Balancing Hope and Reality

by @CarolynMAuthor

A few weeks ago my mother and I watched the film The Bookshop, based on the novel by Penelope Fitzgerald. This evocative film is about Florence Green, a widow in the late 1950s, who tries to establish a bookshop in a small English town against the wishes of the controlling doyenne of the local community, and is (*spoiler alert!*) ultimately unsuccessful.

Not having read the book, I was (unpleasantly) surprised by the ending, which prompted a conversation with my mother about how it perhaps reflected the reality of many small business owners who invest huge amounts of capital and time and energy into their dreams, only to see them fail. It's not the Australian dream, it's definitely not the American dream, but it is many people's reality. We try, and sometimes we don't succeed.

Driving away from the movie I started to wonder how this story could have ended. Should it have been more of an 'underdog wins against all odds' story? Or would that have been too simple, a Disney response to a world that doesn't like to face uncomfortable truths? Was I simply caught in the romance writer's bubble of 'happy-ever-after'? One of the central themes was about how the courage of this small, kind-hearted woman gave courage to others, so it wasn't completely depressing. But it was unsettling.

I believe hope is one of the most wonderful aspects of being a Christian, and something that we should offer in a desperate world hungry for good news. Yet this tension exists between creating stories that are real with ones that offer the chance to escape reality, and enter a different world where hope can perhaps be more plainly seen.

Sometimes I see this tension as people discuss the types of fiction they enjoy reading and/or writing, contemporary vs historical, realistic vs fantasy, redemptive vs squeaky clean Christian. (Side note: It's funny how what one person sees as 'squeaky clean' another might see very differently. I saw this recently with two editors both working for my publishers which saw certain sections of manuscript red flagged by one editor after the other okayed it. 😬)

Sometimes this 'either/or' mentality isn't helpful, as we can focus more on what perceived differences are than what we have in common. For whether we are published or not, self-published or traditionally published in Australia or the US (or not), writing stories for the general market or for Christians, stories that subtly allude to Christian truths or include Bible references, the most important thing we need to offer is a sense of hope.

Yes, we can be gritty. Yes, we can be real. But if our words don't ultimately offer something that fuels courage and persistence and enables readers to dream and not despair, then our readers might as well be watching the news.

I no longer enjoy watching the news. (Side note: does anyone truly 'enjoy' it? "Ohhh, look, here comes the bit about the grisly murder in Sydney! Yay, can't wait!") I don't particularly enjoy the uncertainty it delivers along with a sensationalised side of negativity; it doesn't restore my soul or give any great confidence for the future. Call me naive but I prefer what I watch and read to instil a sense of courage, of reassurance, that victory is possible, something that I hope my novels can offer also.

A person's need for story varies at different times, and in different seasons in life. A 'happily-ever-after' might seem a bit raw to someone in mourning, or it might give that person comfort, or possibly even courage to one day dream again. We can't know how our words will be received.

But we CAN know that God is good, and that He gives us hope, and in Jesus Christ, He gives hope to all who believe. So even if our stories are gritty and realistic and grounded in the cares and concerns of this world, we know that ultimately, in Him, there is a happy ending when good triumphs over evil.

Something that gives us hope.

Carolyn Miller lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked part-time as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher. 

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. Her Regency novels include The Elusive Miss Ellison, The Captivating Lady Charlotte, The Dishonorable Miss DeLancey, Winning Miss Winthrop and Miss Serena's Secret, all available from Amazon, Book Depository, Koorong, etc

Connect with her:        website | facebook | pinterest | twitter| instagram

That tricky balancing act

I believe all of us as writers can learn something from those highwire acrobats we see at the circus. If these performers lean too far one way, they will fall. And if they lean too far the other, the same thing will happen. Instead, they must stay perfectly balanced on that highwire, carefully edging their way along until they reach the other side.

How does all this apply to authors in particular? Since I started writing around thirteen years ago, I have found I often need to practise the fine art of balancing boldness and self-confidence with a good, strong dose of humility. As writers, we might consider ourselves to be amazing—but we might not be. Potential publishers might line up for our manuscripts—but they might not either. In fact, they might never even want to look at those words we have slaved over for hours, days, months, even years—particularly as first-time authors.

On one occasion not so long ago, I found myself chatting to a lady I had never met who proceeded to talk about herself at some length. Her story was interesting but, after a while, I somehow began to feel almost irrelevant or invisible. Finally, in response to a comment she made, I told her I am a writer—and it was at that point that her manner towards me suddenly changed.

‘Oh ... who’s your publisher?’ she asked eagerly.

I barely had time to answer before she rushed on.

‘I’ve written a book too. It’s taken me a couple of years, but it’s ready to be published now,’ she told me. ‘I know the exact publisher I’d like—and the exact literary agent I want too.’

At that point, I held my breath a little. Yes, it was good she had a clear goal in mind for her book—and that she was familiar enough with the publishing world to know whom to contact. But it worried me that she seemed to think the road ahead would be so easy and straightforward for her. And it also disturbed me that she seemed unwilling to listen to anything much I might say. So I simply stayed silent and let her talk.

Yes, we need to believe in ourselves and our writing—otherwise we would not stick at it. Yes, we need to be bold at times, as we approach potential publishers or agents and look for ways to promote our books after they are published. But we also need to balance this with an equal amount of humility. We all have more to learn, whatever stage we are at in our writing journeys. None of us knows it all. And that is why, this very weekend, many Christian Aussie and New Zealand authors are coming together at the Omega Writers’ Conference in Sydney—to listen, to learn, to teach others and also to encourage and support one another.

I’m still working on perfecting my literary highwire act of balancing boldness with humility. And as I do, I’m trying to apply the following:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 4:3

How about you? Have you too found this aspect of the writing and publishing journey a challenge?

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and two non-fiction works, ‘Soul Friend’ and ‘Becoming Me’. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and four grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.

ACRBA Tour Glimpses of Light

2 - 6 May

Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance

is introducing

Glimpses of Light

(By the Light Books, 15 December 2015)

Edited by  Jeanette O'Hagan and Nola L Passmore

About the Book:

Be challenged, captivated and moved by these imaginative reflections on faith, help in time of need, joy in the midst of tragedy, and surprising encounters with God.

During 2015, the International Year of Light, twenty-one authors from Australia and the United States have come together to explore the theme of 'glimpses of light'—finding light in dark places—through short stories, poems, flash fiction and creative non-fiction.

Glimpses of Light includes contributions from respected and award-winning authors and poets Jo-Anne Berthelsen, Paula Vince, Lynne Stringer, Adele Jones, Jo Wanmer, Jeanette Grant-Thomson and Ellen Carr, as well as exciting new talent.

Profits from this anthology go to CBM Australia, giving sight to the blind.

About the Authors

JEANETTE O'HAGAN

Jeanette O’Hagan enjoys writing fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. She is writing her Akrad’s Legacy Series—a Young Adult secondary world fantasy fiction with adventure, courtly intrigue and romantic elements. Her short stories and poems are published in Tied in Pink romance anthology, Another Time Another Place, Poetica Christi’s Inner Child, Let the Sea Roar, Like a Girl. 

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and, more recently, a Master’s in writing. She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life and communicating God’s great love. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children. 

Website: jeanetteohagan.com

NOLA PASSMORE

Nola Passmore’s poetry, devotions, inspirational articles, and short fiction have appeared in magazines, journals and anthologies in Australia and overseas. Although she’s a former academic with qualifications in creative writing, psychology, and Christian ministry; she’s found that you can never underestimate the power of friends and mentors in the writing journey.

With ringleader roles in Quirky Quills and the Toowoomba chapter of Omega Writers, she’ll be nagging (oops, encouraging) other writers for some time. She and her husband Tim have a freelance writing and editing business called The Write Flourish. 

Website: www.thewriteflourish.com.au

Aussie Authors – What More Can We Do?

It isn’t easy to achieve success as an author. Being an Australasian Christian author is even tougher, because it’s a relatively unknown niche market.  At a time when mainstream authors are struggling to make a living, how can our tiny niche expect to gain ground?

As Australasian authors, we are known within our small circle, but how do we expand our work to a world that is already crowded with better-known international names? And what about the endless supply of self-published releases, and ebooks for sale at a fraction of the price of our paperbacks? The competition is steep.

I don’t know how many readers I have here in Australia, but it often frustrates me when I think of the small market share we must have, even here in our own country.

So what more can we do? The prospect of marketing ourselves and our books is daunting, even overwhelming at times. I know there are some ways we can help ourselves. There are avenues of advice and direction that we, as individuals, can tap into. The internet is full of “how to’s” when it comes to advertising and promotion.

I appreciate that a lot of these ideas can be effective, but today, as I contemplate how successful breakthroughs could be made, it occurred to me that there was one vital and ultimately far more powerful tool we could be underutilising—the power of prayer.

I hope we all pray about our own work, and I know many of my fellow authors support and lift up my work in prayer, in the same way as I support them. After all, our writing is our ministry, our service to God. What would happen if we all came together in prayer for our industry as a whole? It’s a fledgling industry—ministry—worth praying for, and I believe that the Lord has wonderful things waiting for all of us.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

1 Peter 5:6 (NIV)

So, I am asking that we all pray the Lord will open His doors for our Australasian Christian Writing community this year, 2015. And that He will bring His help and blessing to our industry as we seek to serve Him in obedience and love.

Rose Dee

Rose, who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, was born in North Queensland, Australia. Her childhood experiences growing up in a small beach community would later provide inspiration for her first novel, Back to Resolution.
Her novels are inspired by the love of her coastal home and desire to produce exciting and contemporary stories of faith for women.

Beyond Resolution and A New Resolution are the second and third books in the Resolution series.

Rose’s debut novel Back to Resolution won the Bookseller’s Choice award at the 2012 CALEB Awards, while A New Resolution won the 2013 CALEB Prize for Fiction.

She has also released The Greenfield Legacy, a collaborative novel, written in conjunction with three other outstanding Australian authors. Rose resides in Mackay, North Queensland with her husband, young son, and mischievous pup, Noodle.

Visit Rose at: www.rosedee.com

Photo from www.lightstock.com

The How And Why Of Book Selection

by Dorothy Adamek

With the calendar year almost at a close and many of us sharing our top reads for 2014, I’m challenged to look at how I approach my reading list. 

I know many of you keep a To Be Read list of want to reads and must reads ... and so do I. One of my lists lives on my phone and another sits beside my bed in a very real, tottering pile. We all have them. 

But how do they evolve?

This year I’ve kept a list of all the books I’ve read, to test how I come across a book and why I decide to read it. So far, 27 books made it onto my list. More books than I read last year, but nowhere near as many as some of you voracious readers, I’m sure. There’s plenty more in that leaning tower of books I plan on getting into in the new year. 

But why... and can I as an author learn from my reader patterns?

Here’s what I’ve discovered so far.

1. I read more books recommended by someone I TRUST. 

This year, that’s been Rel Mollet. She runs the awesome book club I attend and 11 of the books I enjoyed were titles Rel recommended for our group, as well as friend to friend over lunch dates. After I’d read one of her recommendations, I knew I’d be pleased to read all the others. Some I’ve loved, others I’ve enjoyed loosely. All have challenged me in various ways and I don’t knock back anything shared by Rel because I trust she’ll find something just right for me. Her reading preferences are much like mine, and here’s the thing I learned from that. When a reader finds a trusted fellow reader, the power of word of mouth cannot be equalled.

2. I continue to read authors I’ve read and enjoyed BEFORE. 

I’m a loyal reader, so if there’s more in a collection I believe worth hunting down, I’ll find it. I’ve searched through second hand book stores to add to my stash of LaVyrle Spencer books because I’m a fan of her creative gift. Reading a LaVyrle Spencer book gives me a reader thrill as well as a lesson in fabulous storytelling. Miss Spencer hasn’t written since the 1980’s, so stylistically her writing isn’t always reflective of more advanced writing techniques, but I can forgive that because her stories grip me. And being able to turn off my internal editor and enjoy a book these days is no easy task. 

3. I read books I’ve been SENT. 

Personal relationships with authors via professional networking has resulted in my letter box being blessed by early copies of newly released books. Some of YOU, are these generous authors who have quietly snuck your books my way. And I’m so grateful! These titles get a fast pass to the front of the pile, because for me, knowing an author or meeting them in person makes the book a more desirable option.  

At the end of my experimental list keeping, I learned I am the sort of reader who responds best to the recommendation of others if it’s a face to face referral of someone I trust. 

I’m not one who bases too many of my choices on book reviews, although I know many use the reviewing method successfully for discovering new books and authors. 

I’m also someone who responds well to face to face relationships with authors and this engages my reader interest as well.

How about you?

What will best shape your 2015 book reading list?

Blessings,

Dotti 

Dorothy Adamek lives in Melbourne with her Beloved and their three gorgeous kids. 

She's the winner of the 2013 FHL ~ Touched By Love Competition, and is the 2104 Inspirational Category Winner of the TARA Writing Contest. 

Enamoured by all things 19th century, she writes The Heartbeat of Yesteryear, Historical Romance - Aussie style. Come say G'day at her blog, Ink Dots.