The
English language is amazing. I fell in love with it as a young child, wondering
at the plethora of words that could be constructed from 26 letters. The different
sounds that flowed as consonants and vowels worked together seemed incredible to
my young mind. I have never lost that sense of wonder and still love to weave
letters and words together in such a way as to touch those who read them.
Create
As
writers, we take words and by combining them, tell stories, set scenes and build
atmosphere. As our words flow into readers’ minds, they create an inner world
that they can escape to as they read our stories. I always pray when I write,
asking God to help me with fresh ideas that will resonate with my audience. In
the case of my latest novel, Broken Shells, the whole story-line unfolded on a
road trip. I was driving along the East Coast of the South Island of New
Zealand, past neat rows of grape vines, turquoise seas and grey beaches and in
my mind this became the backdrop to the story of Taylor and Logan.
Cultivate
Once
the creative spark has been ignited, I work on cultivating it. With Broken
Shells, I wrote several pages of notes about my characters. I developed a soft
spot for Donny, a young man with Down Syndrome and from a small role at the beginning
of the story, he ended up being a significant part of the book. Logan and
Taylor also developed over the weeks and by the time the story was done, I knew
far more about them than was ever revealed in the book. By cultivating this
type of knowledge, our characters come out as flesh and blood, real and
believable. Take time to cultivate them and bring them to life.
Collaborate
I
learned many years ago that writing the story is just the beginning. For it to
reach its full potential, it needs input. This is where collaboration comes in.
I have beta readers who read the competed manuscript and comment on it. These
are not professionals, but rather people who love reading. Broken Shells went
to several such people before I submitted it to the Rose & Crown New Novel
Competition 2012. To my joy it placed first in the contest but the initial
report back was that there were areas that needed to be rewritten. Fast forward
to late 2015 when it was undergoing the editing process. Two editors went
through the manuscript and marked errors, things that didn’t tie up, and
weaknesses in my writing. Back and forward it went until we were satisfied it
was the best it could be. It then went to another person who checked it for
accuracy, dates, time line and other such details. Only then was it ready to go
to print. While it remained my story and work, I was able to improve it greatly
by collaborating with others.
Learning
to write well is a lifelong process and as I look back over the decades, I see
how the stages of creativity, cultivation and collaboration have improved my
work. Twenty six letters, countless words, God’s touch, and help from people
around us. What a wonderful way to bring life and inspiration to our world.
