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| Zoe M. McCarthy |
Solomon
concludes: What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 NIV
We
writers are told no new plots exist—only new twists on old plots. Readers need
both the element of the familiar and the freshness of the twist. For example,
we write in our proposal, “This is an Invader story.” We go on to sketch out a
new twist on aliens invading Earth or on pre-Columbian natives invading a
nearby island.
Is
it the same for the adversities that come our way? I think it is. That gives me
comfort. No new adversity uncommon to man is going to rise up and strike me.
Every kind of adversity has been experienced before.
When
an adversity comes my way, my experience may exhibit a different twist than
other peoples’ encounters with the same age-old adversity. But I can count on a
wealth of people to help me ride its waves.
For
example, I’m reading Gayle Roper’s A
Widow’s Journey for research on my young widow in my manuscript. I’m
thinking, “Women should read this before
they become widows.” According to actuarial tables, widowhood is a likely
adversity for women. Reading Gayle’s journal account of her journey, inspires
me to:
- Appreciate John now
- Know where he files important papers and understand our financial matters
- Build my dependence on the Lord
- Make choices now to avoid regrets if I should become a widow (go happily to Wake Forest sports events)
- Tuck away in my mind the tasks and decisions Gayle addresses
I
know doing the above won’t lessen the grief I’d face, but it may make it a
little easier. Maybe I won’t try to go it alone, unduly prolonging it.
Knowing
what to expect helps me. Knowing that widows offer blogs, books, time, and
groups comforts me.
And
the best part for us fiction writers is we have a venue to help others go
through our types of adversities. We know about twists on common plots, so we
know others’ experiences and journeys aren’t exactly like our own. We know
characters have minds of their own. We can help our characters on their
journeys but we must let them be themselves. The same is true for anyone we
might encourage. This inspires me as well.
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| About the Author |
Zoe M. McCarthy
believes the little known fact that opposites distract. Thus, she spins
Christian contemporary romances entangling extreme opposites. Her tagline is:
Distraction to Attraction, Magnetic Romances Between Opposites. Now retired
actuaries, Zoe and her husband evaluated the financial risks for insurance
companies. Nick, in Zoe’s debut novel, Calculated
Risk, is an actuary. Christian Fiction Online Magazine published two of her
short stories. Zoe self-published two books of contemporary Christian short
stories. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She enjoys
leading workshops at JoyWriters on the craft of writing; speaking about her
faith; planning fun events for her 5 grandchildren; and exploring the Blue
Ridge Mountains, where she lives with her husband, John.
Calculated Risk
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| Calculated Risk by Zoe M. McCarthy |
What happens when an analytical
numbers man meets a mercurial marketing Rep? Romance is a calculated risk…
Jilted by the latest of her
father’s choices of “real men,” Cisney Baldwin rashly accepts an invitation to
spend Thanksgiving weekend with a sympathetic colleague and his family. Nick
LeCrone is a man too much her opposite to interest her and too mild-mannered to
make her overbearing father’s “list.” Now, Cisney fears Nick wants to take
advantage of her vulnerable state over the holiday. Boy, is she wrong.
Nick wants little to do with
Cisney. She drives him crazy with all her sticky notes and quirks. He extended
an invitation because he felt sorry for her. Now he’s stuck, and to make
matters worse, his family thinks she’s his perfect match. He’ll do what he can
to keep his distance, but there’s just one problem—he’s starting to believe Cisney’s
magnetism is stronger than he can resist.
Purchase links for Calculated Risk: http://zoemmccarthy.com/books
