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| Zoe M. McCarthy |
We writers are told to write what we know. I think most writers understand adversity within the writing profession. We find ourselves:
Many writers also know personal adversities, such as illnesses. Our experience in hardships can add genuineness to our characters’ reactions and feelings in their disasters.
The other side to understanding our adversities is knowing how to handle our tough times. I think most of us would like to bring a healthy genuineness to the overcoming side of our characters’ journeys.
Knowing positive ways to handle adversity helps writers offer readers something beneficial through characters’ journeys.
By the end of our stories, we can show how our characters have learned to handle adversity in ways they couldn’t in the beginning.
Here are possible questions we writers can ask ourselves to help us learn to deal with adversity in the best way—for the sake of our readers.
Our characters won’t do all these things, but they could learn to do the ones that have helped us — the ones we know and understand.
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. 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 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.
Learn more about Zoe M. McCarthy at her website: http://zoemmccarthy.com
Calculated Risk
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
- learning a difficult craft,
- bearing rejections from publishers after months of work,
- swallowing criticism from critique partners, beta readers, and reviewers,
- trying to build a platform when we barely know what it is,
- marketing books when all we want to do is write,
- feeling helpless when we lose sales because of online snafus,
- fearing synopses and pitches of our stories…
Many writers also know personal adversities, such as illnesses. Our experience in hardships can add genuineness to our characters’ reactions and feelings in their disasters.
The other side to understanding our adversities is knowing how to handle our tough times. I think most of us would like to bring a healthy genuineness to the overcoming side of our characters’ journeys.
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image by johnhain
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Knowing positive ways to handle adversity helps writers offer readers something beneficial through characters’ journeys.
By the end of our stories, we can show how our characters have learned to handle adversity in ways they couldn’t in the beginning.
Here are possible questions we writers can ask ourselves to help us learn to deal with adversity in the best way—for the sake of our readers.
Our characters won’t do all these things, but they could learn to do the ones that have helped us — the ones we know and understand.
- Do I seek God daily in all things?
- Do I ask for forgiveness as soon as God convicts me of a sinful attitude?
- Do I praise, thank, and worship the Lord often during my day?
- Do I study God’s Word, believe it, and follow the Lord’s commands?
- Do I trust God and wait patiently for what He deems best for me?
- Do I look for the oportunites, changes, and relationships God is orchestrating in my life?
- Do I use my suffering for my personal growth and to help others?
- Do I refuse to listen to Satan’s temptations and discouragements?
- Do I recognize when I’m causing my own problems?
- Do I access the power God awards me through the Holy Spirit?
- Do I stop what I’m doing and ask God to help me with specific problems?
- Do I welcome criticism for what can help me grow, and ignore what is unhelpful?
- Do I embrace God as my co-author, seeking him as I brainstorm, write, and deal with the business end of the industry?
- Do I pay forward the help given me from more experienced authors?
What are other questions we could ask ourselves in developing positive, godly attitudes in dealing with adversities?
To write genuine character growth, ask yourself these personal questions. Click to tweet.
To write genuine character growth, ask yourself these personal questions. Click to tweet.
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. 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 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.
Learn more about Zoe M. McCarthy at her website: http://zoemmccarthy.com
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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
