Into the Fire

The wonder of "story" . . . Authors who write novels perform that task in every way imaginable. Strict schedules, random organization, photographs, story boards, outlines, lists, rigid adherence to formulas for the genre, with abandon and disorder, written with paper and pen, laptops, personal computers, and probably many schemes I haven't even thought of. 

And the variations to get their book(s) "to market" can be an all-encompassing labor of love, but it will require significant labor.

The hardest one for me to write was my first saga. No telling why it turned out to be 744 pages! Inexperience primarily. Safe to say if I wrote it today, it wouldn't be near that long. But it's a learning process – no doubt about that. The second most difficult to write was Race, my singular mystery, because I was so concerned with making critical errors in the police procedural part of the story. Thankfully, the detective who helped me encouraged me more than even he knew, and I got it written. 

The beauty of stories is the inherent motivation to write them. They inevitably tell truths in all kinds of ways and touch hearts or elicit laughter or bring tears – all of which readers know to expect. Meaningful novels offer every kind of entertainment while contributing to life's experiences in a silent form – unless of course the "reader" listens to the story in audio form. 

Nine published and two unpublished novels later, one WIP, I know it's what I'm supposed to do, and that gives me the fulfillment I need.  

Father, again and again, thank you is never enough. Never will be. Thank you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.