When All Seems Lost by Sandra Ardoin

Most of us have lived through a time in our lives when our circumstances seemed dire, our lives in turmoil. We’re at our wits end and have no idea how to proceed.

Courtesy of Pixabay

Our fictional characters should reach that point in the story when all seems to be lost and they have no hope of achieving their dreams, their goals, perhaps, even saving their lives. It’s that dark time in a character’s story when he’s tossed to the bottom of a figurative pit and the emotional world around him goes dark.

This isn’t a plot point just for dramas. Even lighthearted stories need a black moment. In fact, everything that happens previously should point to that time in the story when the character’s world, what they believed in or knew, crumbles beneath them and sends them falling into a pit of despair. It usually occurs about two-thirds to three-quarters into the book.

How can you accomplish this?

Take something of value away from your protagonist. That something of value may stem from his backstory—his wound and fear. Did an event in his past turn him into a stickler for safety? Take that sense of safety away.

In a romance, the goal for a hero is to get the girl, right? Then the black moment is when the relationship blows up in his face. It seems the chance for “happily-ever-after” is gone and he’s faced with the decision to let it go or man up and fight for his future.

In a suspense/thriller or fantasy/sci-fi, it generally comes when the villain has the upper hand and the hero, his loved ones, or the whole world appears doomed. Does he have the wherewithal and know-how to win the day?

The Black Moment, Crisis, Second Plot Point—however you term it—is emotional, not just physical. 

This isn’t the time to mollycoddle your characters.

Dig that hole deep enough that climbing to the top seems an overwhelming effort, then remind them of their strengths and give them the ability to overcome.

Remember, when your characters are in that pit, there’s no way to go but toward the surface, which leads to the climax---the scene or scenes of fighting back. Then, with whatever ending you've chosen, your readers will close the book and consider they've had a satisfying read.

Can you easily pick out the black moment in a novel? Briefly share a black moment in one of your stories.

The Black Moment, Crisis, Second Plot Point—however you term it—is emotional, not just physical, and essential for a satisfying read. via @SandraArdoin #SeriouslyWrite #amwriting

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As an author of heartwarming and award-winning historical romance, Sandra Ardoin engages readers with page-turning stories of love and faith. Rarely out of reach of a book, she's also an armchair sports enthusiast, country music listener, and seldom says no to eating out.

Visit her at www.sandraardoin.com. Connect with her on BookBub, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Subscribe to the Love and Faith in Fiction newsletter and keep up with what’s new, discover what’s upcoming, and learn of specials.

She chose the wrong man once. Can she trust her instincts now?

Phoebe Crain, an accomplished pianist, lives in near poverty to protect her five-year-old daughter from scandal. When Phoebe receives a handcrafted cigar box by mistake, her desperation to give the child something special for Christmas drives her to suggest a trade with Spence Newland, a man she views as no more principled than her daughter’s late father. But the more time she spends with the department store heir, the more Phoebe struggles to keep up her guard against him.

Spence believes the cigar box will help him gain a reclusive investor's financial support for his proposed five-and-ten-cent stores, demonstrating his ability to manage the family fortunes. Yet he hesitates to bargain with a widow who mistrusts him for no apparent reason…until he meets a charming little girl at the train station who awaits the arrival of a prince.

Will a betrayal in Phoebe’s past and Spence’s unraveling plans derail their hope for happiness and keep a child’s fairy tale from coming true?

Psalm 73 and the Character's Journey by Marie Wells Coutu

Marie Wells Coutu

As a Christian writer, I often turn to the Bible for inspiration and encouragement. But recently I found that scripture also provides parallels for the structure of a novel.

While studying Psalm 73, I was struck by the similarities between this psalm and the familiar “character’s journey,” used by many novelists.

In the first few verses, the psalmist believes a Lie: “I was envious of arrogant people when I saw the prosperity that wicked people enjoy” (v.3, GW). He looks at those who have turned away from God and believes they have easy lives, without illness or trouble (see v.4-5). “Look how wicked they are! They never have a worry. They grow more and more wealthy” (v.12).

The writer believes that all his efforts to live a godly life have been wasted. His heart has deceived him (see Jeremiah 17:9). He suffers from exaggerated, faulty thinking. (Doesn’t that sound like most of the main characters in our books?)

You might consider this his Inciting Incident. He despairs (Is this his Black Moment?) of ever understanding the reason for his troubles when evil people seem to have great lives (see v.16). Even so, apparently he decides to go to the Temple: “Only when I came into God’s holy place did I finally understand” (v.17).

Then this man comes to his Mirror Moment. He sees himself clearly. “When my heart was filled with bitterness and my mind was seized with envy, I was stupid, and I did not understand” (v.21-22). And thus begins his Transformation, as God heals his heart. God shows him the end of the story for the wicked people: “You put them in slippery places and make them fall into ruin. They are suddenly destroyed. They are completely swept away by terror!” (v.18-19).

In the final verses, we see the psalmist’s New Life when he says, “My body and mind may waste away, but God remains the foundation of my life and my inheritance forever…. I have made the Almighty Lord my refuge” (v.25-28).

Now, this psalm doesn’t depict all key elements of the story, such as the Climax or Denouement. But I think if you read between the lines, those elements are there.
Since our stories are about Life and Truth, it shouldn’t surprise us that God’s Word reveals all the components of a good story. Because every life is a Story. And God wrote the original Book.

About the Author

Marie Wells Coutu’s newest novel, The Secret Heart, will be released in February 2017 from Write Integrity Press. Follow Marie on Amazon.com to be notified when it becomes available. The Secret Heart, loosely based on the lives of Bathsheba and David, is the third book in the Mended Vessels series. Books in the series are contemporary re-imaginings of the stories of biblical women, including Esther and the woman at the well. 


Her debut novel, For Such a Moment, won the Books of Hope Contest. Thirsting for More, the second book in the series was a finalist in the 2016 Selah Awards Contest and a semi-finalist in the Royal Palm Literary Awards sponsored by Florida Writers Association. You can find more about Marie and her novels on her Facebook page (Author Marie Wells Coutu), at her website (MarieWellsCoutu.com), or follow her on Twitter (@mwcoutu). 
Marie retired after 15 years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and she and her husband now divide their time between Florida and Iowa.




The Secret Heart
by Marie Wells Coutu

The Secret Heart

Beautiful Shawna Moore married Hunter Wilson, the governor of Tennessee, after a whirlwind romance, only six weeks following her first husband’s death in Iraq. Now, she wonders if the governor loved her at all or only hoped to avoid a scandal.


An investigative reporter—and friend of Shawna’s—is asking questions. If he discovers the truth about Shawna’s baby, Hunter’s chances for reelection could be ruined. But keeping the secret is destroying their marriage. Will Shawna convince Hunter to choose his family and drop out of politics, or will he continue to put his career first?


The Secret Heart will be available for pre-order in mid-January. For a sneak peek, download the first chapter here.

The Power of an Epilogue By Susan Anne Mason

Susan Anne Mason

Angie, here: if you think the covers on Susan Anne Mason's novels are beautiful, you'll love the stories. Today, she shares why she uses a somewhat controversial device, the epilogue, to add depth to her stories and to her characters.

Before I ever started writing with the intent of becoming a published author, I had already formed a passionate opinion on the necessity of an Epilogue in the stories I read. If the book didn’t have one, I felt almost…CHEATED! What do you mean I don’t get to peek into the character’s future lives? I NEED to see how things turned out—how happy they are! (OK, maybe I get a little too involved in the books I read!)

As writers, we learn about showing the Hero’s Journey, the Noble Quest, The Black Moment and the Epiphany, yet little time is spent on the Climax and the Happily Ever After. But isn’t that the moment we’ve all been waiting for? We journey with our characters, laugh with them, cry with them, face their trials alongside them, and cheer them on toward their goal. To slap a one-page wrap-up at the end sometimes feels unsatisfying. Unfulfilled. Many times I found myself thinking: “Wait a minute. I went through 400 pages of angst for this? I need to live in the world of ‘happily ever after’ a while longer!”

That’s where a well-done Epilogue comes in. SHOW the characters enjoying the fruits of their labor, the reward for their arduous journey. Let them rejoice in the love they’ve yearned for! We want to share that happiness! Epilogues provide a greater sense of satisfaction for the reader and gives us (the writers) a chance to be a bit sappy, showing the couple getting married or having their first child. These are the moments we have waited the entire book for!

In my newest release, Love’s Faithful Promise, I had to make the epilogue really count. Not only was I tying up Deirdre and Matthew’s love story, but I was writing the finale for the whole O’Leary saga. This one had to be GOOD! So I chose to do something a little different. I made a 2-part epilogue with different Points of View and ended with the musings of the patriarch, James O’Leary (whose voice we had never heard directly before). At a big family gathering, I showed him reminiscing about the past, thinking back to his immigrant parents and how far his family had come since then. I felt it was a fitting conclusion to the O’Leary saga to have James and his wife look around at all their children and grandchildren and give thanks to God for their many blessings. 

Epilogues can be very powerful! They can plant seeds for future books or simply add a deeper level of emotional gratification for the reader. Use this tool wisely and you just might create fans for life. At the very least, your reader will close the book with a satisfied sigh and, hopefully, add your book to their Keeper Shelf.

Tell me what you think of epilogues.

About the Author

Susan Anne Mason describes her writing style as “romance sprinkled with faith.” She loves incorporating inspirational messages of God’s unconditional love and forgiveness into her characters’ journeys. Love’s Faithful Promise is her third historical novel in the Courage to Dream series. Irish Meadows won the Fiction from the Heartland contest sponsored by the Mid-American Romance Authors chapter of RWA. 
Susan lives outside Toronto, Ontario, with her husband, two children, and their cat. She loves red wine and chocolate, is not partial to snow even though she’s Canadian, and is ecstatic on the rare occasions she has the house to herself. Learn more about Susan and her books at www.susanannemason.com.

Connect with Susan:
Website: www.susanannemason.net 
Blog: http://suemasonsblog.blogspot.ca/ (my blog will be incorporated into the new website)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.anne.mason.333 
Twitter: @samason
Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.com/susanannemason/ 

Love's Faithful Promise

Widower Dr. Matthew Clayborne is devoted to two things: his work with wounded soldiers and his four-year-old daughter, Phoebe. When Deirdre O’Leary, a feisty New Yorker, arrives requesting he use his skills to help her stricken mother, he won’t abandon either of these priorities to care for one older woman. However, when his daughter suffers a health scare and needs a respite, Deirdre offers a trade—they can escape to the peace of her family’s farm, if he will care for Mrs. O’Leary. Matthew agrees for his daughter’s sake, but is intent on staying as short a time as necessary. The sojourn at Irish Meadows does wonders for Phoebe, and as she begins to flourish, Matthew finds himself drawn to the O’Learys, especially to the captivating Deirdre. But since he has no intention of leaving his life up north forever, and Deirdre has sworn off marriage in favor of her career, how will they deal with the undeniable attraction between them?

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/hjq8loo
Bethany House: http://tinyurl.com/zn8oqcs
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/zffxbvh