Introducing: No Mere Mortals

Of course it would not be hard to guess, seeing as I nearly handed the news to you on a silver platter, but yes. I am toe-deep in a new novel. At 6,000+ words already, which comes out to about 26 Word document pages. Not an amazing distance into a new novel--hardly begun, really, but I am excited. I put off telling you for a while because I wanted to be sure it would stick. But I really think it will. I have a definite goal in mind for what I want this book to be and that is one of the first things one must have in planning a new novel. Furthermore, I intend to write it, which is a boon itself. So without further discussion, I'll give you a brief overview of the book:

Gregory Abbot is a young man with swag, class, and money. He wears nothing that isn't immaculately tailored, and tolerates nothing less than perfection in his dealings with the rest of the world. When his father-figure is dying of stomach cancer, Gregory promises to take care of "her," meaning the yacht he had often joined the older man on in vacations. But when Barnaby Harcourt dies and Gregory goes to the reading of the will, he discovers he's gained a strange and entirely foreign inheritance: a young deaf girl--Harcourt's illegitimate granddaughter--who doesn't even know American sign-language and who is entirely incapable of doing anything extraordinary.
Saddled with the sudden responsibilities of a father, and scrambling to keep his reputation as a well-known theatre-critic, Gregory hires a girl named Aura Sweeney to keep the little girl and teach her sign-language. What he doesn't know is that Aura only took the job because she has aspirations to be a Broadway star and knew she could get a foot through the back-door if she worked for a famous theatre-critic. The problem? Her voice isn't good enough for a stage career. Gregory Abbot now finds himself surrounded by perfectly "ordinary" people--the sort he's avoided and ignored his whole life. In fact, his whole world is tumbling down around his ears, reshaped by a God he's only just acknowledged and is more than a little suspicious of.

I have more of it planned out, but I'm certainly not going to spill it right now. That would ruin the book for you, wouldn't it? I plan to tantalize you all through the writing of No Mere Mortals. I am already quite fond of these characters. So far I've only met Gregory, Anders--Gregory's chauffer and surrogate conscience, Brian Chapman, a lawyer, and Winnie--the deaf girl.

Gregory has made me want to hurl him across the room many times. He's just downright weird. Arrogant, a perfectionist, OCD about his clothes, addicted to Altoids, and scared of hospitals. He's a total basket-case. I love Winnie, and she's never said a word. It's amazing. I love Anders too, and I cannot wait to get to Aura's part. It's going to be awesome to introduce her to you! If you have any questions about No Mere Mortals, leave them in a comment below, and if they aren't too revealing, I'll answer them in another post!

“What…have I…” he paused to clear the crackling in his throat. “…inherited?”

Instead of answering, Brian walked to a door in the ornate paneling on the other side of the room, and opened it. A little girl stood there, dressed in a pair of jeans and a candy-striped shirt. So not her size. Gregory winced. The child stared at him with the largest, bluest eyes he’d ever seen. Her lips were chapped, and her hair in a lop-sided ponytail. Brian settled a beefy hand on her hair and laughed shortly. “I’m not much of a hair-dresser, I guess.”

“You are infallibly correct, Chapman.”

“Well.” Brian bent his knees, then stood upright again.

“Well what?”

“Don’t you have any questions?”

Cold. A block of ice between his temples. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

“Then shoot.”

What,” Gregory eyed the child up and down. “is this?”

-No Mere Mortals

A Guessing Game

Would anyone like to guess what this...

...and this graphic I made...

...and this quote..

"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, exploit. Immortal horrors or everlasting splendours."-C.S. Lewis.

....have in common?

Captivate Me

While looking through a stack of old family pictures yesterday, I found evidence that I've always been what you might call a book-devourer...

Yep. 

That's me! Haven't changed a bit in that respect. 

So! What do you say we have a caption contest? Yep. Just for random kicks and giggles and wanting-to-see-how-your-improv.-skills-work. Just leave your caption or two in a comment below and I'll pick three of my favorites and put them up on a poll. Ready?

Oops. The cat's outta the bag.

It is a maxim with me--or pra'aps a mixim (or pra'aps both)--that a writer must have a cat. I'm sorry, but the two go together. Your desk is not complete unless you have a cat draped behind the computer monitor, or in your lap, or across your neck. Honestly! I do not think it is going too far to think that genius and cats are not entirely unrelated. Besides--cats are the ideal complaining-to companions. They would complain to you if they could speak English, so they don't mind you complaining to them. Whether they listen or not is unclassified information. We aren't told, as the Bible has absolutely nothing to say about cats, far as I can tell. In Fly Away Home, Calida Harper's cat, Nickleby, is definitely a main side-character. We first meet him here:

Nickleby wound himself in and out and around my feet. I waded through him feeling that he must be at least six creatures instead of a single portly one, and slung my purse, hat, and shoes onto the worn sofa. “It’s happened Nickleby—I’ve got a chance to make it big in the glossies.” I picked my cat up and buried my nose in his soft black fur.

It is, perhaps, telling that Nickleby figures so largely in the plot. Callie cannot think through a thing without discussing it with Nickleby. He gives her advice. He makes pert comments. Honestly, now. I'm not making this up. Just try it. You can understand a cat if you take the time to listen to what all those blinks and mews and tail-tossing means.

All of this is simply to say, I thought it time I introduced you to the cats hereabouts, including pictures. Ready? Oui? Okay.

Cricket

You have met her in a previous post, but I cannot say enough. She was chosen as a gift for my fifteenth birthday after Dad finally succumbed to 13 years' begging. In her dotage, she has turned to playing "Bagheera" all day long and sneaking out nights, only to come back chilled to the bone. I think it's her strong Siamese strain that gives her this wanderlust. She's very proper, but is not against being held upside down, or playing Mink Stole on occasion. This is convenient for me in the wintertime. I am fairly certain that if Cricket was a person, she'd look rather like this:

...only a wee bit baggy around the waist, courtesy of over-much lounging about in between playing "Bagheera." She is fond of cheese. And cold P.G. Tips tea with cream and sugar. I do not jest. 

Our cousins over the field made me mortally jealous by adopting two kittens and leaving a third that I could not have, though I would have named her Spitfire. Please don't get me started. I wanted that kitten and to have to leave her at the farm with the name Betsy for the rest of her life gave me a headache.

Moving on.

These are a few of the cousins, and these are the two Gorgeous Ones.

Buttons is the girl, and rather feisty. And oh so befluffed and befurred.

And Todd. The laid back Sir-Percy-esque one. 

*le sigh* Aren't they adorable?

The newbies on the block are absolutely kissable, and though there appears to be a total dearth of writers in the household just yet, their Aunt Rachel will certainly come to borrow them on occasion. They are so terribly fluffy. I have yet to learn their total personalities, as I don't see them as often as I'd like. Still. Where there are kittens there are stories, so I'm sure I'll be able to give you a good report or two come a couple months from now.

In other news, I am going to have a Big Surprise for you all later on this week, so please stay tuned! Also, please return in the next few days to vote on the Re-Christening of Fly Away Home poll which I'll have up shortly!

Here lie the mortal remains of....

Au Contraire

{At least temporarily}

Sometimes you will have a beautiful plot for a story--a plot that is actually worthwhile, well thought out, and over-the-average exciting. You have well-rounded characters and a great setting. You have readers excited about the idea of this new book, and are all ready to write it. And when you sit down....the passion is lacking.

Teen auther Rachel Coker recently posted on Go Teen Writers about when to give up on a story. The whole topic scares the pididdle out of me, personally, because I hate thinking of giving up on a story. After all, I love my stories, I pour a lot of time and thought into them, and saying "never mind" seems like a sign of great weakness. It's even harder when you still love the story but it just isn't working out.

Is it okay to lay it aside for a time?

Or forever?

These are questions I've been mulling over since last writing about Au Contraire on this blog. Many of you are excited about Au Contraire and cannot wait to hear more about it. Perhaps it is my fault for writing too soon of a new project that I had hardly begun. But the truth is, after reading a beautiful historical romance (The Sound of Diamonds) written by my good friend, Rachelle Rea, I realized that sweeping, historical dramas/romance is not my territory. I got so excited over The Scarlet-Gypsy Song and Fly Away Home. I never tired of talking about them, writing them, and blogging about them. They were stories that captured me.
When people bring up Au Contraire, my stomach clenches and I put on my "I just met you and I hope you like me anyway" smile and explain what the plot is and why its great and what I love about it, and the whole time I know I'm trying to convince myself as much as them. This is why I say that I think I need to give it a sabbatical.

I don't want you to take this the wrong way. I think Au Contraire is a book with a killer plot, awesome characters, and great potential. But it is not my voice. I have worked hard to find my natural writing voice and have carved somewhat of a niche out of this corner of the world with my own distinctive style. I have written in several genres and there is a coherent thread running through all of them: my voice.

I knew I'd found my voice when I realized that my children's historical fiction, my mid-grade fantasy, and my adult inspirational romance all have a similar flavor. They are for completely different audiences, yet there is a certain something about them that marks them with Rachel's Goods. This is so exciting--it's a huge step in being a writer. Knowing your voice. It's like discovering that you have remarkably blue eyes or a gorgeous nose. (What? Noses are important to me! I don't care for mine.) The whole idea of Au Contraire balances on a careful point of drama, precision, emotion, and wit. I've got the wit, a bit of emotion, and a fair amount of precision, but I am not a drama-writer. This is what was getting to me. I would write a bit of Au Contraire, look at it and think, "This is good. But it's not me." You've no idea how vexing that is--realizing an idea doesn't fit, and having to bury it for a while.
For a while.
I'm not saying that I'll be through with it forever. I'm not even saying that I won't work on it at all. It's just that I don't think it's right to spend all my energy, time, and thought on a project that isn't fitting at this time. It wouldn't be honest to myself, as dramatic as that sounds. To put it quite plainly, it would be ridiculous. Think about it: a project I don't have a passion for, taking up every spare moment of my time, and every square inch of my brain? Is it wise? As sappy as it sounds, if my heart isn't in it, should I be wasting my time?

This is where I have to add a caveat: I feel better about laying this novel aside for the time being because I have ruled out three of what I call the "dangers of quitting."

1. This isn't my first novel. I'm not ten pages into my maiden attempt at authoring and thinking, "I can't do this." I've completed five novels total--three very presentable ones, and have other pieces in various stages of being. I would caution first-time authors about abandoning ship. You have to have a certain level of maturity and stick-to-tive-ness to be able to make this decision.

2. This wasn't inspired by another plot bunny hammering at the door. Although I do have several ideas and one "beginning" I was already considering what to do about Au Contraire. Remember, I've already laid it aside once on trial, then came back. No cigar.

3. I have thought about it and looked at it from all angles. I've thought about it from a professional point of view, (i.e. "What am I doing writing a book that isn't even my style?") I've thought about it from a personal angle, (i.e. "Am I trying to write like someone else?") I've thought about it from a creative angle, (i.e. "Could I write it in my own voice and make it work?") and all the answers point back to this: I need to lay it aside.

So. That being said, I am very sorry for having talked so much about a thing before seeing if it was a good fit for me. That's terribly unprofessional, and if I ever am going to be a published author, I can't be making pie-crust promises. Will you forgive me that?

Let me reiterate:

Au Contraire is not dead for good. At least not yet.

I do have a replacement idea. Several, actually.

And I will keep you updated.

Pax? All right. So now it's your turn to speak. Have you ever had to lay a project aside? What caused you to do it? Was it quitting, or making a thought-out decision? What would you change?

Happy 114th!

Today we are having a birthday party on this blog. Why? Why? Good grief, my dear friends! Because it is C.S. Lewis' 114th birthday, and if I forget to celebrate his birthday, I might as well forget to celebrate my own!
Ever since Mama would read us the Chronicles of Narnia...ever since watching the old BBC film versions...ever since I was first introduced to the marvelous idea of a forest in the back of a wardrobe, I have loved Lewis. Narnia was the only make-believe land I cared for. So many many times can I recall playing at Narnia on the hill behind our house, sometimes creeping into the solemn, stern cluster of woods called "Doxey Park" with the solitary lamppost standing sentinel at one side. We made daggers. We shot bows and arrows.
Then I grew older and I realized--with a delighted wriggle--the second level to Lewis' writings: the beautiful, poignant truths woven so inextricably through his words that it hurts in a good way to read them. I expanded from my narrow circle of the Chronicles of Narnia and read The Screwtape Letters....Surprised by Joy....biographies of this man...and what a man he was. To celebrate, below I've compiled some of my favorite  quotes along with pictures of this wonderful Christian brother, or things that remind me of him! Huzzah!

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." -C.S. Lewis

"A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest."

 -C.S. Lewis

"I'm on Aslan's side, even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia." -C.S. Lewis The Silver Chair

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

-C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity

“I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”

-C.S. Lewis

“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”

-C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity

Sarah and I as the White Witch and the Lady of the Green Kirtle 

“It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?"

"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.

"Are -are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.

"I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.” 

-C.S. Lewis The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

“You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve," said Aslan. "And that is both honour enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.”

-C.S. Lewis Prince Caspian

Happy 114th Birthday, dear old Jack! We are forever grateful for your sense of humor, your wisdom, your love for Christ, and your brilliant books! Three Cheers or Lewis! Who's with me?

the eternal appetite of infancy

Once in a while you will happen across a quote from a person that knocks the wind out of you, it's so fantastic. Chesterton often does that to me. I've never read anything of his whole, but just the brief glimpses of glory I see in his quotations are astounding. This one no less than the others. 

Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, 'Do it again'; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again," to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again," to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we." -G.K. Chesterton

May God grant all of us His eternal appetite for infancy. This quote set me to thinking really hard about how I view "monotonous" tasks in my life. I hope and pray I may never lose sight of this perspective.