We had a major rainstorm up in the northland yesterday – roads washed out, a river coursing through our yard. And, of course, the internet was down…so I had to pack up my computer and forge my way into town to send it from my husband’s hotel. As I left the house, my daughter said, “Are you sure you want to brave the elements?” Of course! Because I was focused on the end goal of getting my blog up (and, of course, checking my email1). I drove around downed trees, and navigated a small river with m SUV, and dodged piles of dirt but I finally made it to town. And my blog. On your hero’s spiritual journey, he’ll have downed logs to traverse and rivers to wade through, and […]
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Moseying down the spiritual road
My hubby and I love to travel. We’ve gone everywhere – well, not South America, but Europe and Asia and Alaska….and we’ve discovered that we travel in different ways. I like a map. And a destination. And the knowledge that I get to eat something normal on the way. He likes to set out and see where the road takes him. The difference isn’t our destinations – eventually we get where we want to go. It’s the HOW. How are you going to move your hero along on his spiritual journey? Here’s a few travel tips I’ve learned on my journeys: In plotting my stories, I often start with a story question – and the same thing goes for the spiritual thread. Whether is it a story about a man […]
Read the RestHow deep should you go?
Hey all! I’m bleary eyed today because I was up late reading “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” by the author of the Kite Runner. I loved the Kite Runner – powerful story, evocative writing. And, although it was a secular book, it still contained themes of redemption, forgiveness, grace….everything that makes a book resonant. He did the same with Splendid Suns, weaving in themes of purpose and destiny, and love. What I liked about the Kite Runner and Splendid Suns, is that they make the reader ponder these spiritual issues, regardless of their religion (they’re written from a Muslim perspective). As a reader, I don’t want the spiritual plot to be so thick that it strangles me – and as a writer, I don’t want to strangle my reader. I want […]
Read the RestGrappling with the uglies
Dear Susan, “Wow you’ve done it again! That book was fantastic. You have a way of developing believable characters that suck you into the story as if you where there. I don’t know why or how, but your books have stirred in me a new sense of faith. Your messages have hit home and I am seeking my place with God, and how I fit into the picture in his eyes.” I love those kind of letters! People often ask me what I write – my answer (because I’m all over the place in genre!) is – I write Novels with a Christian World View. But inside, I’m really wanting to say – I write 4 dimensional stories. I believe that with Christian fiction, because it deals with not only […]
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