Becky Wade's Blog, page 149

A New Perspective on Fiction

Hi friends,

I’m super excited to introduce you to my guest blogger Lauren Beccue. I met Lauren at a literary agency retreat in Charleston a couple years back now. Lauren co-wrote a wonderful book with my dear friend Katie Cushman. Since I’ll be road tripping in an RV with my hubby and our grandkids… I thought this was a great time for a guest blogger. And, I’m so blessed I asked. I think you’ll be blessed too.

~Dani

A New Perspective on Fiction

“Can anyone recommend a construction worker in Rhode Island?” The Facebook post popped up on my feed and immediately, I started to reply. Of course I know someone! I’ve spent the last two years in Rhode Island and have grown quite close to a terrific construction worker – a very handsome and kind construction worker for that matter.

Oh wait. He’s not real. He’s a fictional character I created. And I don’t actually live in Rhode Island. Sorry, I guess I can’t offer a referral after all.

Fiction can feel so authentic, can’t it? And what a gift it is to connect with a character, see the world through his or her eyes, traverse a new set of circumstances or time period, and learn valuable life lessons along the way.

While I’ve gotten lost in many fictional worlds as a reader, the connection I feel with the characters I’ve created in my first novel (co-authored with Kathryn Cushman) goes much deeper. I chose every bad habit, quirk, and personality trait, and none of it was accidental. Everything, including the difficult circumstances my characters endured, served a purpose. I was involved in every step of the process.

Not all of us are writers, but here’s something worth remembering: we’re all characters. God has created us and written us into the story of this world. He knows us intimately, weaves our stories through difficult circumstances, and even uses our unpleasant personality traits for His grater purposes. You could say He’s involved in the process. And His desire is to connect with us, because we are so real and so valuable to him.  

Through a season that can otherwise be quite isolating – no vacations, parties, or gatherings, and if you have a sniffle, don’t even come out of your house – that simple perspective change was worth every minute of writing a novel. The Author of my life wants to connect with me. The Author of yours wants to connect with you. And that’s not fiction.

Have you ever caught yourself confusing your fictional worlds with the real one?

Ten Daily Rituals of Productive Writers

When our local library reopened recently, my husband brought home a book he thought I’d like, called Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey. It’s an interesting collection of the daily routines of over 150 writers, composers, painters and scientists.

Was my husband hinting that I would benefit from a more orderly routine? If so, he is no doubt right.

I did not read the book cover to cover, but I enjoyed reading about many of the artists included, especially writers I am familiar with or admire. As you might imagine, there are many differences in how creative types spend their days. But there were also reoccurring themes that stuck out to me, and I thought I would try to summarize what I observed for my own edification and in case it might be helpful to you.

Time after time these 10 habits were mentioned:

An early start to the day. (Tough news for me, as I am sadly not (yet?) a morning person.) For example, Flannery O’Connor began each day at 6:00 with morning prayers, followed by coffee and attending church. Then she returned home and wrote for three hours. Other examples:

It was my practice to be at my table every morning at 5:30 A.M.; and it was also my practice to allow myself no mercy.”

—Anthony Trollope

My hair is always done by six o’clock in the morning and by seven I am fully dressed. I then compose until nine.”

—Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart…and his hair.

2. A set time to work. Most seemed to work for around 3-6 hours (not all day). Stephen King writes every day of the year, including his birthday and holidays, and almost never quits before he reaches his daily quota of two thousand words, which leads me to…

3. A predetermined page or word count. I most often saw goals of 1,000- 3,000 words a day.

4. Balancing other jobs or responsibilities. For some, writing was/is their entire life, but many juggled day jobs, families, or pursuits like gardening as do many of us. Mozart taught lessons, Joseph Heller (Catch-22) worked in Advertising, T. S. Eliot worked at a bank, and George Orwell worked in a London secondhand bookshop. A defined schedule allowed them to carve out writing time.

5. A reliance on coffee or tea (or both). Coffee or tea was mentioned by most, e.g. Beethoven rose at dawn and wasted little time getting down to work. His breakfast was coffee, which he prepared with great care—sixty beans per cup. French novelist Honoré de Balzac drank as many as fifty cups a day.

6. A quiet place to work with minimum distractions. Gustav Mahler composed in a stone hut, requiring distraction-free silence. Maya Angelou kept a shabby hotel room and wrote there daily. Dickens had an extra door installed to his study to block out noise. Anne Rice said, “What you have to do is clear all distraction. That’s the bottom line.”

Composer Gustav Mahler’s stone hut.

7. Regular bathing (even before this was the norm), though often later in the day. This one surprised me! Victor Hugo (Les Misérables) bathed in cold water on his rooftop in plain view of his neighbors, while Benjamin Franklin began each day with an “air bath” i.e. working naked at his desk!

8. Breaks for physical exercise. Walking seems the most popular choice, although swimming and calisthenics (P.G. Wodehouse) were also mentioned. Dickens took a vigorous three-hour walk each day whether in London on in the country. And Willa Cather walked in Central Park. She said, “I try to keep myself fit, fresh; one has to be in as good form to write as to sing.”

Charles Dickens.

9. Choose a good stopping point (to make it easier to start again the next day). This was mentioned by more than one author, the most famous being Hemingway who said, “always stop when you know what is going to happen next.”

10. Time spent reading. Amen to that!

Jane Austen’s writing desk.

Of course, there are exceptions to all of the above. Jane Austen wrote with distractions, most often in the sitting room while her mother and sister sewed or chatted nearby. Jane organized the family breakfast, her one major piece of household work, then she settled down to write. Her sister did most of the housekeeping chores, which was a relief to Jane, who wrote, “Composition seems to me impossible with a head full or joints of mutton & doses of rhubarb.” (I agree! Some days I wish I had a housekeeper or a selfless sister.

An Ask and an Offer

This morning I’m coming to you with a favor to ASK and then I have something to OFFER you.

The “ask” involves the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, which I’ve been teaching at for as long as I can remember. Last year was the conference’s 50th anniversary and I was beyond touched and humbled to be named the conference’s Writer of the Year. This conference has such a special place in my heart and has been a blessing and turning point for more authors than I could name in this space. Just look how many were in attendance last year!

But thanks to the pandemic and, more recently, the horrible fires that threaten so many in California and near Santa Cruz and Felton where Mount Hermon is located, the conference center is struggling, and the writers conference is on life support. My agent, Steve Laube, has launched a Kickstarter fund to help revive the writers conference. There is only one week left to raise the funds needed to bring the conference back. If the Kickstarter campaign makes its goal, I will get to teach the Major Morning Track in Intermediate Fiction Writing at the 2021 conference. There is nothing I’d love more than to hear that the campaign was successful!

So many of you who follow Inspired by Life…and Fiction are amazing supporters of Christian authors. If you are a writer, an editor, a publisher, a bookstore owner, or a reader of Christian books and wish to help future writers in a tangible, sacrificial way, I can’t think of a more worthy cause! You can click HERE for info on how to contribute. Even a small donation of $5 or $10, added to so many others, could make a huge difference. Thank you for prayerfully considering a gift of any size. I’ll end my “ask” with this collage of some of my favorite memories from last year’s conference.

And now for the offer: The ebook version of my fourth novel, Beneath a Southern Sky, is free today only via BookBub! I know many of you have already read this book (which was winner of the RITA Award, ACFW Carol Award, Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, and a finalist for the HOLT Medallion and several other awards), but in case not, this would be a great time to grab your copy! [Click HERE to get your copy from BookBub.]

My husband designed the beautiful cover of the most recent version, reissued by our own Raney Day Press when the rights to the novel reverted to me seventeen years after the book was first published.



Beneath a Southern Sky has had several different covers over the year, including the original one in blue and purple, the barn image for a bargain line the publisher did. (Ironically, a copy of this version now has a “bargain” price of $51!) The last cover was for the Dutch translation of Beneath a Southern Sky.



It’s been a long time coming, but one of my big writing goals for the past few years has been to complete the Camfield Trilogy with Breath of Heaven. (My husband already has a beautiful cover designed, just waiting for a book to go with it!) I know my characters as well as I know my own kids, I have most of the research and plotting finished, and I’m so eager to tell Natalie and David’s story! I have one rewrite/edit to complete on another book, and then Breath of Heaven will finally get my full attention!

Speaking of BookBub, if you don’t already follow me there, I invite you to click FOLLOW at Deborah Raney.

In fact, all of the authors here on Inspired by Life…and Fiction have BookBub profiles and we’d love to have you follow us there! It’s a great way to see an author’s entire collection of books, get news of new releases, and find out about sales and giveaways. Here are the links for the whole gang:

Tamera Alexander

Lynn Austin

Robin Lee Hatcher

Jody Hedlund

Julie Klassen

Anne Mateer

Dani Pettrey

Cara Putman

Deborah Raney

Becky Wade

Karen Witemeyer

Inspired by Scripture

This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashEntertainment.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online.

Book Release & Giveaway!

ALMOST A BRIDE, the fourth and final book in my bride-ship series, releases in just a few days (on Tuesday August 25)!

You may (or may not!) know that three out of the four books in the series released this year. The Runaway Bride came out in March. A Bride of Convenience released in June. And now Almost a Bride releases next Tuesday, August 25.

One question that has cropped up is: How in the world did you manage to write three books in such close succession? Are you superwoman? Do you write really fast? Or maybe you skimp on the editing?

While I wish I could say I was superwoman, no, sadly, I am not. Very much not.

And no, I don’t write really fast either. I usually plod along, eking out a daily word count with sweat and tears.

Skimp on editing? I’m a perfectionist. It’s not within my genes to skimp on anything. In fact, over the years I’ve become more obsessive about editing my books, not less.

So then, how did I manage to write three books in such close succession?

Actually, I didn’t crank them out one after the other. The truth is, I write most of my projects at least eighteen months ahead of publication. Because of that, I have more flexibility with release dates. And in this particular case, my books were ready and my publisher had openings for them this year. It made sense to release them in quick succession, especially because I have other projects—like The Fairest Maidens YA series—waiting in the wings.

The other truth is, I tend to set high goals for myself and then push myself to achieve them. Sometimes that makes my life slightly crazy, but I’ve also entered a season where I have more time to devote to my writing career. It also helps that I’m really organized and self-disciplined.

Coming Home to Small Town Life

I’m delighted to have Marilyn Turk step in for me today. You’re in for a treat! Take it away, Marilyn . . .

Marilyn & husband Chuck as volunteer lighthouse keepers at Little River.

First of all, I’m so happy to be here with you! I love all the authors on this blog, so I’m honored to be here. Thank you, Karen, for the opportunity to be your guest!

Did you move away from your hometown when you got married, went to college, got your first job? Did you ever move back? If so, what was it like to go back to where you grew up? Had it changed?

In my book, Abigail’s Secret, Abby Baker returns home to Maine as a young widow with a preschool daughter to help her ailing mother and start life over again. After first enjoying a successful career as an interior designer in California, marriage to her military husband and the birth of their child ended her career. Quiet Hope Harbor is worlds away from bustling LA, and Abby’s new life is very different from her former one.

For my setting, I created the quaint coastal town of Hope Harbor, Maine. Several years ago, my husband and I, native-born southerners, had the opportunity to be voluntary lighthouse keeperson an island at Little River Light in Cutler, Maine. En route to Cutler, we spent a few days at Bar Harbor. Maine, with its rocky shores, fir-covered islands and seaside charm was a completely different landscape than our Gulf coast where the beaches are flat, the sand is white, and the waves are small. But we fell in love with the beauty of the area.

We also fell in love with the people. Bar Harbor boasts a commercial area with picturesque storefronts, but we were surprised to find out how seasonal the island is, how many of the businesses close up in the fall and don’t reopen until the tourist season begins again in the summer. The local population dwindles as a result.

Cutler, however, is a different story. The town doesn’t have the colorful tourist shops of Bar Harbor because Cutler is all about lobstering, and most of its residents are lobster fishermen, a very special type of small-town people. While we were there, we learned to appreciate these people and their simple, but happy way of life.

My town of Hope Harbor is a combination of Cutler and Bar Harbor, a charming small town that caters to seasonal tourists. The Maine islands are close-knit communities who share many of the same attitudes. For one, everyone in town knows who is a local and who isn’t. In Cutler, they knew my husband and I were out on the island where the lighthouse was. The lobstermen passed by the island every day, and we learned they checked it out to see if everything looked all right. They used marine radios to communicate, which was also what we used, so we often listened to their conversation. I loved hearing their native accents as they talked about whose traps were whose, what the price of lobster was, how good the catch was, as well as how the town’s little league team was doing. And we heard them talk about us, too, especially when they saw my husband fishing.

These people trusted each other completely. For example, when they arrived at the harbor in the morning, they parked their cars along the waterfront, sometimes blocking each other in since parking was scarce. However, they left the keys in their cars in case someone needed to move them while they were out in their boats. We never saw a police officer the entire time we were in the area, but apparently, community trust made the need unnecessary. This same community loyalty would have been extended to us, if we’d needed help. There’s no doubt in my mind that if we’d put out an emergency call from the island, several lobstermen would have shown up to aid us.

Hope Harbor has the same kind of community loyalty. Strangers are expected to be temporary, so fitting in as a local like my character Carson Stevens, the new owner of the lighthouse discovers, can be difficult. And what about Abby? Although the community feels like a protective shield to her, will it let her begin a new life based on who she is now and not who she used to be before she left?

I can’t wait for you to meet Abby and Carson and see Hope Harbor for yourselves!

So did you move away? Did you come back?
Leave your answer for a chance to win a copy of Abigail’s Secret.

Marilyn Turk sees the world as the miraculous creation of God. As a writer, she tries to capture His truths in everyday life through her historical novels and heartfelt devotions. Her passion is to encourage women to develop their God-given gifts and find their strengths, a message she delivers when she speaks to audiences.

Marilyn is the director of the Blue Lake Christian Writers Retreat, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, American Christian Fiction Association, Word Weavers International and the Faith, Hope and Love chapter of RWA. She and her husband are avid lighthouse enthusiasts, having visited over 100, and her popular lighthouse blog features true lighthouse stories. In her spare time, you can find her boating and fishing with her husband, taking walks or playing tennis in her home state of Florida. Connect with her on http://www.marilynturk.com and through social media.

An Introvert’s Dream Vacation

We had several really great trips on the books for this summer. My husband’s business conferences usually picks very desirable locations. And we had even looked forward to one set of kids (a son and daughter-in-law) joining us for a week in Colorado Springs.

But of course none of it happened.

And yet we didn’t want to completely lose the vacation time with our kids. And my husband desperately needed a break. So we booked a friend’s Airbnb lake house in East Texas and took off.

Sunset over Lake Fork

Five days of uninterrupted bliss! Not only was it incredibly restful to be in a house (not a condo!) where we weren’t guests (I mean, technically we were guests, but our “hosts” weren’t on site, so we were on our own), we didn’t even come within shouting distance of anyone the entire trip. Therefore, no masks. None. And that was a vacation in and of itself!

Lazy lake days

We were fortunate that August took an uncharacteristic dip in temperature during that time, too. Instead of seeking out the AC by mid-morning, we were able to linger in the shade on the deck or the dock well into the afternoon.

Sadie chickened out, but the rest were brave.

Everyone took a turn on the kayak except me, because I saw those fish jumping and the turtles poking their heads out! While Sadie, our kids’ 7-month-old golden retriever (who lives in an apartment!), had a blast in the water. She even got brave enough to jump from the dock!

It took a little coaxing, but in she went!

We played horseshoes. We read. We played Scrabble. We read. We walked and talked and laughed and napped. And we read.

We watched baseball and basketball (which none of us get at our house!). We read. We made dinner, made s’mores, made cookies. And we read.

S’mores! Yum!

We were sad our daughter-in-law had to leave after 2 days to go back to work, but our son and the dog stayed on and enjoyed the quiet with us.

We played corn hole. We read. We walked and talked and kayaked. And napped and read some more.

After five days of both good conversations and lots of quiet, we felt rested, ready to face to our COVID-crazy world.

We won’t forget this vacation for a long while. We didn’t see historical sites or eat fabulous food, just read and thought and talked. We didn’t spend the days in majestic nature, just an ordinary lake with grass and trees. We didn’t stay at a luxury resort, just a nicely cozy log cabin.

And our introvert souls were at peace.

Have you been able to find a place of peace during the crazy that is 2020? At home or away from home? With others or alone? Please share!

What’s your “book-to-movie” wish?

Do you have a “book-to-movie” wish?

A book you’ve treasured forever, that you’ve read several times through the years, and that you’d LOVE to see made into a movie? Well, I have several. But one of my all-time favorite book-to-movie wishes is coming true!

By now I’m betting you know that Francine Rivers’ bestselling novel Redeeming Love is being made into a movie. Or has been made. The filming is wrapped, and I imagine the various oh-so-talented-powers-that-be are putting their final touches on the film.

Would you like to see some behind-the-scenes glimpses of filming? In case you haven’t seen this yet, I ran across this montage on RedeemingLoveBook Instagram. It’s so cool to get glimpses of Michael and Angel!

CLICK THE PIC TO WATCH THE CLIP

Reading Redeeming Love all those years ago (and several times since) revealed to me a depth and breadth of God’s love that I’d never known before. What a gift that was. And still is. Thank you, Frani!

Don’t you wish we could have a massive Girl’s Night Out next spring and all go see Redeeming Love the movie together? Wouldn’t that be fun? Who knows . . . maybe we could get together in our individual cities and go in groups. Hmmm… Something to think about, trusting that circumstances allow!

Another of my book-to-movie wishes was made into a TV series several years back—Catherine Marshall’s beloved Christy. I adore this novel, have read it many times (and listened to the audio book), and really enjoyed the TV series too. Thank you, Catherine Marshall!

I was honored to be included in a tribute to the 50th Anniversary of Christy by the Christy Awards, which are, of course, named in honor of Catherine’s novel. And get ready . . . I gush a little. I so look forward to hugging Catherine Marshall’s neck when I get to heaven.

Another book-to-movie wish that came true is The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

Reading The Help got me through some really long, sleepless nights in the hospital with Mom when she was battling gall bladder cancer back in 2009. This story was a gift to me for that reason alone. When I would toss and turn on that hospital cot, when I would literally feel the time with my precious mom ticking down in my chest, I leaned heavily into God’s Word for comfort and peace—then I’d grab my hardback copy of The Help!

I laughed. I cried. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. And I enjoyed the movie immensely as well. Thank you, Kathryn Stockett!

Also, if you haven’t listened to the audiobook of The Help, oh my goodness, DO IT! It’s hands down one of the best audio books ever!

Listen to a quick sample of The Help

Finally, the absolute best book I’ve ever read in my entire life has recently been brought to life in a TV series and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Those of you who know me know where I’m going with this. Yep, The Chosen!

The Chosen is a remarkable series on the life of Christ that sheds light on the living, breathing Word of God in ways that really helps the text—and Jesus’ followers—to come to life. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

I’m thrilled that Dallas Jenkins, creator and director of The Chosen, recently announced that the filming of Season 2 should, prayerfully, begin this fall. The Chosen is FREE TO WATCH. No charge. Simply download the app. If you’re moved by what you see, then you might consider “paying it forward” so someone else can watch the shows. But no pressure if you can’t. Truly. Just know that God is on the move in this TV series!

Now it’s your turn…

What are some of your book-to-movie wishes? Have any of your favorites been adapted to screen or film?

Hugs from my corner of Tennessee,

Tammy

Thanks to everyone who “pre-read” Colors of Truth, a Carnton novel through NetGalley and wrote a review on Goodreads or BookBub.
I appreciate you more than you know!

Read more about Colors of Truth, a Carnton novel that’s scheduled for release October 6

Do you love jewelry?
If so, check out my August Giveaway!

Dear Mushka necklace entitled VERB and based on Romans 12:12

Celebrating Fifty Years

The August day, fifty years ago, was hot and sticky. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except that I was about to marry my best friend. Ken and I had dated for two years in college, and when we kissed goodnight outside my dormitory we would say, “We’re another day closer!” We had finally reached that day. I saw Ken waiting for me at the end of the aisle and couldn’t stop smiling.

 It wasn’t a “picture-perfect” wedding by any means. Ken was starting graduate studies at Yale so we didn’t have a lot of money. My parents prayed for me before the ceremony, thanking God for “loaning” me to them for the past twenty years. Dad was very nervous. I was the first of his three daughters to marry, so this was new to him. As he walked back to his pew after kissing me goodbye, his shoe caught on my veil, dragging it with him. I scrambled backwards to keep it from tearing off my head, whispering, “Dad! Dad, stop!” He thought I was changing my mind.

Ken and I held hands as we spoke our vows—the ones that promise “For better for worse, in sickness and in health, until death we part.” Then the pastor dropped Ken’s wedding ring and it made a lovely, pinging sound as it bounced down the three wooden steps from the altar to the aisle. Our best man chased after it.

We knelt down and the pastor laid his hands on our heads as he prayed for us. But my headpiece had real roses in it, and I could feel the thorns digging into my scalp. I envisioned trails of blood coursing down my brow. I still remember what he prayed, though—that God would bless our marriage and make it endure as an example of what a strong marriage in Christ can be. Fifty years later, I think his prayers have been answered.

Our reception was in the church basement. My sisters and I had decorated the hall, Mom made the food. A woman we knew baked the wedding cake. We don’t have many photos of our wedding because our photographer had a heart attack a few days before the wedding and his replacement was inexperienced. It didn’t matter. The memories are engraved on my heart.

Four years ago, Ken and I attended a relative’s picture-perfect wedding. At the reception, the DJ invited all the married couples onto the dance floor for a Generations Dance. Each time he called out an anniversary—five years, 10 years, 15 years—couples who had been married for only that length of time had to sit down. At last, only the longest-married couple remained. Ken and I had won. The DJ handed us a microphone and asked us to tell the new bride and groom the secret of our long, happy marriage. I’m not sure how I replied, having no time to prepare. But I’ve thought about it since then and here are two of our “secrets.”

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The most important one is to build your marriage on the foundation of Christ. There’s a good reason why scripture tells us not to be unequally yoked with a non-believer—it’s because it doesn’t work. Since a Christian’s life-goal is to serve and glorify God, marriage becomes difficult when your partner has a conflicting goal. A successful marriage is going to require grace and forgiveness many times over, and this doesn’t come naturally to us. We learn what love and forgiveness are from God, who continues to love us in spite of our stupid mistakes, and who forgives us at great cost. The secret of a happy marriage is to follow His example and love each other sacrificially.

Ken and I were fresh out of college when we married, and we each had dreams for our lives. Ken’s first goal was a Master’s degree, so I postponed my dreams for a few years to support us. His bigger dream was to play full-time in a symphony orchestra, so when he won a position as principal trumpet in the National Symphony Orchestra in Bogota, Colombia, we moved to South America. We did the same thing a few years later when he won principal trumpet in a Canadian orchestra.

In the meantime, my first dream was to be a mom. Ken took several jobs in addition to the orchestra so I wouldn’t have to work outside the home. When I began to pursue my dream of writing, Ken became my greatest cheerleader. He bought our first computer, an expense we couldn’t afford, before I’d published a single word because he believed I’d be a writer, someday. My second secret to a long and happy marriage is to take time to prayerfully plan and dream together. Then do everything you can, sacrifice whenever you can, to help your partner fulfill those dreams.

Happy 50th Anniversary, Ken! It has been an amazing adventure!

Inspired by Scripture

This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashEntertainment.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online.