Preparing Your Plot For His Rain

on freedigitalphotos.net by federico stevanin

I may not always be a plotter in my writing life, but I've often been a plotter in conversation. Come on, we all do it, I am sure. We think about what we are going to say next time we meet that hard-to-love person...decide what "zinger" we might spout off to defend ourselves, or what Scripture we might quote to pridefully convict someone...um...please say I am not the only one?

For the past three months, I have been in the Scripture on a daily basis more than ever before. I have developed a deeper prayer life, and have grown closer in my walk. It's funny, well...not-so-fun funny, how this season of rain in my spiritual walk has me dredging through the desert in my earthy one. In many areas of life. I choose not to expound, but some of you who know me, know what I am talking about.

on freedigitalphotos.net by chayathonwong2000

God is certainly working behind the scenes in this desert of mine, and when I face a whipping sandy wind or one of those "needs plotting out" conversations that I think I'm not prepared for, my reservoir from my spiritual rainy season, bubbles up and pours truth into my earthly desert--without my own plotting. A supernatural spring of words flows into my conversation that I never even knew was there.

And it comes from roots fully nourished in the prepared gardening (or Scripturally-sown) soil of my heart.

I think, sometimes, as writers, we over-plot--not necessarily our stories, but the truths we hope to show. They get scattered into our writing like seeds on rocky soil, little nuggets we may have read or know in our head.  But is it what God has sown deeply in our hearts to blossom in our words for purposeful truths according to HIS PLAN?

on freedigitalphotos.net by adamr

Do you know what I mean?

Do you sit and write a story fully trusting God to pour out the truth HE WANTS TO SHOW in your words, or have you pre-conceived truth that will play out in your story?

In my recent encounters in the desert of life, God has presented conversations that have pulled truth from my heart through my lips that I didn't even realize was significant when I read it earlier in His Scripture...

BUT IT WAS FOR A TIME SO PERFECTLY PLOTTED BY MY GOD!

I crave the next time He allows for this harvest to occur in my life. But, I also hope that He meets me on the pages of my story.

How do we even hope for this in our writing?

First, just as we do for real life circumstance, we must prepare the soil of our heart, saturate it with Scripture on a daily basis.

Second, we must listen. We must listen to the growing murmurs of our heart (um...the Holy Spirit??) during every sentence we write. We must not be stuck in our own plotting scheme, but wait upon the more effective plotting of our Lord.

on freedigitalphotos.net by winnond

Have you ever read a book that presents a nice glossy sheen of God's truth on the surface of a well-plotted story? How about a book that tills deeply, and magnificently sprouts a thriving vine of fruit without any gloss, but with the glistening dew of God's truth reborn?

Let's not just write to be read, but write prepared for His rain on a plot uniquely planted to become a rich garden of His truth.

What truths do you hope to weave into your stories? 

Has God ever changed the words you planned to write, to reveal a truth deeper than you plotted?

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Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous, mothering days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across historical cultures and social boundaries. Angie is an ACFW member and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Dazzling Obscurity

As fiction writers we enjoy mixing words into a scrumptious story that entices readers to read our books again.  Our books are dog-eared, worn, passed on to friends, and resold.  What makes best sellers as enticing as Jacob's stew?

I recently chose to enter a historical fiction contest for tweens.  I facebooked a few of my former students and asked what part of history intrigued them.  They chatted for a few days then messaged me back, "the Civil War." 

Great topic, maybe.  A bit overdone. How could I write anything fresh?  

I asked my husband, who must have read every Civil War book in print, if he knew any obscure fact.  He smiled. "I read somewhere that the Battle of Gettysburg happened because of a pair of new shoes."  Perfect. I set out to prove it.  

I drove to used book stores, libraries, waded through my husband's collection, researched my high school daughter's AP US history textbook, and of course, read numerous sites on the Internet to gleam every detail and point of view offered on this topic.  Conclusion:  yes, the confederates gathered in Gettysburg because they heard there were new shoes and boots. Unfortunately for them, the Union also happened that way.

I wanted to picture the city of Gettysburg at the time.  Most maps included the battlegrounds, but I wanted the town proper.  Days and days of research later, I learned the booming town of Gettysburg had only ten streets.  

My last question wrapped around one I had mistakenly woven into my story before gathering proof. Several resources implied, a couple downright stated there was a shoe factory in the town.  I contacted the chairman for Civil War studies at Gettysburg University.  Sadly, he said Gettysburg did not have a shoe factory, the rumors were incorrect.  Gettysburg was the "Detroit of the time. It had a carriage factory."

I'm glad I spoke with him before submitting my work!  I tweaked the story, put in the carriage factory, and left in the Confederates desire for shoes.

Obscure details make our stories fresh.  The unexpected detail will catch the reader's eye, hopefully that reader is an editor.

BUT readers expect to find truth in fiction.  Abraham Lincoln can't cut down cherry trees, and St. Valentine cannot deliver Christmas packages.  Readers notice if a story states or illudes to a person or event incorrectly. 

I'd like to mention a few more resources and methods to find the obscure detail in my next post. Until then, what obscure detail did you find and/or write into your WIP?  Don't forget to include those trips to UK, Africa, etc!