Cinderella in the Bible

At a conference not long ago, the keynote speaker made this bold statement: “The seed of every story is found in the Bible.”

Hmm. I decided to test it out. I suppose the typical story of the hero saves the heroine from the evil man isn’t hard to find. Try David and Abigail in I Samuel 25.  Or for a twist, there’s even the damsel saving the hero in chapter 19 of the same book. Who could forget the story of the underdog wins when David slays the giant? Obviously David lived a colorful and adventurous life.

But what about the story of Cinderella? I decided to look for the ugly stepsisters, the lovely young lady, and the Prince. It’s really a “rags to riches” story, and I found it in an unusual place in the book of Ephesians, chapter two.

Chapter two describes the “rags” as dead in trespasses and sin, indulging the desires of the flesh and mind, and living as children of wrath. Pretty tattered rags there! 

And then the riches appear in phrases such as “brought near”, “reconciled”, and “fellow citizens with the saints”.

The Prince also makes His appearance. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, comes that “He might show the surpassing riches of His grace.”

Now, every good story needs a twist, and God has one in His story. We’d like to identify with the beautiful Cinderella and welcome our Prince. But sadly, our sins made us like the ugly stepsisters! But the twist in God’s story is that He takes those living in the rags of sin and brings them into His family. He transforms the ugly stepsister into the princess!

As a writer, my favorite description of God’s transformation is, “we are His workmanship”. Look up that Greek word for “workmanship”, and you’ll find it’s from the Greek word for our English word “poem”. We are God’s poem to this world! May God help us to live so that when our family and friends observe us, they see God’s poem.

Can you think of other famous stories that have their seed in the Bible? Where would you find them?

Faith in Those First Steps

Photo Source

by Lisa Jordan


One of the young toddlers in my early childhood education program is learning to walk. She takes a few steps, pauses, realizes she is alone, then topples over. When she falls, she gazes at me with a protruding bottom lip, as if to ask, "Why did you let me fall?"


Of course I reach down, scoop her up and cradle her to my chest to reassure her while I may allow her to explore her new-found development, she isn't alone in this journey. 


Before a child learns to walk, she needs to move through several developmental stages--lifting the head, up on arms, pulling herself forward, arm over arm crawl, up on knees, pull up to standing, balance, bravery in that first step. 


Like a child learning to walk for the first time, writers need to take baby steps in their writing journeys.


Writing begins with a spark of an idea. And most writers can't take an idea and mold it into a publishable story from the very beginning. 


Writing is a process that requires mastering the fundamentals of the craft. While mastering those developing writing skills, writers will fall. Perhaps they enter contests and receive low scores. Or maybe they query and editor or agent and receive a "not for me" type rejection. Or even they have mastered the fundamentals and celebrate their first releases, only to receive less than glowing reviews.

Writers who fall under the weight of the writing process--lack of strong skills, their own self-doubt, rejections--don't have the power to stand on their own...they teeter and topple. When they fall, they cry out. Who lifts them up? 

Psalm 145:14 reminds us: The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

When we lack the strength to move forward in our own might, God places his arms under us, lifts us up and sets us on our feet. He may take our hands and walk alongside us. He gives us confidence to take that next step. He becomes our strength. As we continue down the path He has laid before us, one thing is clear--He never allows us to walk alone, even once we've found a solid faith footing in those first steps.

Your Turn: When have you felt like you've stumbled and fallen in your writing journey? How did you get through it? How did God's strength sustain you? What advice would you have for a new writer?

Lisa Jordan

www.lisajordanbooks.com

Of Cocoa and Garlic: Combining Just the Right Words to Create Storyworld

By Delores Topliff

A recent spring health advisory advised foods warding off flu:  “Cocoa in dark chocolate helps immune systems, and garlic fight infections.” 

Good to know! I like short cuts and improved health so maybe I’ll add minced garlic to my next batch of fudge for the benefits of both? 

Not? 

Newly married and owning just one sauce pan, when my Canadian husband asked for boiled cod, I prepared, he enjoyed, and then requested chocolate fudge. Same pan, but scrubbed in hot sudsy water—so no problem. But have you tasted cod-flavored fudge? Ghastly—like a romance novel where hero and  heroine are deep sea divers grappling for true love’s first kiss between air hoses when a giant octopus arrives entangling them further—but that’s another story . . . (I see that red pen—not worth writing, huh?)

Some writing word blends are equally disastrous as chocolate and garlic, cod and fudge, or kisses and an octopus.

Match word sounds to actions

English vocabulary doubled after the Norman Conquest when our short-quick Anglo-Saxon based English words like, “He stabbed his foe,” were augmented by longer flowery French words: “The jousting cavalier defended his virtuous damsel (demoiselle) by unseating the challenging villain.”  We may say twelve or dozen, beef or veal, depending on our purpose—both are correct. 

 

I love this intentional bad example from Russell Thornberry’s “Adjective Wars”: 

“A twig snapped behind me…. Then a raking of giant antlers against tree bark sent a flood of adrenaline through my veins…. I reached down slowly until my fingers rested on the slightly abrasive finish on my new Feather-Master, fiberglass/graphite, composite rifle stock. I eased my hand around the pistol grip and slowly lifted the Slobovian made, pre-1940, .337 Mauser with its sleek, fast-tapered, octagon, multi-grooved, over-bore double-compensated barrel . . .” 

I know . . . Worse than cod-flavored fudge.

Perfectly-chosen words establish storyworld and action. With his dramatist’s eye, Charles Dickens matched weather to mood, creating masterful scene backdrops. In Great Expectations, a black sky with whistling-winds blowing between cemetery tombstones precedes disaster as frightening convict Magwitch rises and nabs young Pip. Later when Pip’s unattainable, unrequited love, Estella, finally recognizes Pip’s virtues, returning his long-suffering devotion, we enjoy sunny blue skies, warm breezes, sweet spring flowers and singing birds.

Today my grocery store check-out line displayed chocolate-covered potato chips—I declined . . .

How do you choose just the right words in just the right combination to create storyworld?  

Motivation for Surprises

Amy here...

I never do anything unpredictable. I mean, never. That's why I never understood when writers would say, "Today my character surprised me by doing x, y, z."

But I finally understand. This past weekend, my little brother married his best friend. Hubby and I were supposed to fly in for the wedding with our two month old on Thursday and return on Sunday. Then work went crazy for him. After much discussion, we decided he needed to stay home and take care of things.

So, Haley and I flew from Minnesota to Florida alone. The plan: 1) be a bridesmaid Saturday, 2) fly home on Sunday, 3) enjoy my last week of maternity leave, and 4) go back to work. I loved showing my new daughter off to my extended family and sharing in the joy of Matt and Daphne's wedding. Everthing was going according to plan.

Until Sunday morning. We needed to leave to catch our plane home. But...my extended family planned to leave Monday. I didn't have to go back to work yet. Hubby was working long hours, late nights. And, my mom was driving back to Minnesota on Thursday. Add it all up and...I missed my plane.

On purpose.

Crazy? Maybe. I now have a twenty four hour road trip to look forward to with a two month old. But my motivation to sit by the ocean and spend extra time with my mom and brother, David, tipped the scales. If there is sufficient motivation, I can see why a character might surprise you. I surprised myself.

Has your character ever surprised you? Have you ever surprised yourself? What was the motivation for the unexpected action?

~Amy

P.S. Sorry fellow Ponderers, I know Wednesdays is supposed to be about friendship, but I decided to rebel in all areas of life this week. Hopefully you'll forgive me. And yes, this is the view I've enjoyed since I missed my plane!

Faith and Fictional Characters

by Beth K. Vogt


As novelists, we get to decide a lot of things about our characters:

• name
• occupation
• appearance
• quirks
• happiest moment
• greatest dream
• darkest moment
• wound
• lie

All of these details help us develop a well-rounded protagonist, one that our readers connect with. There's something else we also determine for our characters: their faith.

My debut novel, Wish You Were Here, hit the shelves May 1. It took me three years to write my first novel. I was a fiction-newbie, crossing over to the "Dark Side" from writing nonfiction. I had a lot to learn -- and to unlearn. I needed every day of those three years to write a publishable novel.                                                                  

Early on in the process, I knew what kind of faith I would "give" my hero and heroine. I wanted Daniel and Allison to both believe in God, but to have skewed perspectives of him. To be confused about who God really is. 

Why?

Because I've been there. I've been a woman of faith who had to admit her beliefs were messed up. That my rock-solid truths about God were faulty. There came a season in my life when I dubbed myself an "Accidental Pharisee." As much as I talked (and even taught) about God's lavish grace, I discovered I was quite comfortable with law, thank you very much. 

In Wish You Were Here, rather than have a character with a journey of unbelief to belief, Allison's and Daniel's spiritual journeys involved recognizing how their misperceptions affected their ability to see -- to understand -- who God truly is.Then I created situations where they discovered the truth about God. 

For me, writing fiction is writing real life. Not everyone I know believes in God. Most everyone I know -- dare I say all? -- who does believe in God also misunderstands him.                                               

Consider your work-in-progress: What kind of faith have you"given" your characters? None? The barest beginning? Rock solid? Is your hero a voice of truth to another character -- or is he the one asking the questions, the one that you, as the author, will be leading one step closer to God with each turn of the page? 

Report Cards, Anyone?

No boss looks over your shoulder. No supervisor gives you an annual review. If you’re a published author, you’ve got sales figures, feedback from editors/agents, and letters from readers. But if you’re not published yet, how do you chart your progress? A critique group? (Depends on the group.) Contest feedback? (Depends on the judge.) A self-assessment? Well, why not? It’s the end of the school year, and students will soon receive their report cards. Why not create your own writing report card? 

Here’s mine—(Roxanne Sherwood):

GRADES

English Literature—A

After all, I was a reader before becoming a writer. :-)

Writing/Composition—A

If I couldn’t award myself a top score after years of writing, I should look for another job. But if you’re a newbie and still learning deep point-of-view or other areas of craft, give yourself room to improve.

Spelling—A

Um . . . With Spell Check, I feel a bit guilty for this easy grade, like getting an “A” for study hall or being a teacher’s assistant. But students do sometimes make easy grades. And I probably need to pad my GPA. :-)

Math—B

I had to think about this grade for awhile, since I don’t even balance my check book. But I can do word counts/page counts. My husband might argue that I really need to balance the checkbook, but I came into the marriage with full-disclosure. ;-)

Research—B

I can usually find what I need, and I never ask someone for help without doing research myself first. I don’t mind helping others, but I have a pet peeve with someone who asks without first even trying to find out the answer. My problem lies with recognizing when to stop researching and start writing.

Information & Communication Technology—C 

Considering I earned a journalism degree on a typewriter and I'm now blogging here, I’ve learned a lot. But I’m still a novice. Thank heavens I married my IT guy. ;-)

CONDUCT

Uses time wisely—Unsatisfactory

I struggle with the dreaded “blank-page syndrome” and justify wasting time by calling it social networking. As I stated above, I research far longer than the question warrants. 

Organization—Unsatisfactory

I seriously need help managing files. (I'm sure I'm not alone.) A really organized author could write a blog post about this or even teach a class at ACFW.)

Shows Initiative—Satisfactory

With the help of many amazing writers, I’ve learned the equivalent of a college degree in novel writing. (I’ll consider a publishing contract as my diploma.) 

Completes Assignments—Unsatisfactory

Could be the reason I’m not published. 

So, what's the point? An assessment shows where your strengths and weaknesses lie. I'm going to revamp my S.M.A.R.T. goals and contact a couple of accountability partners. (You know who you are, right?) Because the bottom line—and pretty much everything in life comes down to the bottom line—I don't want to live with regret that I didn't put forth the effort to make my dreams come true, but that's a post for another day.  

Your turn. What’s your writing report card look like? Any great advice for improvement?

—Roxanne Sherwood 

Friendship, Thorns and All

By Paula Boire, writing as Sara L. Jameson

                                                                       

You may be wondering about the picture of a thorny cactus for a friendship blog. Most of the year the cactus is a plant of thorns, maybe tiny, almost invisible ones. Maybe dagger length. Maybe long, curved hooks. But all of them, P.R.I.C.K.L.Y.

Fortunately, one thing cacti have in common is a season to bloom. Granted, it’s short-lived, but the colorful, waxy blossoms that crown them are a beautiful sight. And they dwarf the awareness of the thorns. For a time.

People can be like a cactus, with prickly places in their personalities. After all, we’re WIPS, God’s works-in-progress. God’s Word tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The amazing thing is that He still loves us. Still accepts us as we are. He's still patient with us. Doesn’t give up on us.

Friendships, like family, were meant to function the same way. Friends are fun to pal around with but the friends who accept me, thorns and all, are an enormous safety net, a huge blessing. A place to be myself. A place to grow beyond my current collection of thorns. And they can be a means to a closer relationship with the Lord. In short, they can be life-changing.

Today I would like to honor two friends: Rose and Peggy. The Lord brought Rose into my life during an extremely difficult season, one that went from tough to dangerous. 

Because Rose was a woman after the Lord’s heart, He used her to straighten out so many areas of my life, providing an acceptance of me no matter what I had done. 

Decades ago, life in an abusive marriage had driven Rose close to the Lord. The result? Such an intimate fellowship with Him that the Lord enlarged her prophetic gifts. Countless people were blessed by her ministry. Including me. Her unexpected death the day I left Romania with Romanian Security Police literally at my heels, stunned me. But it forced me to ramp up my own walk with the Lord, learning to wait until I’d heard from Him. Drawing me closer to Him.

Several years later, the Lord blessed me with Peggy’s friendship. Peggy loves the Lord with her whole heart. She is an unshakable encourager who cannot be deterred from building up and comforting others. A woman with a nurturer’s heart. A woman of prayer. Without her friendship, her unflagging confidence, I wouldn’t be writing this blog today. Because I would’ve long ago given up on my dream to write.

I’m the plant with the thorns. My friends?

They’re the blossoms.  

How about you? Has God given you friends who love you, thorns and all, who grow you in Him?

Do you have a dream?

Melissa Tagg here! See that ^ ? That's a rare peek inside my bedroom.  Talking about dreams today, so it felt rather apropos. And yes, I really love the word apropos. Also, that wall art looks a lot straighter on my wall than it does in this photo! 

I once had a dream.

To marry a rather well-known Christian singer's brother. (Um, if you know me, let's not go naming any names, all right? I'd like to preserve what little dignity I might have left at the end of this anecdote.)

Actually, this singer had a couple brothers in my age range and for awhile, I figured either would do. But then I saw one jump off a huge speaker during a concert and decided, yeah, he's the one I wanted.

I even met him. Twice. Not going to lie, the second time we met, when he said he remembered me, I was pretty sure it was a sign from God we were meant to be together. (And I'm so sure he remembered me because of my beauty and wit and our spiritual connection...not because of my rather interesting fashion choices back then or my nervous giggles.)

Anyway, I grew up.

We did not get married.

And I'm pretty sure now if I saw someone jump from a big speaker, I'd call 911 rather than swoon. :)

Gotta love the dreams we have as kids, yeah? Did you have any crazy childhood dreams?

How about "for real" dreams? Dreams you feel God planted in your heart? Dreams for which you're sure you were born?

I've got those. Oh, I've got 'em. And lately, I've felt God reminding me to be thankful for the dreams He's given me. Because they're exciting. They're fun. They're from Him.

Instead, sometimes it's all too easy to get antsy. Anxious. Weary.

But dreams aren't meant to be that way!

God-given, God-glorifying dreams are beautiful, energy-giving and life-fueling. I've been reading (and loving) the book Extravagant Worship by Darlene Zschech and I love what she says about dreams:

God is the ultimate dream giver and dream fulfiller. He planted His dream within you to get you up in the morning. He planted it so that you would go over mountains and through valleys...If your dream is enormous, and you think it cannot possibly be for your life, I guarantee that it is a God dream. [pg 110-111]

I love that. I love that God plants dreams in His people...nurtures and coaxes those dreams to life...in His perfect time...in a way only He can.

Let's chat about dreams. What kind of dreams has God planted in your heart? Do you see Him at work in your life, maybe gently prodding or outright pushing you toward your dream? Like me, do you ever get exhausted by your dream? How do you get your focus back on the Dream-giver?


Melissa Tagg
www.melissatagg.com

I Would Die For You (Maybe)

Hi! Jenness here, with a burning question for you. Ready? Here we go:

What do the Hunger Games and Twilight books have in common? (Besides the fact that you're either about to roll your eyes or grab pom-poms?)

Let's see. You could point out that they're young adult books. You might argue that they both have love triangles. (But I'll argue back, because, seriously...is Gale really ever in the running?) They're controversial.  And, not only are they best-sellers, but they have both gained a hugely devoted fan base. 

Don't worry, I'm not trying to create a hot debate or give a rambling lecture on why you should or should not allow your kids to read the books or watch the movies. I just want to make an observation. One more thing they have in common:  They're told from the viewpoints of very self-sacrificing heroines.

In Twilight, Bella is willing to face whatever and do whatever is necessary to be with the one she loves and to keep her father and the town safe. In Hunger Games, Katniss is willing to die for her sister first. Then her loved ones, her District, and for the good of the entire country.

Do you find that as interesting as I do? I admit I'm not familiar with the Harry Potter series so I don't know if that self-sacrificing theme holds over, but here it is in two HUGE, blockbuster series that won crazy-devoted fans (as in, weddings-themed-around-the-books kind of fans).

Why?

There's something about the sacrificing hero/heroine that has a universal appeal. This Easter season I can't help but feel like it has something to do with the Hero who sacrificed His very life to save us.

On Easter Sunday, I heard a sermon about the God-shaped hole in our hearts, about how He brings hope and healing, and how He holds everything together. Because of Who He is. Because of His great, sacrificial, I-will-die-for-you love.

I can't help but think stories that demonstrate real sacrificial love appeal to so many because of the tiny fragment of a mirror that it holds to the greatest story of all--that of Christ, dying on the cross for our sins and raising again. Because of His unfathomable love.

Your turn.
Writers, how have you worked sacrificial love into your story?
Readers, what's your favorite novel with allegorical elements?