the session topics available. There just might be one to help you or a writer friend you know.

There is danger in taking for granted beginners know things we have had to learn ourselves over years and now are very familiar with – even if we still fail sometimes to put them into practice properly. Now I am trying to pass on writing techniques to others, it is important to never forget just what I had to learn – and too many times the hard way from editor requests for revisions.

I would love to have comments about specific things you remember you had to learn about while writing your manuscripts.
Perhaps there are mistakes (besides typos) you see in published books you wish the writer had known about?

Writers and Unexpected Storms of Life

So often we can plan our days only to have those “extra” things in life happen that have to take first priority. During our book promotion and lovely fellowship times in southern Tasmania that I shared with you last week, we heard the sad news that the father of our dear daughter-in-law in New South Wales had passed away. So last Saturday Ray and I flew up to share with our son and dear Karen at this sad time. It was such a privilege last Monday to be at that God honouring funeral service to celebrate Ted’s life.

Tomorrow is the funeral of an uncle of mine in South Australia. Alas, this time it is simply not possible to consider flying all that distance to be with the family there. Unlike Ted, my uncle was much older and been in bad health for a long time. For both of them, their suffering is now over and they are at rest. Those of us who remember them now have to return to deal with our own living and those we love.

Interruptions, especially stormy ones, happen of various kinds and time lengths for all of us, including writers like myself, a fiction writer, and my husband who writes devotional meditations. Some may perhaps be anticipated but more often not the day or the hour. So, how do we handle them? Or perhaps I should ask how should we respond to them?

My own father died when I was a teenager but my dear mother lived another fifty-two years. I remember a time of tears, a time of trying to remember not to set the dinner table for six any longer, a time when Mum’s own health crashed the following year. But despite those moments still of sadness at those memories, one thing still stands out for me, the support and love that surrounded me from family and our church family who prayed, who were there for us when we needed them to be God’s loving hands and feet for us.

As I look back on the things I have written over the years, including those diaries and then the book manuscripts that have been published, I realise that all my experiences through those unexpected and often unwelcome interruptions have helped shape my plots, my characters, the twists and turns in their lives. My first published story back in 1993, Search For Tomorrow, had a heroine who had not only lost her father but also her mother, brother and fiancee in a car accident. How would that affect your faith in God?

My heroine had very little real knowledge of God before that dreadful interruption in her life and so believed He could not love her to allow that to happen. Some of you who have read the book may remember what my heroine’s old Nursing Tutor told her after she at long last asked questions that puzzled her. I wrote this first manuscript before the days of computers so have had to scan this section for you. This Heartsong Presents book was also included in the Barbour volume of my Search series they called Australia.

I can certainly testify that has been so very, very true in my own life over all these years.

“Interruptions” may be allowed by God, used by Him in our lives however HE wants to work them out “for good” (Romans 8:28). For writers, they help us to get under the skin of our characters as we try to show their journey through the storms with a loving, giving and keeping God.
Jesus told His disciples – and us - He will never leave us comfortless. “Wherever I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3). With two funerals in a week it is simply wonderful to know those two dear men are now face to face with Jesus where He with the Father.

So what about you? Have you had "interruptions" in your life you would like to share with me here?