What am I writing? Still the draft of Claire’s book, and I’m up to chapter 6

What am I reading? I read two books this week, and I am emotionally wrung out. First up was Mary DeMuth’s Daisy Chain. Following Mary on Twitter and getting to know her through her blogs prompted me to pick up the book. It’s garnered fabulous reviews for the story of Jed Pepper, a fourteen-year-old boy swept up in the disappearance of Daisy, his best friend, maybe even his girlfriend. Jed was the last one to see Daisy, and suffers with guilt, remorse, and palpable loneliness. On top of this, Jed’s father, a well-respected pastor, is abusive, and his mother deals with the tyranny through closet alcoholism. The story, the characters, and setting are all extremely well-rendered. What struck me, what will ultimately stay with me, was the way Mary captured the incomprehensible ambivalence Jed wrestles with. He loves his father and wants nothing more than to make him proud, but in the same breath, he despises the man and his hypocrisy. This is a coming of age story. I defined those for Lauren as a story in which a young person has to face the way the world works. Jed becomes a fine young man, and I wish someone would tell him so. Book 2, A Slow Burn is due out in October.

After taking a few days to absorb and recover from Daisy Chain, I moved on to Bonnie Grove’s Talking to the Dead. I also follow Bonnie on Twitter, and not only has her book received great reviews, it has garnered a heap of mentions through the Twitterverse. Interestingly, it arrived with a sticker on the cover- ‘good read guaranteed’. It delivered. In it, Kate Davis becomes a widow at 28, and within days, her husband speaks to her. The rest of the book unfolds the reason why and what it all means. For several days, I read it while I sat in the car waiting for my son to get out of school, but I found out there was a tipping point. Once I hit that point, I had to finish the book… that day… period. A close friend of mine says any book that makes you talk back to it is a good one. Without blowing any plots points, when Kate finally cleaned out Kevin’s closet, I gave her an enthusiastic “Good girl!” (My daughter looked up.) I know it’s ‘just a book’, but the characters are ‘real’ characters. It broke my heart how utterly alone Kate was through this. God help us not walk on by while anyone is in as much pain.
I’m going back to non-fiction next week. I need a break!

Side note- Social media can definitely be an effective marketing tool. It was key in my decision to purchase and read these two books.

What has God taught me? Between the books and my Bible study this week, God has highlighted how much hurt there is in this world, and reminded me of our mandate to be a conduit for His grace and mercy. I get so easily frustrated and discouraged, I lose sight of my amazing Redeemer working in each situation.

I got to help coach last night… flag football! Mostly I marked the line of scrimmage, but it was so much fun! As for Alan… is there a Wii scholarship available somewhere? Cause it’s not looking like a football career is in the future. Ah well…

What am I writing? Things are clicking along on Claire’s book. Anytime we have a long car trip, I get a good deal of thinking time in. Jon and Amanda helped me plot the end, and it’s going to be much better now. Thanks guys! Amanda also constantly challenges me to write good 3D characters, even in the first draft. As a result I haven’t written much new stuff this week, but I’ve filled out Paige, Brooke and Nate.

What have I learned? Not too much geeky stuff this week. I’ll work on that.

What am I reading? The Pilot’s Wife Let me preface this by saying I have an overactive imagination, so I choose carefully what fiction I read, and even what movies I watch. This book was the kind of fiction I enjoy, an intense internal journey. Kathryn Lyons is awakened just after three a.m. one morning to the news that the airline her husband, Jack, was piloting exploded off the coast of Ireland. The grief is real, perfectly drawn by the author. All the odd, off balance thoughts that go through a person’s mind are captured. But because of the nature of Jack’s death, it’s not a private grief. Investigators arrive and questions surface, questions without answers. Kathryn’s quest to vindicate Jack leads to an unfolding of who Jack Lyons really was. The most devastating line in the book, “Jack and I did not have secrets.”
It’s good for me to see characters who don’t have a Christian worldview. The whole time I read, I wanted to somehow comfort Kathryn. She needed someone. It also makes me keenly aware what a blessed hope we have.
Perhaps the most telling comment was my husband’s after I said yet again, “I can’t believe he did that to her!” He looked at me and very calmly reminded me, “It’s FICTION.”
However, because it took me so many days to get over my outrage at Jack Lyons, I’ve just started Daisy Chain. (I can go from one non-fiction book to the next and not miss a beat. Not so with stories. They have to soak a while.)

What has God taught me? 1. He knows everything. (Technically, I already knew that, but reminders never hurt.)

2. If we aren’t careful, life can be a series of missed opportunities.

3. Some folks would rather be right than righteous.

4. I’m glad God is God.

Have a great weekend! (My last weekend of being 41…)

Another beautiful Friday has arrived. The weather is fabulous, and we are looking forward to a tremendous match-up on the PeeWee diamond tonight as Crawford Healthworks faces down Cotillion Ridge Nursing Home (Well, not the actual folks from the nursing home… you know what I mean.) It’s Media Day for Crawford as the players will be available for pictures before the game.  We are most interested in the starting right fielder, veteran Alan Wiseman, who went 1-4 in the opener Tuesday night.

Ok- I got the ‘sportswriter’ out of me for the moment. I often get teased for including football and baseball in my books. I really need a basketball one.

This week, I had my opening critiqued by the awesome Mary DeMuth. You can see it here. I’ll be taking a break from writing for a while. Next week is the first week of church camp.

Books read this week: Still working on The Wounded Heart by Dr. Dan Allender, and I’m about halfway through Healing is a Choice by Steven Arterburn. Both are good, not to be read too quickly. Next week I have the first books in the Chronicles of Narnia on the schedule.

I’m reading an article by Mary DeMuth about getting and keeping the heart right before God before attempting to write.  One of her first points is to explore that calling.  I have never felt so suited to anything (except teaching) in my life.  I enjoy writing- the craft, the feedback, the process- immensely.  I know God has been in it because of the things I’ve learned, because of the passages I know I didn’t write, and because the words have touched others.  That’s not me, and that gives me chills.   To think God has chosen to work in anything I do is pretty incredible.  I’m still searching out God’s ultimate purpose in this, but I’m pursuing publication as the next step.

So what’s the difference between a gift and a calling?  Jon is studying this with his Sunday school class right now and here’s his definition.  Your gift is what the Holy Spirit has equipped you to do to help the church carry out its commission.  Your calling is the how and where that gift is put to practical use.  I have a gift of teaching, but I’m called to use that in several capacities- with my children, in various ways at church, and through writing.  Others may have a different take, and it’s not worth nit-picking.  It’s all a God thing anyway.  He gives the gifts and the callings for His purposes and glory.  I’m awestruck that He lets me participate.