Conflict: Digging Deeper by Annette M. Irby

woman reading*

Whether you’re a pantster or an outliner, you probably have an idea what your central story conflict is as you begin writing. If you don’t, your writing instincts will kick in and demand one before you get too far. You’ll find your own story boring, and a conflict will beg invention.

Since conflict is so necessary to your story, you’ll want to ensure yours is strong enough to carry through the entire book. (Though, sometimes the central conflict transitions over the course of the story, which is fine.) Throughout the book, you’ll remind readers of the conflict. But there’s a fine line with reminders because a reminder can feel redundant, and redundancy renders conflict less effective.  

The key through the middle of the story is to keep readers engaged, and a fading conflict can defeat that goal.

Here are some tips for avoiding redundancy in regards to your story's conflict:

** Approach the conflict from a different angle. Perhaps from another main character’s point of view, or from an outsider’s perspective (as shown through the POV character’s perspective).

** Dig deeper. Is there another facet you can zero in on to help readers care more? Give us an aspect we haven’t seen before.

** Add another layer to the problem. This will give fresh weight to the conflict and cause the stakes to motivate readers to keep reading. For example, it was one thing when the late payment notice arrived, quite another when the eviction notice came.

** Add more stakes. Make things personal. For example, a school in lockdown is serious, but a gunman inside is an emergency. For a parent of one of the students, this situation is a crisis. High stakes keep readers committed to seeing the story through.

** Ask yourself if the conflict should transition as the story progresses. Does the change you imagine fit the story? (Be careful that the shift doesn’t feel contrived.)

Of course, there is a lot more that goes into keeping the sag out of the middle of your story, but by maximizing conflict, you’re more likely to hook and retain your readers.

Your turn: Have you read a book (or your own manuscript) where the conflict wasn’t strong enough to keep you reading? What are some ways you’ve kept your story’s conflict from feeling redundant? 

~~~~~

One of your hostesses here at Seriously Write, Annette M. Irby writes fiction, edits freelance, and works in acquisitions for Pelican Book Group. She loves encouraging writers because she appreciates all that others have done for her. Learn more at her editing website or her author site. 

 

* Photo credit: woman reading by stockimages at freedigitalphotos.net

Invisibility is Good

“The story in this book is fantastic!” Rowlf exploded. “I can’t put it down.”

“Oh really?” Cyndy interrogated. “I found it annoying to read because of all of the oddball speaker attributions.”

“That’s because you have no vision,” Rowlf interjected. “This writer is being experimental.”

“I guess I just miss the old ways,” the older woman sighed. “When writers used their descriptive powers to set the scene, including the character’s emotions. The days when they took time to show the scene and the emotion rather than just rushing to tell it.”

“You never ‘get’ the books I read,” Rowlf spat.

Does the above dialogue annoy you? Are you thinking people don’t write like that anymore because everyone knows better?

Sorry, you’d be wrong.

I’m proofediting a book right now for a publisher that is full of attributions just like these. It also has no discernible POV (point of view), switching within scenes to whatever character is most convenient at the time (head hopping)—or even to omniscient.

It’s full of huge grey patches of monologue, where one character speaks for a half page of backstory rather than the normal give and take, back and forth, of real dialogue. And there’s precious little character development—it’s all very cardboard.

How did this book get on this publisher’s list? It has a fantastic “what if?” The story is to die for, but the execution is ham-handed.

But, this is not a post about story trumping all. Nor is it about POV, character development, or backstory. This is about speaker attributions. For me, these are the major problem of this book.

In Renni Browne and Dave King’s Self-editing for Fiction Writers, (Note: You do have this book, right?) they write:

“The only reason you need (speaker attributions) is so your readers know who is saying what. Don’t use (them) as a way of slipping in explanations of your dialogue (“he growled,” “she snapped”). …

“Your best bet is to use the verb said almost without exception.”

Why is this so? Because said disappears in the reader’s mind and allows the characters to speak. Anything else causes the reader to look at the attribution rather than the dialogue and pulls the reader out of your story.

And when you’ve done that, you’ve shown the reader your mechanics, not your creativity.

I can’t fix the book I’ve referenced—I’m just proofediting it. But I can’t help thinking how much better it would be, other faults aside, if the attributions were fixed.

Don’t do this to your editors. When it comes to attributions, invisibility is good.

Your turn: It can be fun to play with attributions, however. So, let’s get it out of our systems! In the comments, provide an example of horrendous dialogue, complete with very bad (but creative!) attributions. The winner will receive his or her choice of: Donald Maass’ Writing the Breakout Novel or A Novel Idea, a compendium of advice from the biggest names in the inspirational fiction market.

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

__________________________________________

Michael Ehret loves to play with words and as editor of the ACFW Journal, he is enjoying his playground. He also plays with words as a freelance editor at WritingOnTheFineLine.com, where he often takes a writer Into The Edit, pulling back the veil on the editing process. He has edited several nonfiction books, played with words as a corporate communicator, and reported for The Indianapolis Star.

The Power of Polish, Part 3 by Anita Higman

Hey everyone, Annette here. We have Anita Higman back with us today to finish her series on self-editing. To see the earlier posts, click here and here. I don't know about you, but this series is good timing for me as I'm currently editing one of my manuscripts. There are so many elements we fiction writers have to keep in mind, it's helpful to use checklists in the editing stage and who better to trust for said checklist than a multi-published writer? Happy (self-)editing, friends!

The Power of Polish, Part 3

by Anita Higman

• When my character presents a potent line of dialogue, do I use it later to make an arc that is memorable and effective?
• Do I have a sagging middle that’s in need of a few tummy tucks of story tension?
• Did I succumb to the temptations of authorial intrusion?
• Do my characters make gestures that reflect their personalities, and are those gestures fresh and unique? Or are my characters engaged in too much shrugging, sighing, lip chewing, nodding, brow furrowing, arm crossing, throat clearing and head shaking?
• If I’ve added humor to my novel, does it fit the characters, and does it flow with the rest of the work?
• Do the elements of faith happen naturally in the story, or did I toss in some prayer and Scripture to make it sound Christian?
• Are the themes in my story memorable and effective?
• Are the character’s thoughts interesting and necessary, or are they merely repeats of what the character is saying?
• Do I have an overall story arc that is clear and memorable?
• Did I create a satisfying ending, or is it too predictable and rushed because I’m tired of the story?
• Have I read the work out loud to catch the errors that might be more obvious when heard rather than seen?

I hope these excerpts from the mini-version of my checklist are helpful in all your novel-polishing endeavors.

Texas Wildflowers anthology

*****

Romance is in full bloom for four McBride sisters living in Texas. A jilted Rosy goes home to Galveston to nurture her broken heart. Will she find the courage to love again? Lily has just opened a Christian counseling business. Will an eccentric client cause her to break the most solemn of vows? Violet runs a business that shows people how to live romantically. Will a quirky geek teach her the real meaning of love? Heather’s perfectly planned life has just come undone. Will an unexpected date give her the courage to let go—in life and love?

CBA bestselling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has over thirty books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She’s been a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Her latest books are A Merry Little Christmas (Guideposts/Summerside Press) and Where God Finds You (Standard Publishing). Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and making brunch for her friends. Please visit her online at www.anitahigman.com.

(paperback)        (e-book)

How Deep POV Helped Me Achieve Publication by Pamela S. Meyers

Ever wonder how to take your novel from "eh" to publication? There are several things you can do to make your writing better. Join published author Pam Meyers to see how you can use Deep Point of View to help your work touch the heart of your readers

~ Angie

As the launch date for my debut novel Thyme for Love approaches, I’ve been reflecting on how the story developed over a number of years.

Because I enjoy mysteries with strong female leads, I wanted to write such a story. And, because you can be certain that any storyline of mine will include romance, I also wanted the book to have a strong romantic element.

After receiving help from a mystery writer and incorporating the romantic element into the plot, along with a spiritual thread, I thought I had a contest-ready story and entered it in the ACFW Genesis writing contest. My scores were fairly good except that a judge gave me a three for POV. Since the story is written in first person, I was baffled. I asked the judge her reasons for this, and she told me I needed to learn deep POV. That without using that method, my POV was average. In other words—a three.

I had never heard of Deep POV, but I sure did learn about it in a hurry. As I added it to the story I was amazed at how much richer my story read. Now Deep POV comes as naturally to me as breathing. Not always on the first draft, but certainly on the second when I layer in details. With Deep POV, the reader is brought up close and personal with the POV character, and he or she will feel an instant connection, wanting to keep reading. Sometimes, all it takes is a small tweak to a paragraph to power up a scene. An added bonus is that deep POV helps eliminate the dreaded telling that we all try to avoid.

By now many more authors are aware of deep POV, but for the uninitiated I want share some certain telltale word-signs or phrases to look for when revising your writing.

1. She felt. She felt chills running down her spine. Instead say, Chills trailed down her spine.

2. She watched or saw, She watched him head down the hall and turn the corner. Instead say, She waited until he disappeared around the corner.

3. She wondered…thought…knew. (Most of the time this expression is unnecessary. It’s obvious already that a person is thinking this so she must know it.) How would she ever tell him the truth, she wondered. She picked up her keys . . .  Instead say, How would she ever tell him the truth? She picked up her keys and headed for her car.

4. Emotion labeling such as fear, anger, sad, happy, etc. Anger filled her chest and she raised her chin. Instead say, Heat filled her gut. What a pompous idiot he was to think she didn’t get it. She raised her chin and waited for him to answer.

This is only a small taste of deep POV, but if you aren’t using it in your writing, I encourage you to learn as much as you can about it. If you are a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, go to the archives of the online course. Ginny Smith taught a class on it this year, and the lessons should be archived. If you have questions for me about Deep POV, email me at pamsmeyers@gmail.com and I’d be happy to answer.

April Love has always dreamed of being a chef.

But she didn’t expect a former fiancé

or murder to be part of the recipe for her new job.

When April Love signs on to be an in-house chef at an old lakeshore mansion in Canoga Lake, Wisconsin, she comes face to face with her long-lost love, the drop-dead gorgeous Marc Thorne. It doesn’t take long for their old magnetism to recharge, but how can she trust the guy who left her nearly at the altar eight years earlier? Her gut tells her something happened to Marc in between—something he’s reluctant to reveal.

When April’s boss is murdered, Marc is accused of the crime. Unless April can find out who really killed Ramón Galvez, her chances for love will end up at the county jail. But someone else is just as determined she not solve the mystery…and will go to any length to stop her.

A native of Lake Geneva, Wisc., Pamela S. Meyers currently lives in Arlington Heights, Ill. She served on the Operating Board for ACFW 2005-2009, and is president of her local ACFW chapter. Her debut novel Thyme for Love releases November 14, 2011, and her historical that is set in her hometown, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, will release in June 2012. She has published articles in Today’s Christian Woman, Christian Computing, Victory in Grace, and Ancestry. She is also a contributor in the compilation book, His Forever.

Getting to Know Your Characters by Jeannie Campbell, Part Two

This week, guest Jeannie Campbell continues with her series: Getting to Know Your Characters: Four Questions Your Character Must Answer and Why.  Click here if you missed last week’s question: What is your biggest fear?

On to the next question!

Getting to Know Your Characters: Part Two

by Jeannie Campbell

Question 2: What is your biggest accomplishment?

When a character feels accomplishment, this is a source of pride. I learn a lot from clients when I ask them what’s gone well in their life or what makes them proud because the answer is so subjective. 

When someone tells me that their biggest accomplishment was getting a high school diploma, that answer tells me a lot about their upbringing, their challenges, their background. If someone tells me their greatest accomplishment was having a child, that immediately gives me some indication of their values, self-esteem, and self-worth. 

Of course, context matters. In the first example, if I learn that I’m talking to a former child star who never went to school because he or she lived on a television set, that would change my perception. In the second example, if the person told me they had tried having a child for seven years, that persistence would also help me interpret their accomplishment in a different light.

The answer to this question might reveal a time when the character showed great courage in the face of danger or kept their integrity when faced with the opportunity to cheat. The joy that a character feels from their moment in the spotlight, so to speak, can follow them through their life and be a constant reminder of how good life used to be, or it can be held as a standard they seek to attain again and again. I wish I could tell you how many clients are stuck in their “glory days” and can’t seem to move on because they see nothing of worth in their current lives.

As an aside, it’s interesting to ask your character how far back in their life the accomplishment occurred. How old were they? And what have they done since then? These questions really dig in deep at the core of the character, helping you get to know them even better.

Join me next week as we look into a character’s biggest regret.

Jeannie Campbell is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFC # 45366) in the state of California. She is Head of Clinical Services for a large non-profit in Humboldt County, and enjoys working mainly with children and parents. Two of her “therapeutic romance” manuscripts have garnered the high praise of being finalists in the Genesis Contest for unpublished writers, sponsored by the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), of which she is an active member. She writes a popular monthly column for Christian Fiction Online Magazine and has been featured in many other e-zines, newspapers, and blogs.

Meta-Conflicts by Randy Ingermanson: Part Two

Happy Manuscript Monday, dear readers. Annette here to welcome Randy Ingermanson back as he continues his series on meta-conflicts in fiction writing. I don't know about you, but this topic has really changed the way I see conflict, both when I'm watching movies and when I'm writing/reading (not to mention in life). Thanks, Randy! Let's dive into Part Two. (If you missed it, please see Part One last week for the beginning of this article.)

The Games People Don't Play: Part Two*

by Randy Ingermanson

You might think meta-conflict (the idea that the two characters in a scene are playing by a different set of rules) can never happen in real life. But in fact, it happens all the time. Here's an example that's a little less extreme:

Bossbert walks into Wally's cubicle. "Wally, have you got the report done for the Gooberheimer project?"

Wally blows his nose loudly and tosses the Kleenex at Bossbert. "Wow, I've got the worst cold you ever heard of."

Bossbert leaps back from the germy tissue. "I asked you a yes or no question. That means I need a yes or no answer. Are you planning to give me one or not?"

Wally coughs into his hand, then wipes it on his pants. "I should probably go home, if I didn't have so much work to do."

Bossbert's hands are curling into fists. "Would you like me to fire you?"

Wally puts his hand to his forehead. "I think I've got a fever. Maybe it's the flu."


What's going on here? Why is Bossbert getting madder and madder?

What's going on is that Bossbert is playing one game and Wally is playing another. Bossbert needs
information, so he's asking simple yes-or-no questions.

Wally has no intention of giving an answer because he hasn't done his work. Instead of playing Bossbert's game (which he would lose), he plays a different game -- "feel sorry for me because I'm sick."

Only an unfeeling brute would fire a worker who has the flu. Bossbert can't win at Wally's game, and Wally refuses to play Bossbert's game. So Bossbert loses.

Next week, we'll tie up our series on meta-conflict. 

~~~~~

*Article first appeared in Randy Ingermanson's Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, April 2011. See his website for more information.

Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 25,000 readers, every month. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit
http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.

Download your free Special Report on Tiger Marketing and get a free 5-Day Course in How To Publish a Novel.

Meta-Conflicts by Randy Ingermanson: Part One

This Manuscript Monday, let's go beyond the basics of fiction writing to something a little meatier with renown writing guru Randy Ingermanson. You've heard of including conflict in your story, but what about meta-conflicts? Let's dig a little deeper today as Randy discusses the Games People Don't Play, part one.

The Games People Don't Play: Part One*

by Randy Ingermanson

Fiction is about characters in conflict. In this column, I've talked about many different kinds of conflict over the years, but there's one kind that I don't recall ever discussing.

It's the conflict that comes when one character changes the rules of the game. Changes them so radically that it's suddenly a completely different game.

To understand this kind of conflict, let's look at an extreme example. Imagine that you challenge your buddy to a match at the tennis courts. Whoever loses has to buy the pizza for dinner.

You show up at the courts with your tennis racket and all your other gear.

Your buddy shows up with a chessboard, sets it up on the sidelines, and sits down behind the white pieces. He hasn't got a racket. He's not dressed for tennis. He isn't even on the court.

You wait for him to get his act together, but he's paying no attention to you, so finally you serve an ace to an empty court.

Your buddy moves his king's pawn forward.

You serve another ace.

Your buddy moves his queen out to the fifth rank.

You ace him again.

He moves his king-side bishop out.

You miss on your next serve, but you aren't worried, because he still isn't on the court. One more serve, and you'll have him nailed for this game.

He moves his queen down to the seventh rank, takes your king's bishop pawn, shouts, "Checkmate!" and leaps out of his chair, doing a victory dance.

What just happened there? You were winning, weren't you? But he thinks he's winning, because you've been playing different games.

This is an extremely weird kind of conflict. A meta-conflict. A conflict over what the nature of the conflict is supposed to be.

~~~~~~~~

*Article first appeared in Randy Ingermanson's Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, April 2011. See his website for more information.

Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 25,000 readers, every month. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visit
http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.

Download your free Special Report on Tiger Marketing and get a free 5-Day Course in How To Publish a Novel.

Subtext in Fiction: Staging by Bonnie Grove

Happy Manuscript Monday, dear readers. (Annette here.) Hope you had a very nice Thanksgiving weekend! Today we're welcoming back Bonnie Grove as she continues her series on subtexts in fiction. In our email interactions, Bonnie mentioned enjoying delving into the deeper concepts in fiction writing. I've really appreciated that, too. How about you? Enjoy!

Subtext in Fiction: Staging
by Bonnie Grove

Last week we talked about subtext in dialogue. This was the place to start to understand subtext and its influence on the reader. An advanced look at subtext focuses on staging.

Arthur Plotnik said of staging, “Every storyteller invents stage business—the actions, gestures, and thoughts that surround dialogue and sometimes leak into the dialogue itself. Stage business–or "shtik" as I call it—gives dimensions of space, time, and texture to the linear output of talking heads.”

Many writers shortcut this kind of staging, opting for generic tags; actions such as nodding, head shaking of any sort, blinking, smiling, furrowing of brows, et al., that don’t move plot, deepen understanding of a character, or add meaning to the scene. If you are unfamiliar with the various shtik available to you as a writer, read Art’s full article by clicking the link above before reading further here.

Refer to your subtext mini-scene from last time where the single line of dialogue is, “I don’t understand why you are arguing with me.” Try mixing and matching different bits of staging to this line (speech, action, absolute, thought, or stage direction). Then ask yourself: 1) How does this tag deepen character? 2) Does it communicate meaning beyond the stated text? 3) How does it do this?

In addition to shtik, staging can also refer to the micro-setting in which a scene (or even an entire novel) takes place. A room in a house, an office space, a particular spot in a public park, for example. Charles Baxter, in his book The Art of Subtext: Beyond Plot explains the marriage of subtext and staging, “Staging in fiction involves putting characters in specific strategic positions in the scene so that some unvoiced nuance is revealed . . . It [staging + subtext] shows us how the characters are behaving, and it shows us what they cannot say through the manner in which they say what they can say.”

In her novel Gilead, Marilynne Robinson creates Reverend John Ames, elderly and ill who writes a journal to his too-young son in hopes of imparting something of himself to the boy who will grow up without his father. Throughout the novel the reader is acutely aware of the sub-textual presence of time–time’s passing, lost, wasted, and yearning for more. Robinson uses staging subtext to build the setting of time’s passing inside John Ames’s mind, which spills onto every other part of his existence.

"And memory is not strictly mortal in its nature, either. It is a strange thing, after all, to be able to return to a moment when it can hardly be said to have any reality at all, even in its passing. A moment is such a slight thing. I mean, that its abiding is a most gracious reprieve."

The thread of yearning for what cannot have–more time–runs throughout the novel in subtext.

Next time we will visit subtext within our characters via attention and inattention. (Look for this post in January.)

~~~~~

Bonnie Grove started writing when her parents bought a typewriter, and she hasn’t stopped since. Trained in counseling, theology and psychology, she developed and wrote strength-based social programs for families at risk while landing articles and stories in anthologies. She is the award winning, and internationally published author of Talking to the Dead: a Novel. She and husband, Steve, have two young children and one small dog. They make their home in Saskatchewan.

~~~~~

Talking to the Dead by Bonnie Grove (David C. Cook, publisher)

Twenty-something Kate Davis can’t seem to get this grieving widow thing right. She’s supposed to put on a brave face and get on with her life, right? Instead she’s camped out on her living room floor, unwashed, unkempt, and unable to sleep—because her husband Kevin keeps talking to her.

Is she losing her mind?

Kate’s attempts to find the source of the voice she hears are both humorous and humiliating, as she turns first to an “eclectically spiritual” counselor, then a shrink with a bad toupee, an exorcist, and finally group therapy. There she meets Jack, the warmhearted, unconventional pastor of a ramshackle church, and at last the voice subsides. But when she stumbles upon a secret Kevin was keeping, Kate’s fragile hold on the present threatens to implode under the weight of the past…and Kevin begins to shout.

Will the voice ever stop? Kate must confront her grief to find the grace to go on, in this tender, quirky first novel about embracing life.

Ghosts of Subtext by Bonnie Grove

Happy Manuscript Monday, dear readers! Annette here. Today we're in for a treat. Bonnie Grove is here to discuss subtext--a rich tool for layering up your fiction. She'll return twice next week--once with another article on subtexts and once on Writer's Journey Wednesday with some writing tips. But for now, check out this great piece on subtext in fiction. Enjoy!

Ghosts of Subtext
by Bonnie Grove

Great fiction is haunted. Between the words linger the ghosts of human love, hunger, hope, suffering, self-doubt. They whisper in the reader’s ear, yet when the reader attempts to locate the source, it vanishes. The reader returns to the passage that so moved her, revisits the sweet ache, waits for the ghost to speak again. And they dance; the reader and fiction’s ghost, whose name is subtext.

How does the writer go about chasing ghosts around the page when there is enough to worry about inside the solid plot and characters already running amok? And why should we fuss with subtext when the message of our story rings like church bells on a cold morning? And what is subtext anyway?

Charles Baxter, in his slim volume The Art of Subtext refers to it as “the unspoken soul matter” of a story. A phrase that captures the essence, if not the substance. Another favorite description is the moving picture image of a dinner party where everyone discusses the people who aren’t there. Those not present are palpable in their absence. It is as if they were there.

Most discussion of subtext in fiction focus on it use within dialogue. This harkens to its theatrical counterpart where actors dramatize their lines so as to infuse texture and human vulnerability to their part. This is the simplest form and usage of subtext, a handy place to start (but beware, as with all the instruments in your writing tool box, the important skill to master is knowing when to use it, and when not to. Subtext in dialogue is best used sparingly, and in tune with characters and plot).

Subtext in dialogue is intuitive to the writer. The tool feels familiar in your hand. Here is an exercise with which to impress yourself: Your character speaks to someone, “I don’t understand why you’re arguing with me.” Craft a scene that lasts as long as it takes to speak this one line. Then, infuse the line with a dialogue tag--in this case, an explanation of how the line is spoken. How have you imagined this line would be said?

Think about the same line of dialogue, but infuse the line with a ghost. Your character speaks the identical line, but with the subtext--the unspoken soul matter of: “I want to make you to love me.” How has subtext altered your dialogue tag?

The subtext has flavored the scene. From direct confrontation:

Arms folded, she eyed her son, “I don’t understand why you’re arguing with me.”

To the ache of uncertainty:

She picked up the sweater from where he had tossed it on the floor, pressed it to her lips. “I don’t understand why you’re arguing with me.”

The subtle differences, over the space of a story or novel, add up to the story lingering in the mind of the reader long after the last word is read.

Next week, we’ll look at two other ways to employ this tool: staging, and using character attention and inattention.

~~~~~
Talking to the Dead: A Novel by Bonnie Grove (David C. Cook, publisher)

Twenty-something Kate Davis can’t seem to get this grieving widow thing right. She’s supposed to put on a brave face and get on with her life, right? Instead she’s camped out on her living room floor, unwashed, unkempt, and unable to sleep—because her husband Kevin keeps talking to her.

Is she losing her mind?

Kate’s attempts to find the source of the voice she hears are both humorous and humiliating, as she turns first to an “eclectically spiritual” counselor, then a shrink with a bad toupee, an exorcist, and finally group therapy. There she meets Jack, the warmhearted, unconventional pastor of a ramshackle church, and at last the voice subsides. But when she stumbles upon a secret Kevin was keeping, Kate’s fragile hold on the present threatens to implode under the weight of the past…and Kevin begins to shout.

Will the voice ever stop? Kate must confront her grief to find the grace to go on, in this tender, quirky first novel about embracing life.

~~~~~

Bonnie Grove started writing when her parents bought a typewriter, and she hasn’t stopped since. Trained in counseling, theology and psychology, she developed and wrote strength-based social programs for families at risk while landing articles and stories in anthologies. She is the award winning, and internationally published author of Talking to the Dead: a Novel. She and husband, Steve, have two young children and one small dog. They make their home in Saskatchewan.

How to Infuse Spiritual Warfare Naturally into Your Story by ML Tyndall

This Manuscript Monday, we're beginning a new series about including faith elements in our writing. It's tricky, so wouldn't it be great to have some advice? For this series, we'll hear from some pros on how to include spiritual elements professionally. Kicking things off is author MaryLu Tyndall who writes historicals for Barbour. One of the elements I noticed that sets her writing apart is her ability to include elements of spiritual warfare in a genre which traditionally didn't include them much—romance. She's here today to share some advice with us. Welcome, MaryLu!

How to Infuse Spiritual Warfare Naturally
into Your Story
by ML Tyndall

One of the main things that sets my historical romance novels apart from others is that I incorporate some element of spiritual warfare in each of my books. Let’s face it, when you think of historical romance novels, you don’t exactly think about demons and spiritual battles, Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti’s books, maybe. But romance? For example, in my very first book, The Redemption, Satan appears in the form of a black crow that harasses the heroine on more than one occasion, attempting to frighten her and distract her from seeking God’s salvation. In The Reliance, the heroine calls down lightning from heaven to disrupt a mutiny on her ship which would have certainly ended in her death. In The Red Siren, my characters are confronted with a band of warlocks who are attempting to cast a spell on the heroine’s sister. The hero rebukes them in the name of Jesus and sends them fleeing. In The Blue Enchantress, a woman is delivered of demons. In The Raven Saint, the heroine must deal with a Satanic Voodoo curse put on another character.

The question is, how do you incorporate this type of spiritual warfare without it seeming too unbelievable, too weird, and too silly? Here are some suggestions that may help you.

The spiritual battles should not solve the main struggles of the hero and heroine. In other words, don’t use miracles as a bandage to plug a hole in your plot. That’s when your readers will shake their heads in disbelief and put your book down. Along those lines, however, you can certainly use a miracle or a spiritual battle to rescue your hero or heroine out of a dangerous situation. These type of events happened all the time in the Bible.

Don’t use spiritual battle as the only thing that convinces your unbelieving characters that God exists. It can certainly be a main factor, but there should be other things, such as witnessing godly character in others and seeing lives transformed, that convince the character that God loves him or her.

The spiritual battle should be a natural part of the story, not just some crazy scene thrown in for entertainment. It should morph naturally out of one of the story themes or plot lines.

Most importantly, you should educate yourself on spiritual warfare. (And not just for writing. This is something we Christians need to understand and be ready to use!) Read books on demons and deliverance. Read books on other Christians’ experiences in spiritual battle. Read the Bible and see how Jesus and His apostles battled the forces of darkness. Recall in your own walk with God the times that you’ve personally done battle. The best writing comes out of personal experience.

Finally, taking all the things above into account, when you are developing your character arcs and plotting how your characters will grow and change, decide where and when to incorporate a miracle or a spiritual battle as part of their natural growth. Then keep that event in mind as you begin writing and how it will affect your story and all of the characters involved. Then it will seem more naturally a part of the story. Just like in real life when God comes through big time as He so often does in our own lives!

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On the brink of the War of 1812, Marianne Denton must marry to unlock her inheritance. Without the money, her mother can’t receive medical care and her sister will be destitute. But Noah Brenin needs to sail his cargo to England before the war commences in order to prove his worth to his father and make enough money so he won’t have to marry at all.

But when Noah walks out on their engagement party, Marianne chases him down and ends up on his merchantman out at sea. The situation worsens when Noah’s ship encounters a British man-of-war and the couple are impressed into the British navy.

While a young lad’s prophecy of destiny looms over them both, Marianne and Noah are forced to face their darkest fears as they desperately try to find a way to escape and fulfill their destinies—destinies that could change the course of the war and history forever.

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M.L. Tyndall, a Christy Award Finalist, and best-selling author of the Legacy of the King’s Pirates series is known for her adventurous historical romances filled with deep spiritual themes. She holds a degree in Math and worked as a software engineer for fifteen years before testing the waters as a writer. MaryLu currently writes full time and makes her home on the California coast with her husband, six kids, and four cats. Her passion is to write page-turning, romantic adventures that not only entertain but expose Christians to their full potential in Christ. For more information on MaryLu and her upcoming releases, please visit her website at http://www.mltyndall.com or her blog at http://crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/