Thursday, April 30, 2020

IN A WORLD OF WHAT IFS? By Sharee Stover

A favorite book plotting tool I use is the “What If?” game. I ask myself the question throughout the course of a story’s development. Of course, in the beginning when I’m researching, I ask “what if?” in a general sense, for instance when I’m pondering a possible plot.

When I’m in a scene and want to up the ante, I ask, “What if?”

And when I’m doing edits I ask, “What if?”

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The whole point of asking, “what if?” is to make our characters’ lives a little more miserable. I know that sounds incredibly cruel but, the bigger their challenges, the bigger their victories. Or failures. It’s okay to have both.

The risks and adventures in their journey give our characters life. The way they handle situations brings out their inner fears, beauty, and values.

And in the end, our characters grow and mature. At least we hope so, because an unchanged character is boring.

I can’t help but wonder if God allows the “what if?” periods of our lives for similar reasons. When we have life all figured out, we’re busy being busy. In those times when I feel most in control, I’m checking off things in my dayplanner, scheduling appointments, meetings, and events. I’m crossing off items on my To Do list and feeling like I have got this thing handled. And it’s those moments where I fall into the false sense of security that I’m in control of my life.

But throw in a “what if?”, mix it up, take away my planner, add in a pandemic … and “what if?” becomes an in-my-face reality.

In those uncertain times, the “what ifs” free us to ask questions, explore new ideas, and admit we don’t have a clue how to handle a situation. It’s where we throw up our hands in full surrender and admit we aren’t in control.

Like that’s news to God.

But friend, sometimes, it’s news to us because those “what if?” moments ground us in reality, setting us back where we should be. On our knees admitting to God that we are not in control and honestly, it’s all a little unnerving.

And it’s there in the quiet, in the place where I’ve cast my care that I find He is fully in control.

What if God loves me enough to take care of today?

What if God loves me enough to take care of tomorrow?

Does that mean I’ll live sheltered in a bubble fully protected from every bad thing? Of course not. In fact, this year has been one of the toughest I’ve faced and it’s not even summertime.

But it does mean I am not alone. And neither are you. No matter what is on the other side of “what if?”, God’s in control. And because I belong to Him, because you belong to Him, He’s got us. And if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

Someone’s after a deadly weapon…

and only she can stop them.

It’s undercover ATF agent Randee Jareau’s job to make sure the government’s 3-D printed “ghost gun” doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. So when someone goes after scientist Ace Steele, she must protect him…before she loses the undetectable weapon and its creator. But with a mole inside Ace’s company and everyone a suspect, this assignment could become Randee’s last.

Colorado native Sharee Stover lives in Nebraska with her real-life-hero husband, three too-good-to-be-true children, and a ridiculously spoiled dog. A self-proclaimed word nerd, she loves the power of the written word to ignite, transform, and restore. She writes Christian romantic suspense combining heart-racing, nail-biting suspense and the delight of falling in love all in one. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Nebraska Writer’s Guild. Sharee is a triple Daphne du Maurier finalist, winner of the 2017 Wisconsin Fabulous Five Silver Quill Award, and her debut, Secret Past, won Best First Book in the 2019 National Excellence in Romance Fiction Awards. When she isn’t writing, Sharee enjoys reading, crocheting and long walks with her obnoxiously lovable German Shepherd. Visit her at www.shareestover.com.

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