What's YOUR story?

It's been an exciting couple of months for me... starting with signing on with WildBlue Press to seeing the pieces of the publishing puzzle start to come together from edits to a title contest and off and running toward a cover design. It feels like I jumped the curb from the school zone to the NASCAR circle, but it's been one heck of a ride and I'm still flooring it with all I've got!

Yesterday something exciting happened. My very own bio page went live on my publisher's website. We've been all signed up and working toward this goal for a few months now but something about that made me feel rather official. Validated.

Silly, in a way, I suppose. It's not like having my backstory posted online means I've made it to the top, or any such nonsense. My book wont be releasing until the end of October and this was merely one more lap in the race. But I think it's special because I'm a story-teller. I tell stories about fictional people. Their struggles and triumphs. Their fears and aspirations. I love that I have a passion for it. I count myself privileged to have found something I love doing that I seem to not stink at, and even when I did, to still find enough love and joy in it to keep working to get better. :)

And yet, I forgot what a simple pleasure it is to tell a piece of my OWN story. I got to write a brief snapshot of my journey and others actually read it and cheered me on. People may think writing is a solitary venture, but while our laptop might often be our closest companion (though admittedly a pretty lousy conversationalist) most writers long for actual community. Not just to have a following of readers--sure it would be really nice if people actually read my book when it came out so I don't feel like a giant flopping failure. But like any other dream so closely tied to your heart, we need encouragement, congratulations, and commiseration. Sharing yourself in open forum for the world to pick and poke at can be a pretty intimidating thing. We realize not all books are for all people. Everyone has a different opinion and not everyone who reads my book is going to think I'm Houdini with words.

But to know that my story, MINE, encouraged someone? Made them smile or believe in themselves even just a smidgen more, well... it just makes me feel honored to be heard. To have a moment. A moment, maybe small to others, but big and wonderfully thrilling for this humble writer making strides toward a bigger goal.

If you want to read my story, it's here.... but I also want to read yours! It doesn't have to be long or eloquent, but it might just encourage someone else barely clinging to a dream.

So tell me about your dream... What's YOUR story?

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Amy Leigh Simpson is the completely exhausted stay-at-home mama to the two wild-child, tow-headed boys, one pretty little princess baby, and the incredibly blessed wife of her hunky hubby.

She writes Romantic Mystery chalked full of grace that is equally inspiring, nail-biting, and hilarious. And a little saucy! Okay fine, a lot saucy. :) She is a member of ACFW, and now uses her Sports Medicine degree to patch up daily boo-boos. Her greatest ambitions are to create stories that inspire hope, raise up her children to be mighty warriors for Christ, invent an all-dessert diet that works, and make up for years of sleep deprivation. 

Look for her debut novel due out this October with WildBlue Press!

Hello Characters, Please Be Charming

Have you ever looked at your main characters and thought, "If only I could make you more interesting"? I know I have, especially when I'm writing the first draft and still trying to figure out all the quirks of my main characters.

Pepper wrote an amazing post last week on a similar topic after attending Susan May Warren's course at the Blue Ridge Mountains Writers Conference. I loved her idea of interviewing your characters to get to know their deepest thoughts. What a great method to use to discover the lie your characters believe about themselves and how you can use that lie to shape the plot.

So let's say you've taken Pepper and Susie's advice, and you've peeled back those layers your main characters have. What is the next step? How do you convey those deeper levels in the story itself?

This is something I've struggled with in my own writing. My voice tends to be more humorous and lighthearted, so at times I have to really make a conscious effort to step back and add in those deeper elements to really hook the reader's emotions. So, I thought I'd make a list of strategies we can all take to really pull out those layers and convey them in our writing.

1) External structure should mirror your internal character arc. A great DVD set I recently ordered on this topic is The Hero's 2 Journeys by Chris Vogler and Michael Hauge. Try to make sure all your turning points allow us to see a change in your character's internal arc. Really use those turning points to ramp up the characters' emotion as well as the reader's empathy. On the same token, strategically choose turning points that will allow you to do this well. If your character is afraid of heights, put her engagement ring on the top of the Empire State Building. If she wants to be on Dancing with the Stars... well, you get the idea.

2) Be sure your characters' reactions are appropriate. Give your characters something to react to. Think of it this way: would you find a ten foot hole in the middle of the street? Probably not, unless the Creature from the Black Lagoon showed up. You might, however, find a small pothole. Your narrative is the same way. You can give readers little glimpses of that lie your characters believe, but be sure you give them a major moment in the plot before letting them fall into a giant emotional hole.

3) Use secondary characters (in addition to plot points) to generate emotion. Secondary characters are great because they give us a lot more leeway in what we can get away with, both with their personalities and subplots. They can make terrible choices or be hilarious, and these characteristics give us a lot to go off when adding dynamics to our main characters' story lines. So when it comes to secondary characters, be creative in how you develop their interactions with the leading ones. And also be creative in how you allow your main characters to react. Think of the friend who's in a bad relationship, the one who's too obsessed with her job, the one who's flying to Africa to chase a guy.

4) Above all use, follow your heart. Allen Arnold, previous VP of Thomas Nelson and now with Ransomed Heart, always emphasizes this point, and I love the blog he wrote on this topic recently. Though he, of course, uses much less frilly language than "following your heart" because, let's face it, that's kind of a southern belle thing to say. The point is, God has written certain ideas and themes on your heart and into your story. You might not even realize that yet, but they are there-- I promise-- just waiting to get out. These inspirational messages are unique to you, to your calling, and it's very important that you trust God to let that out. Your story matters. Your. Story. Matters. So let your characters show that truth.

On that same note, sometimes it's really easy to hide the deeper layers of our story because we are afraid of rejection. Rejection stings, doesn't it? And after a while, it can be really easy to hide behind all the critiques we've gotten over time. (Side note: surround yourself with people who encourage rather than discourage you when they challenge your writing.) But if we aren't willing to be vulnerable first to our characters and then to our audience, what kind of story do we really have? So be brave and believe in your calling. Some people might not like it or get it. That's okay. It's not their calling. And the only life you're accountable for living, the only story you're responsible for telling, is your own.

I want to hear from you! What are your thoughts? How do you deepen the characters in your writing? Do you have any questions or advice to share?

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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, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.