Are You Keeping a Healthy Heart?

Today is all about hearts-- disappointment, triumph, and keeping perspective in it all.

Photo by mapichai, at freedigitalphotos.net

Turn on the TV, drive down the street, or walk through a grocery aisle, and you're going to get bombarded with messages about having a healthy heart. Take rom com movies, for example. Why is it all the leading heroines seem to be joggers? Do these writers and producers get their best ideas on their own morning jogs or something? Then there are the endless conversations about trans fats, butter, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc., etc., etc.

What we don't talk about nearly as frequently is the condition of our writers' hearts. Which is unfortunate, because if you're human, and you're a writer, you're going to have a struggle-of-the-heart at one point or another. And more than likely, this struggle will happen daily.

Our poor writers' hearts are constantly being bombarded, and it's usually with disappointment. Maybe you were really hoping to final in a contest (*ahem*), and you didn't make the cut. Or maybe your dream editor has been looking at your heart story, and rejected it without any feedback. Or maybe you're just plain discouraged. Maybe you've been doing this a long time, and . . . well, you feel like you've had to give up investing your heart in your stories just to survive the struggles of the publishing journey.

This past week, I stumbled upon an audio recording by Robin Jones Gunn from a writing workshop she taught in Africa. You can find it here in her online store. It's a steal at only a few dollars, and I can't recommend this recording enough.

In this workshop, Robin uses Psalm 51:10 as the cornerstone of her teaching: "Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Now, we've all heard that verse before--probably hundreds of times. But have we ever really allowed it to sink in to our hearts as writers?

Robin uses the illustration of our stories being like a cup of water that is offered to readers, and really, to God. At first, that cup of cold water sounds really appealing--especially if you're in a parched place in life. But imagine tossing in just a few grains of dirt and sand. Maybe a little pepper and spice. Suddenly, the glass of water doesn't seem so appealing any longer. Even if there's only a little dirt inside, who wants to drink that?

 rakratchada torsap at freedigitalphotos.net

And yet, that's exactly what we do when we sit down to write with bitterness in our hearts. With unforgiveness, envy, pride, and anger as our company. Even if these things have no apparent, direct bearing on our stories, they will naturally and inevitably "come out" in the water. That's because writing as a ministry is different from other types of writing. It takes all of us, all of our hearts. And in that way, it becomes a form of worship.

So let me ask you again. Are you keeping a healthy heart?

Or have you allowed bitter things to take refuge inside?

See, when things happen to us that seem to justify our response, this whole process gets really hard. Because sometimes people really do hurt us. Sometimes they really do let us down, in a big way. And it's easy to feel like we have a right to be mad.

If we're not careful, we begin to compare ourselves to others. Maybe we envy them. Or maybe we think they took our spot in the next-to-be-published line.

Or perhaps it's not an actual person who threatens your dream as a writer. Maybe it's the seemingly- elusive goal of being a bestseller. Or maybe it's a family member or friend who has hurt you and let you down, weakening your resolve to keep writing.

After a while of responding these sorts of challenges, a couple things happen. Either we just begin to give up, or we keep going-- harboring in our hearts little bits of frustration, disappointment, and bitterness we've picked up along the way. So we begin to write with a little bit of dirt in the water, muddying the message God has given us.

But God has called us to so much more.

Romans 2 says we have no right to give these sorts of things free living space in our hearts, because God has forgiven each of us for so much more. Just as the Biblical debtor who was forgiven, then went out and collected the smallest of debts for his own gain, we so often forget the vastness of God's grace in our lives. We are not our own measuring stick. Grace is the measuring stick. And thank God for that.

God has given you a story that only you can tell. If you get so caught up in contests and rejection letters and the comparison game that you forget to listen to the voice of God, the world will lose out.
Your future readers will lose out. Because no one else can tell your story.

So if you find yourself in a position where the water of your heart is a bit murky, or perhaps all-out mud --and really, aren't we all in that position?-- the remedy is simple. Pray. Ask God to create in you a clean heart. Ask Him again and again every time you begin to write. Because the ministry of writing is a mighty calling. And readers deserve nothing short of the whole, beautiful story God has put in your heart.

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Ashley Clark writes romance with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.

A Hallmark Formula

http://itsawonderfulmovie.blogspot.com

I don't know about you, but I'm more of a 'movie' person than a 't.v' person. I love to sit back from the beginning and watch a story develop, climax, and come to a happily-ever-after end.
When my husband bought Direct TV for the first time a few months ago, he asked what top 3 channels I wanted to pick for me.
My answers?
1. BBC
2. History
3. Hallmark

When I watch a Hallmark movie, it's like reading the BEST LoveInspired novels out there. A Happily-Ever-After every time. And right now, with the Christmas season in full swing, it's Hallmark romances around the clock :-)

But what is it that makes Hallmark movies so popular, notable...and if you look at the fact that they have their own station and well over 100 movies...successful?
A good formula.

I know some people might think Hallmarks are sappy, overly emotional, and maybe pretty simplistic.

Sometimes, maybe they are.
But at the heart of Hallmark movies, is the EMOTIONAL drive and connection to the characters - which (as authors) is what we should be striving to create in our novels.

I don't watch Hallmarks to have my heart twisted until tears spring from my eyes, but I watch them for the simple pleasure of smiling at the end - of going on a journey. You know, like the Christmas commercials that are all sentimental, but you love watching them every year any way?

Hallmark movies are in many ways predictable, but that can also be one of the draws for them. We go in to 'feel good'. We're usually rewarded :-)

So let's get to the formula:
Hallmarks (especially the romantic ones) almost always provide 3 things:
1. A happily-ever-after
2. Character growth
3. Emotion

And like every story worth it's tale, hallmark movies provide moving conflict and resolution. The conflict sometimes spans deep issues, and sometimes it's simplistic misunderstandings.

But all of those aspects (except maybe the HEA) are what make a story work.

A solid character arc, conflict that moves the story along, and deepset emotions that help us identify with the characters are the perfect trio to storymaking.

Hallmark movies also follow the 3-act story structure really well  :-)

One of my favorite Hallmarks is The Magic of Ordinary Days. It's a sweet, WWII era novel about a 'fixed' marriage between a pregnant city- preacher's daughter and a tender-hearted farmer. Does it follow a formula?

1. City girl gets off the train and goes directly to marry quiet farmer and then moves out to his farm (which is MILES away from any town). Conflict? You betcha

2. City girl keeps writing the father of the child she's carrying, in the hopes he will come and sweep her off her feet again, while she tries to sort out life on the farm (she can't cook). Longing and emotional connection? While the farmer's tenderness and his desire to show her what love is, begins to widdle away at her doubts, conflict continues.
The back and forth of every story begins...should I keep writing my former lover? Shouldn't I? Should I trust my growing feelings for the farmer? Shouldn't I? Should I run away from this horrible mistake of a marriage? Shouldn't I?

3. The opportunity to leave and return to her former life presents itself. She is also given the opportunity to keep her newfound friend from making the same mistake with a rake as the city-girl had done.

Ending? She realizes how much the farmer really loves her just as they welcome their new baby into the world. :-) She's discovered what true love is and it's changed her into the person she's become.

Beautiful 3 act structure.

I just finished watching a Hallmark Christmas movie called A Princess for Christmas. Is it a little cheesy? Yep, sure is. Is it cute? Yep, sure is.
Does it follow the formula? Definitely.

1. A young woman, Jules, with guardianship of her neice and nephew loses her job. Already strapped for money, an opportunity arrives to spend Christmas with her wealthy brother-in-law's estranged father, the Duke of Castleberry Hall.

2. She is forced to 'walk through this first door' into Castleberry Hall because the grandfather was 'supposedly' ill and the Jules had no money to spend on her neice and nephew for Christmas anyway. The threesome arrive in Castleberry, only to find the grumpy grandfather doesn't want to celebrate Christmas and is even rude to his only surviving son. The son, Ashton, begins to take an interest in Jules and the kids, and the Duke's view of Christmas and life begins to soften. But....conflict comes in the form of Ashton's girlfriend and Jules' own low self-perception. The back and forth of the Act 2 goes into full swing...feelings evolving, doubts rising and falling...

3. Instead of running away from the Christmas Ball and her feelings for Ashton, a Christmas miracle brings her to the ball and into the arms of a waiting 'prince'.

Just curious - what are some of your favorite 'seasonal' Hallmark movies? I've listed a few below, not necessarily my favorites, but a few to get you started :-) What are some of the reasons you like (or dislike) Hallmark movies?

I just finished watching On the Second Day of Christmas (with Mark Ruffalo) and it's CUTE!

The Courageous Heart of Irene Sandler (tough one to watch...whew), A Dog Named Christmas, The most Wonderful Time of the Year, The Note, Holiday Engagement, A Christmas Kiss, The Christmas Card
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Pepper D. Basham writes contemporary and historical romances set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and North Carolina. As a pastor's wife, mom of five, and speech-language pathologist, she clings to chocolate for her sweet-tooth, Jazz for her calm, humor for sanity, and Jesus for her...everything. She is represented by Nicole Resciniti of The Mary Seymour Agency. You can find out more about Pepper at her website - www.pepperbasham.com

Blue Ridge Mountain Romance peppered with grace and humor.

The Heart of the Author and The Heart of the Story

Authors are brave. I mean, very, very brave. You have to have a unique kind of heart to be a writer, or at least, to be a good one. On the one hand, you have to feel deeply. You must be compassionate, sensitive, even empathetic, to craft characters whose stories resonate with readers. You must care deeply enough to stick with a story until page three-hundred and twenty-two, through all the zingers that come along the way. You must have something deep in your core, a calling, that holds you to to task and pushes you toward your goal. You must, in other words, feel in order to be a good artist.

On the other hand, unless you are writing strictly for our own sake, your story must inevitably stand on its however-wobbly little newborn feel and step out into the real world of readers. That world is scary sometimes because it carries rejection, it carries disappointment, it carries doubt, and sometimes it carries straight-out pain.

Today I want to talk about the ever-important, ever-difficult-to-discern line we all must find between these two things, between compassion and the inevitability of writing as a business. I think it's important we take time to flesh out the space in between the two, especially as conference season approaches and we're all bound to face at least some measure of disappointment.

I don't know about you, but I think writing honestly, deeply, with feeling, is a struggle. I can't tell you how many times I have e-mailed my fellow Alley Cat Angie in the last two weeks with updated versions of my pitch or one sheet because I keep panicking over it, wanting my pitch to be the best it possibly can. Do you feel that way too sometimes? I think this kind of anxiety is normal when you've become so invested in a dream or goal. But we have to be so careful that we don't allow our fears of rejection to cloud our heart for a project.

What I mean is that we always, always must write from our hearts if we expect to write anything worthwhile. It's so much easier to detach ourselves from our writing and never experience the sting of rejection, is it not? But whenever we write a story that is close to us, whenever we craft a heroine who's struggles we truly understand, who's pain we actually feel, we take a risk. If she is rejected, does a little part of us not feel rejected also? But what benefit is to to the reader if we refuse to be brave enough to give them stories that we feel? How do we expect the reader to then feel anything, to be moved by the story, if we are not even moved by it ourself? Now, I'm not saying your stories have to be biographical. They don't have to be true or have happened to you. In fact, probably better if they haven't actually happened to you. But they need to live somewhere in you. You need to be able to imagine how your heroine might feel when she faces her greatest fear, and a little part of you, when you think about that playing out, should feel that fear yourself in the same way your heart would hurt over the trials of a good friend. Your characters, your plot arc, your narrative--they should all reflect your deeper heart and calling for the novel. That is how you find your writing voice.

Now let's say you've successfully done this. You've poured your heart and soul into a book and turned off those voices of inner doubt. You've worked with your critique partner and have squeezed every last bit of vulnerability out of your own heart and into the work.

That means it's time to let go. Going back to that wobbly-knees idea, it's time to let your story have a chance, to struggle, in the world. At this point in the process, you have to learn to detach yourself from any criticism, constructive or otherwise, that you might receive. You must turn your back on your own story, difficult as it might seem, so you can instead turn toward improvement. The neat thing about writing is that there is no perfect writer. There is always room for a story, for an author, to improve, and one of the best ways of achieving that is by exposing yourself to feedback from editors, critique partners, and even contests. I'm not saying you should listen to everything everybody tells you. I am saying you should listen sometimes. Surround yourself with people who believe in you as a writer, who "get" your vision for your writing and whose advice you can trust, and then trust them.

I know it may feel like your story is already the way it should be, that you made decisions like where the story starts or why a particular character has certain quirks for a reason. But what if you started at chapter three instead? What if you paired down some of your descriptions to make the dialogue flow faster? Things like this can only be found through keeping an open mind and being willing to let go of your original intentions for the story. Remember that we will never be able to see the larger picture in a story if we won't take our eyes off the first draft.

Here are some things to keep in mind about rejection and difficult feedback.

Rejection is...

• Change
• Challenging
• Subjective
• Inevitable
• Character-building (pun intended!)

Rejection might be...

• Helpful
• Part of a larger picture
• Wrong (plenty of authors are rejected only to find success with that same project--just look what happened with The Shack!)
• Temporary
• A source of self-doubt and fear, if left unchecked
• The single-most reason writers give up

Rejection is not...

• Personal
• A reason to give up
• A reflection of your heart for the book
• Reason to give up writing

To get a different perspective on all of this, I asked my friend Amanda Luedeke of the MacGregor Agency her advice for authors who are struggling to find that distinction between the vulnerability of the writing process itself and taking rejection too seriously.

She said, "People just need to realize that not everyone is going to like your book... just like there are people who love Twilight, and others who hate it. People who love Dickens, Jane Austen, and Tolkein, and others who don't. The industry is subjective. It's nothing personal."

I thought that was such good advice, and especially helpful to hear when it's coming from a literary agent. So as you're gearing up for the conference, be encouraged. Your calling as a writer is so much bigger than any rejection or hardships you might face. Remember to see the big picture and hold fast to God's plans for you. They are always greater than our own.

It can be so difficult to stay balanced instead of 1) taking criticism too harshly or 2) writing from a place outside of our heart in an attempt to protect our feelings. How do you manage these two things effectively? What thoughts do you have on dealing with constructive criticism, even rejection, in a way that allows you to keep pressing on? (I.e. Hitting up the Godiva store.)

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Ashley Clark writes romantic comedy with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook,Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.