THREE ACTS

Most good movies, plays, and fiction are written in three acts. As writers we understand that each of those three acts push the story along.
To simplify:

 1. The First Act is the set-up, where we introduce our characters and what they want most.
2. The Second Act  consists of conflicts from without and inner struggles all of which make it almost impossible for them to reach their goals.
3. The Third Act is the climax and conclusion where all ends are tied and we discover whether they lose, or get what they most want.... or something better.

In essence that is your life. It's my life. It's everyone's life.

I was amazed to discover that our Bibles have also been written that way. This is not biblical scholarship by any means, but I'm just looking at the big picture.

The set-up: God brings Adam a beautiful mate from a rib near his heart.
So the union of male and female still stands as God's definition of marriage, despite the outcry from those demanding to change it.
The First Act: Despite having the pick of every luscious fruit in Eden, they believed they were missing out on the one thing forbidden to them. They were smart enough to make their own decisions. Why shouldn't they be able to run their own lives without God's interference? And from that first wilful act and failure of one simple test, chaos came into our world.

And we're no different. Soon after we're born we discover we also have a strong will, and as we grow we find it difficult to accept God's plan for our lives. Yet He knows and understands us better than we even understand ourselves. He was there when we were being formed in the womb. Psalm139.

The Second Act: Things rapidly happened in the human sphere. The whole human race, except for a few faithful followers, sinned with abandon and the Old Testament records this. But God wrote HOPE in His book and promised a Saviour.

As writers we're told to SHOW and not TELL.  God did both. He gave His guidelines, The Ten Commandments  to TELL  us how to live. But when people tried to follow those rules and failed, God SHOWED them how to live by sending His own Son, Jesus. His life, death and resurrection became the focal point of history. Everything that had gone before now made sense.

The Third Act:  Every book has a conclusion. And the climax of God's story is coming soon.
Every life comes to an end. Yet God writes the name of everyone who trusts in and follows Jesus in His Book of Life. We have no idea what a year, a month, a week, or even a day might bring. Life is unpredictable. But we can know this: Nothing ever takes God by surprise. He knows the end from the beginning. His book begins with His Plan for us. And it ends that way.

Besides her daily radio ministry with her husband, Indie Publisher,
Rita Stella Galieh's three published books in her Victoriana Series are now online as ebooks. If you like the Historical Romance genre and TV series such as Downton Abbey etc. you'll enjoy these.
See: 

http://www.ritastellapress.com/buy-novels.html  

and scroll down to the ebook widgets.

or Click

<https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/24011>

Costumed as a governess, Rita shares a fun presentation on The Etiquette of the Victorian Era, at ladies, seniors groups, coffee mornings and dinners, then finishes with the above message. 
contact:  ritagal @ optusnet  dot  com dot  au.

The Writing Journey

By Dale Harcombe

It’s no wonder that the apostle Paul has been on my mind a lot lately. This year in our home bible study group we studied Paul’s letter to the Romans and then went onto Acts. There we  refreshed ourselves about the story of Paul’s conversion from one who hated those who followed Jesus and The Way, to being a commendable and committed servant of Jesus. Taken together it is a story that shows how great a change Jesus can make in a person's life.

Last week at our end of term get together for bible study, we were asked what stood out most to each of us. For me it was one of two things. One is a little story tucked away in among all Paul’s journeys and exploits. It tells of Phillip and the Ethiopian. I love that story because it is so specific. Phillip is told exactly where to go. He is involved in ministry at the time, so it’s not like he’s been slouching around doing nothing. But he’s told to go on the road leading south and he does. There he meets, talks with and coverts an Ethiopian eunuch.

That story shows me how important it is firstly to listen to the Lord and be obedient. It shows how important one person, one individual is to Jesus. It may be there is one special person only you can reach, either through a one on one relationship or through your words. Sometimes all it takes is one sentence that reaches out and touches a person’s heart.

The second thing that stood out was how Jesus transforms a life. Paul initially thought he was helping God by getting rid of those he believed were a new sect.  The Lord Jesus made sure he got Paul’s full attention on the Damascus Road. From that point on Paul never looked back. He went on with the work the Lord has set for him to do. Imagine if he had started out and then decided it was all too hard, he really couldn’t hack it! Or if he wanted to do something less strenuous and taxing.

Now I’m sure if you’re anything like me, you think writing isn’t the easiest life out. It’s not like we just sit down at a desk and the words pour out. Well, most of the time, that’s not what happens for me. Occasionally it happens like that. When it does it is a gift. Even when it does it doesn’t mean I can leave it and think it is perfect. There is still research, revising, editing, proofreading that needs to happen. Then likely more revision, editing and proofreading and that’s all before it gets anywhere near a publisher.

Eventually it is ready to submit. Off it goes. Then begins the waiting period. I’m in that waiting period with one project at the moment. But that doesn’t mean I’m sitting doing nothing. I have moved onto the next project which had been started but put aside till the last one was submitted

Assuming the project does largely meet the publisher’s criteria and get accepted for publication, there’s no doubt more editing and proofreading to come. Still that’s not the end of the author’s job. There’s time spent trying to drum up interest, so when the book comes up out there will be an audience wanting to read the book. For many that might mean interacting on social media, organising a book launch, arranging interviews, and  lining up book signings or talks, when really all you want to do is sit down and write the new ideas and characters that are circling in your head. That promotion and marketing aspect is easier for some than it is for others.

At times it seems overwhelming. You might be forgiven for wondering why anyone would want to be a writer. I’ve wondered that at time myself. I still do when things don’t work as I would like. But basically if we believe God has called us to write, and my guess is we wouldn’t be here unless we believed that to be the case, then we can’t leave the job half done.

Whether we write Christian fiction, mainstream fiction, bible studies, devotional, children’s books, mysteries, romance or some other genre, we want to do the best job we can. It’s important to remember that God doesn’t call us all to the same type of writing. We have to keep going and trusting the Lord God will open the right doors at the right time and will help us each step of the way.

At the moment the jacaranda in my garden looks just like a lot of dead sticks. But I now it is not dead. In God's time it will bloom with flowers the most amazing shade of blue.

We need to be like that jacaranda and wait for God's timing for us to bloom. For some of us that may take longer than others and may seem it is never going to happen. That's when we have to continue to trust God.

It also means He will pick us up and get us back on our feet if things don’t work out as we hope. Along the way He will teach us what He needs to and lead us into the next steps along the writing journey. The writing life is not for the faint hearted. It can be frustrating but it can also be a lot of fun.

Dale writes fiction and poetry. Her latest novel is Streets on a Map is currently available as an E book. She has also written children’s books, bible studies, Sunday school material, devotionals, and articles about marriage, home and Christian living. She is currently at work on a new novel, tentatively titled Sandstone Madonna.