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| "Hope" spelled out in tiles* |
Each of our lives is layered with
unique experiences, and as writers, we can insert those elements into our
stories. I included certain spiritual themes in my latest book, which released
over the weekend (whoop!), and I wanted to share some of them with you.
Wooed by a Passionate God
One of the ways God has touched
my life, beyond the merciful power of salvation, is through wooing me closer to
Himself. In Finding Live in Friday Harbor, Washington, I wanted God to woo my hero after he suffered losses. I
described God revealing the truth of His character in a way that touched my
hero’s life/heart, and drew him to God. This was one of my favorite elements of
this novel.
Because we’ve each lived through spiritual
lessons ourselves, we have confidence and passion to share those elements with
others through our writing. Here’s another example:
Prisoners of Hope
Have you ever been in a deeply
painful season of loss where you felt confused, even lost, and desperate for
mercy? I have. Before I finished writing FLI Friday Harbor, I experienced such
a season. I couldn’t give up, yet I couldn’t see a way to victory. I had to
hope. Yet hope was my enemy because for a while, nothing was changing, nothing
was improving. I wrote the emotions of irritation, resentment, impatience into
my brooding hero’s story. He feels stuck and hopeless, but hope is all he has. He's a prisoner of hope, just like I was. (Tweet that!)
But look at this fantastic
promise to the prisoners of hope:
Return to the stronghold,
You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore double to you.
You prisoners of hope.
Even today I declare
That I will restore double to you.
Zechariah 9:12 NKJV
Double
Double! After so much loss,
my character is ready for relief, release, and restoration of some of what he’s
lost. God kept those promises in my life. You’ll have to read my book to see if
God keeps those promises for my characters. 😊
We mine many things from our life
experience, including faith stories. As writers, we can then apply them to our
fiction, without preaching (ideally).
Your turn: Share some of the
spiritual elements you’ve included in your stories. Did they come from your own
life? Or as a reader, has your life been changed or encouraged because you read about a faith element in fiction
during a challenging season?
Write on, friends!
~~~~~
Will keeping his promise
lead to another broken heart—or help them find love again?
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| FLI Friday Harbor by Annette M. Irby |
Professor Mikaela Rhoades has a plan: she’ll
encourage her students’ marine biology research through an exclusive program
while helping an old family friend’s whale touring business stay afloat. The
challenge is the tour captain is her first love and ex-fiancé. Mikaela longs to
help his family in the wake of his father’s death, but she’s keeping secrets.
She’ll have to face her past and overcome her concerns about the future to make
it through the summer.
Captain Hunter Cahill has taken over the family
touring business after his father’s death. Unfortunately, he’s drowning in
grief and debts. He’s hoping the incoming stodgy professor will help
resurrect the failing business, but he’s not prepared when that professor turns
out to be Mikaela, his former fiancée. To make matters more difficult, he’d
promised his father to pursue her if she ever returned to the island single.
The more time they spend together, the easier it is to keep that promise,
though she still plans to leave at the end of the season. How much will it cost
him to spend the summer romancing Mikaela?
~~~~~
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| Annette M. Irby |
Annette M. Irby has been
writing since her teen years when she sat pounding out stories on a vintage
typewriter just for fun. Since then, she’s joined Christian writing groups and
launched blogs so she could share the joy of writing. She likes to say she’s
addicted to color as flowers and seascapes inspire her. In her off hours, she
enjoys gardening, photography, and music. She lives with her husband and family
in the Pacific Northwest.
Links to
connect with Annette:
Twitter: @AnnetteMIrby
Photo credit: *hope tiles (c) Annette M. Irby
Author photo credit: Sarah Irby of Irby Photography
