Has God given you an idea for a book? Today, Susan Reinhardt shares her road to creating a "surprise" novel. -- Sandy
Susan: Words don't always appear on paper in a burst of creative energy. Non-fiction is my first love. I wrote not because I was particularly inspired but because a need arose. So, I set about the task of writing a Christmas skit, short pieces for kids, Sunday School materials, and devotionals.
Susan: Words don't always appear on paper in a burst of creative energy. Non-fiction is my first love. I wrote not because I was particularly inspired but because a need arose. So, I set about the task of writing a Christmas skit, short pieces for kids, Sunday School materials, and devotionals.
My entry into fiction took me by surprise. During a trip to Gettysburg in December
2004, I "heard" the voices of the forefathers as fading echoes. All
efforts to put that experience in written form failed until my late husband one
day declared, "That's it! That's your book, and you'll write it in four
months and call it Ghosts of the Past."
Yeah, right.
I couldn't shake his words, so I turned on the computer and wrote
one sentence after another. While inspiration occasionally flowed, most of the
time the story came out in painful spurts. After exactly four months, the
manuscript reached 55,000 words, and I typed, "The End." Ahem, we all
know that's never, "The End."
True creativity often doesn't reach its zenith until the
editing process is complete. Often, I'll be reading through my rough draft and
see how I can strengthen a scene or even an entire plot line. As a
seat-of-the-pants writer, my theme develops through character interactions and
the situations they encounter.
My experience level with fiction was nil, and it took me
eight years (minus a two-year hiatus to nurse my husband until his death) to
get the manuscript into publishable condition. Along the way, the title changed
from Echoes of the Past to The Moses Conspiracy. It went from 55,000 to 90,000-plus
words.
While inspiration provided vision, studying the craft gave
me the tools to communicate what was in my heart. It's not an either/or
scenario, but rather a marriage of both. God's gifts, including writing, come
in seed form and must be nurtured to reach their full potential.
Got creativity? Great! Water it with prayer (time spent with
the Lord), practice (all those techniques you're learning), patience (publishing
is slow), perseverance (stick with it), and punctuality (showing up when it's
time to write).
What do you do to grow your creativity? Have you ever had an idea sneak up and surprise you, perhaps from the get-go or maybe during the editing process?
~~~
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Susan J. Reinhardt's publishing credits include her novels,
The Moses Conspiracy, The Christmas Wish, and
The Scent of Fear, as well as
devotionals, short articles, and contributions to anthologies. She is a member
of American Christian Fiction Writers.
A widow, daughter, stepmom, and active church member,
Susan resides in Pennsylvania
Links for Susan:
Links for Susan:
Blog: Christian
Writer/Reader Connection
http://susanjreinhardt.blogspot.com
Facebook Author Page:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSusanJReinhardt
Twitter:
@susanjreinhardt
I'm also on Google+, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
