Re-Defining Creative by Mesu Andrews

Mesu Andrews

When someone asks me, “Are you creative?” my mind flashes to the half-full closet of half-finished craft projects in our spare bedroom. But, remarkably, my answer is, “Yes. I was created to be creative.” Believe it or not, you’re creative too! Read on to see if you agree…

God is distinct as Creator with the ability to create from nothing. He brings into being something that previously didn’t exist.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”            Genesis 1:1-2

He continued creating the sky, land, seas, plants, animals—but when the Creator created man, He did it a little “creatively.”

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”    Genesis 1:27

Don’t you wish you could have seen Adam and Eve BEFORE sin? The perfect image of God on earth—unscarred by sin—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin marred them. Sin marred the image of God in human form.

Blemished by not broken, God’s image still forms the core of every newborn, and it is this core of God’s image that distinguishes us from animals and angels.

“You have made [humankind] a little lower than the angels and…You made them rulers over the works of your hands...”            Psalm 8:5-6

So, what do you and I do that our dogs can’t do? Well, I’m a pet-lover, not a theologian, so I don’t know all the ins-and-outs of the body, soul, and spirit. But I know this:

Because I was created in the image of my God:

• I can create.
• I am creative
• You’re creative too.

This post is a creation. I used letters, a computer, and the internet to communicate it, but the thoughts were a creative process made possible because I was created in the image of my Creator.

And creation is a PROCESS: inspiration and imagination that leads to revelation. We participate in this process—as writers, teachers, moms, dads, problem-solvers of all kinds—with the Creator Himself. How cool is that?

Sin may have marred the divine image of original humanity, and it most certainly strained the fellowship of our Holy God with His Creation—but through the righteous blood of Jesus I’m renewed day-by-day in both His image and in fellowship with Him.

So, let me be the first to ask…Are you creative?

Can you think of other creative pursuits besides writing?

Click to Tweet

• God’s image in humans was flawed by sin, but it still forms the core of every newborn.
• Blemishedby not broken, God’s image in us distinguishes us from animals and angels.
• Inspiration and imagination lead to revelation. We participate in this process with the Creator Himself.

About the Author

Mesu Andrews’ deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for her readers. She and her husband, Roy, enjoyed fourteen years of pastoral ministry before moving to the Pacific Northwest to pursue the next step in God’s calling. They enjoy visiting their two married daughters and a growing tribe of grandkids. Both enjoy the cozy warmth of a fire on rainy Northwest days. Mesu loves movies, waterfalls, and travel.

Biblical fiction is her favorite genre to read and write. Her first novel, Love Amid the Ashes (Revell, 2011), won the 2012 ECPA Book of the Year in the Debut Author Category. Love’s Sacred Song (Revell, 2012), the Song of Solomon story, received a 4 ½ star rating from RT Reviews. And Love in a Broken Vessel(Revell), the story of Hosea and Gomer, is available now and received a 4 ½ star TOP PICK rating from RT Reviews.

The Shadow of Jezebel

Princess Jehosheba wants nothing more than to please the harsh and demanding Queen Athaliah, daughter of the notorious Queen Jezebel.

In the Shadow of Jezebel
by Mesu Andrews

Her work as a priestess in the temple of Baal seems to do the trick. But when a mysterious letter from the dead prophet Elijah predicts doom for the royal household, Jehosheba realizes that the dark arts she practices reach beyond the realm of earthly governments. To further Athaliah and Jezebel’s strategies, she is forced to marry Yahweh’s high priest and enters the unfamiliar world of Yahweh’s temple. Can her new husband show her the truth and love she craves? And can Jehosheba overcome her fear and save the family–and the nation–she loves?

With deft skill, Mesu Andrews brings Old Testament passages to life, revealing a fascinating story of the power of unconditional love.

Launch Teams, Part Two by Amber Schamel

Author Amber Schamel is back to provide more wonderful advice about book launch teams. If you missed Part One, be sure to check it out here. -- Sandy

Amber: Hello everyone! Amber Schamel here again and I'm so happy to be back on Seriously Write with you today to share more about the incredible marketing asset of Launch Teams. If you missed the first post on October 9, be sure to check it out. I got some really good questions from you and I'm  going to answer as many of those as I can.

How do you communicate with a Launch Team?

You can set up your Launch Team as a facebook group, email loop, yahoo group, or many other methods, but I've found that the Facebook Group works best. From there you can list events, blog appearances, answer questions, and talk to your team.

What's in it for them?

In order to entice people to be a part of your launch team and to keep them engaged, it's a good idea to offer something special to your team members. This would usually be a free copy of your book (so they can read, rant and review) and can also include things like a drawing for a gift card or basket, a little something that relates to your book/genre, something you handmade (if you're crafty) etc.  It's also good to mention that they will get exclusive access to the author and behind the scenes tidbits. You can share these tidbits, etc in your group. Be creative, experiment a little, and find what works best for you and your budget.

How long do you keep your launch team?

That's really up to you. You could give them a range of dates for the launch, or you can keep them indefinitely. With my team, I told them that most of the action would be during these certain months, then when my next book comes out, I'll give them the option to leave, or stay on board.

Keeping your launch team engaged.

Just like with any team, you'll have your superstars, then you'll have those that aren't engaged. Probably only 20% of the team will be actively engaged. With that said, there are some important elements towards holding your team's attention and giving them an enjoyable experience.

1) Be the leader. They are looking to you for instructions on what they should do, how, when etc. Initiate conversation with those on your team. Ask them questions about themselves, their likes. Lead them in a prayer at  the beginning of every week.

2) Give the group a team feel. Some ideas for this would be to allow everyone to introduce themselves, and then ask them all a question every week that they can discuss and answer. I also think it's a great idea to post prayer requests not just for you, but also for your team. Another thing I did was make a special button for their website/profile that identifies them with us. It's kinda like a cyber-jersey. :)

3) Give them simple, step by step instructions. For example: Today we have a blog interview! Please stop by and leave a comment for my host, and share with your friends.

I hope you've enjoyed this series on Launch Teams. Are there any questions I've missed answering?

~~~

Amber Schamel was born in Littleton, CO and has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and the Holy Land. She was raised in a family of 11 children, homeschooled through her education and currently works with their 10 family businesses as bookkeeper and marketing director. She volunteers half of the summer helping and ministering to young girls and Christian families. Amber loves history, culture, reading and music. She has a musical ministry and travels throughout the United States ministering thru song. During her spare time she enjoys crafting Christ-honoring stories that will inspire and encourage her readers. Amber currently lives with her family outside of Colorado Springs, CO. 

Launch Teams, Part One

In July, I ran Amber Schamel's book trailer for The Healer's Touch on my personal blog. The traffic that came from it blew me away. When I asked about it, she said she'd put the word out to her book launch team. So of course, I asked Amber to share her experience with launch teams on this blog.--Sandy

Amber: Several months ago I assembled my very first launch team. My team has become an invaluable asset to me and Sandra has asked me to share a little about what I'm learning. There is a lot to cover on this topic, so we're splitting it up into two posts. Be sure to catch part 2 on October 23.

What is a "Launch Team?"

This was my question several months ago when I first heard the term. I did some searching and interviewing and was able to glean a lot of information that I'll attempt to share with you.

A Launch Team is basically a special group of people who support you and your work and are willing to talk about it, give you a review, host you on their blog, follow you around to all your media appearances (and sometimes book signings and whatnot), and share social media posts with their friends. A Launch Team can consist of family, friends, readers or fans, and yes, even other writers. However writers do tend to have less time, so the best Launch Team members are usually just friends and readers, however writers do have bigger blogs which can also be a benefit.

How big is a Launch Team?

Your team can be any size you want. Mine consists of about 20 people, but not all those people are active all the time. I have talked to some writers whose teams are as large as 100-200 people.

How do you gather a Launch Team?

Just ask! I sent out an email/facebook message to some select friends asking them specifically if they'd like to be a part. I also put a post on my facebook page letting my friends know I was looking for people to help me. The response was tremendous. The key is to keep the invitation casual and easy-going. Don't make people feel like they can't be your friend if they don't help you. ;)

What are the benefits of having a Launch Team?

So many! Here's a few:

·         A loyal group of people to post positive reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, etc.

·         A group to go along to all of your media appearances. This is HUGE. Basically, they make sure you never show up to a party by yourself. There's nothing more lonely than guesting or interviewing on a blog and there's no one there but you and your host. A launch team will drop by and leave comments, initiate conversation and make things fun.

·         A team that will share about you and your book on their social media and/or blogs to create a buzz around you and your book.

In the next post we'll be discussing the mechanics of a Launch Team and some tips on making it successful. 

Do you have any questions you'd like me to answer in the next post?

~~~

Amber Schamel was born in Littleton, CO and has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and the Holy Land. She was raised in a family of 11 children, homeschooled through her education and currently works with their 10 family businesses as bookkeeper and marketing director. She volunteers half of the summer helping and ministering to young girls and Christian families. Amber loves history, culture, reading and music. She has a musical ministry and travels throughout the United States ministering thru song. During her spare time she enjoys crafting Christ-honoring stories that will inspire and encourage her readers. Amber currently lives with her family outside of Colorado Springs, CO. 

Is Biblical Fiction Fact or Fancy? by Mesu Andrews

I've been thinking about genres lately. One genre that I really enjoy is Biblical fiction. But how can we, as writers, write fictional tales based on a factual -- and holy -- book? Today Mesu Andrews tackles the tough questions. ~ Angie

Biblical Fiction. The term itself seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? The Bible is truth! Not fiction. Every biblical fiction author I’ve met would whole-heartedly agree. We write about the absolute Truth of God’s Word, adding the context of culture, history, and supporting characters to create a story that will imprint the message of Scripture on readers’ hearts.

So how much biblical fact qualifies as biblical fiction, and how can we ensure fiction never overshadows biblical facts?

Our first step is to recognize the wide spectrum of storytelling style in this genre. In Jill Eileen Smith’s first series, Wives of King David, she wrote the familiar biblical stories of Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba in bold strokes of fabulous detail. These women’s lives were well-documented in Scripture, and Jill brought the setting and culture alive with her research.

On the other hand, Davis Bunn and Janette Oke wrote a series, Acts of Faith, in which most of the characters were fictional, but they placed them in the early days after Jesus’ resurrection. Using real biblical characters as minor players and scriptural events as secondary to the plot, these proven masters of the craft wrote a series of biblical fiction that tugged at New Testament lovers’ heartstrings.

Both strategies would be deemed biblical fiction. The reader must determine which style of storytelling he/she desires. Which leads us to the crux of the issue:

Why write biblical fiction when the stories are already written in the Bible?

The Bible is the most exciting Book ever written! Each story is full of emotion and tension. Each character experiences crisis at a gut-wrenching level and makes life-altering choices.

But 99% of us don’t feel that excitement when we read the Bible, do we?

Why? Because most of us don’t understand the context in which the words were written. 

We don’t know the author or the audience, the occasion of the writing, or the standing of nations at that time. We’re thinking of our grocery list, a soccer game, the lost car keys.

The real value of biblical fiction is to place readers in the setting of the characters. Smell their smells, taste their tastes, hear their sounds. When we realize biblical characters didn’t live in a bubble, but they were surrounded by real people like us, it helps us identify with them more readily and allows God’s Word to sink more deeply into our hearts. Bible characters were surrounded by hundreds of people not recorded in Scripture, lived hundreds of days not chronicled, and imagined a gazillion dreams never expressed. But that imagination has purpose.

Good biblical fiction should always rouse the reader's curiosity and drive them back to God's Word for answers. A novel is never a substitute for Scripture. It's a bridge to transport the reader into the cultural setting in order to learn from the stories in God’s Word. 

I believe all inspirational fiction differs from the general market because it seeks to do more than entertain. Christian fiction seeks to inspire. As a biblical fiction author, I hope to entertain, inspire, and educate. My husband uses this fabulous word with his classes, and I’m stealing the term. I hope biblical fiction provides…Edu-tainment!

What are your thoughts on biblical fiction? What elements make up good biblical fiction? What authors do you enjoy most?

Mesu Andrews is an author and speaker who has devoted herself to passionate study of Scripture. Harnessing her deep love for God’s Word, Andrews brings the biblical world alive for her audiences. Mesu and her husband, Roy, have two grown children and (Praise God!) a growing number of grandkids. They live in Washington, where Roy teaches at Multnomah University. They have a Rottweiler-pitbull named Bouzer who keeps Mesu company while she writes. She's published two books, Love Amid the Ashes and Love's Sacred Song. Two more are scheduled for release with Revell in March of 2013 and 2014. 

Love's Sacred Song was released March 1, 2012. For young King Solomon wisdom came as God’s gift, but sacred love was forged through passion’s fire.

Check out  the Love's Sacred Song book trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYCpTmNVCQo

Connect with Mesu on her website or Facebook.