Best Birthday Ever!

Photo by blickpistol @ pixabay.com

Shhh...do you hear it? Do you feel it? It is almost Christmas and the anticipation of celebration is in the air. You may be frantic with last minute shopping or brushing the sweat off your brow as you pull the last batch of cookies out of the oven, but at some point you, too, will stop long enough to breathe and be touched by the spirit of Christmas.

Being with family, eating mountains of food, and ripping the wrapping off of presents brings a joy that creates memories for years to come. All the work is finished and now you can relax and just enjoy the day of celebration.

After all, it is a birthday party.

It's easy to forget that many years ago a small baby was born and laid in a manger. Wrapped in swaddling clothes protecting him from the prickly straw, his parents looked upon him with love and wonder. Wonder at the miracle before them. A miracle that was wrought by God and bestowed upon the whole world.

This miracle child was... and is... the Savior of the world.

God with us. Among us. Within us.

As we prepare for the holiday, let us not forget that Monday is a celebration day. It's party-time! It's the best birthday the world has ever seen!

So have fun. Love on your family. And may you end the year with thanksgiving and praise for the One who came to love you and those all around you.

Merry Christmas!

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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother to 4 children. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories.

You can connect with her through:

Personal blog: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda

The Day Your Character Was Born

a broken relationship
an article
a memory
a “what if” fear
a notice in the doctor’s office
a line I read in a book

What does each of the above represent? The beginning of my novels—the instigator behind the first moment my characters morphed into being inside my mind. As all writers know, ideas can geyser from anywhere. A road sign, a reminder from your dentist, a ladybug lifting to flight, the old couple slapping each other’s cheeks as they walk down the street (avoiding the cliché of holding hands here). Anywhere.

You’re here because you write. Have you ever given much thought to where the seed of your idea generated? Did the way the mailman lingered two seconds too long inspire your climactic crime scene? Was the story your friend recounted about the way she first met her husband so beautiful it leapt from a conversation to one of your romantic plots?

Much like the elated and terrified feeling you experience when you bring your swaddled newborn over your Welcome mat, characters also have their own homecoming.

I’ve been a little sentimental about births lately. All three of my girls have turned a year older this week. Can you say birthdays on the mind? People asked me what my goals were for this month (a natural question to ask on the heels of New Year resolutions). I answered with a quick birthdays and finish novel. I’m only 1K from the finish line of my novel and I have one birthday yet to whoop and holler for.

Have a little fun with this one and share how one of your characters was born…

photos from Flickr

You Say It's Your Birthday?

Sherrinda here...and it's my birthday. Now I LOVE birthdays. LOVE THEM! I love the cake, the ice cream, the presents, and all the fun. It is a day where it's okay that it's all about ME! But this one is bugging me for some strange reason. Turning 40 was no big deal. I embraced it, and felt free to let loose and be me. This 45th year puts me closer to 50 and people... that is half a century. Maybe I will feel really wise by that time. Maybe...

But what about our characters? How many books have you read where the hero or heroine had a birthday? I can't really think of any, to be honest. Many of us use character charts for character building and we give our character a birth date. But what is the purpose of a birthday? 

For one thing, you know your character's age. Obviously, this is an important fact. I had a story idea once where I wanted my 20-something character have hippie parents. Well, hippies were from the 1960's. If my character's parents got married in the late 60's and had my character as late as 1970, it put my character in her 40's. You gotta know your character's birthday to have her at the right age and coordinate well with minor characters. 

We can use birthdays to show more about our character. Say your heroine got dumped by her fiance on her birthday. Birthdays could always be a reminder of love lost. What if your hero won a million dollars on his 20th birthday. Birthdays could be a time spent in casinos, gambling away that million, trying to win even more. (Of course, in writing for CBA, this would be backstory.) There are  a lot of ways to add depth to your character through birthdays.

What about incorporating birthdays into our own books? You could have a heroine who has always experienced a surprise party on her birthday, yet in your book she does not. She opens doors expecting to find a room full of friends screaming "Surprise", only to be disappointed in the silence that greets her. Think of the fun you could have with the internal journey of your character in learning that life is not "all about her" and people still love her regardless of how many parties she has.

You could have your orphaned heroine, who never celebrated birthdays in a big way, be overwhelmed when the hero throws her a huge party loaded with presents. The hero could go to great lengths with outrageous and extravagant party plans...all to show his love. 

Birthdays can be used in so many ways. For good. For ill. What about the villain? He/she has birthdays. What  kinds of things could you do with a villain's birthday? Give me some creative ideas. Or share about your favorite birthday.

Sherrinda