Ok. You've got your story plot. You're familiar with your characters. You've successfully come up with a back cover blurb. And you even know its hook. Now, what about its theme? Hm, that takes some thinking through.

Maybe that's not mandatory, but a publisher just may ask this, What is the spiritual theme? Or, what is the plot theme? When you think about it, all stories do have a theme, whether planned or not. Just as an example, the other night I suffered through a Clint Eastwood film my hubby was watching. And as with nearly all his movies, the theme jumped out...RETRIBUTION. Those baddies are gonna get it in the end!

As Christian writers, maybe we'd use something similar, but in another form, e.g. consequences of evil. And we'd usually combine it with hope, forgiveness, or redemption.
In my first book, Fire in the Rock, the theme of opals was threaded through the whole story. And I didn't even plan it that way. Ah-hah. Beginners luck. With the next book, I'd finished the first draft and still didn't know. Yet, as I rewrote, changing things, deleting nice descriptive passages, strengthening characters, etc. I found it! Eureka! Plain as day (cliche!) It was this: "True love is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice". I have to admit I felt so relieved writing that in my Book Proposal. I guess we become so involved in the actual plotting, it simply escapes us. At other times a theme can occur naturally, and we discover it as we're writing. Another strange thing, maybe even after it's published, a reader will share what it meant to her/him and tell you what they thought its theme was. Rare, but surprising.

I'm now setting myself a goal; to have a theme in mind when I first start. I believe that will only strengthen the story. Am I alone in this? Or do all you writers out there know what your book theme is going to be?

Give me a WINDOW anytime, but not a WALL! Walls block you and you can't see through them.

But, from a writer's perspective, I've got to admit they make you THINK. Hmm, there's just got to be a way around this. It's all about plotting, and everything is chugging along with the story, until BLAM! You've just hit the wall. Mind you, I consistently make it happen to my characters, but I don't like it when it happens to me. Writer's Block is it's unfeeling name.

When I first started writing, I believed an author just sat down to write the story on their heart. As it unfolded, it'd just click, click along on the keyboard. How naive was I? And, oh, how little I understood about the craft! The very first thing you discover is this set in concrete fact; publishers aren't waiting on your story. Huh? There are thousands of other experienced authors out there with great stories who are also trying to interest publishers. Hmm, well, you hadn't thought of that.

Naturally, you read "how to" books and find you probably need to cut out the first couple of chapters. Ouch! My precious words all gone. You discover your story should be like a three act play. You briefly need to let a reader get to know your character and their goals before you hit them with the inciting incident which pushes them into a new situation. Then complications and conflicts follow which threatens to defeat them. And finally they surmount their problems which turns out to be the climax. You study Point of View and realize you'd slipped up on that a bit. Quick job of rectifying. Now the real headache; the MRUs. What? Simple, they tell us. Motivation Reaction Units must be part of every scene. Please explain? Phew. The motivation is something that happens outwardly. That's external. Now your character reacts. They feel it emotionally. They show some sort of physical reaction. Then rational speech or action follows. Well now, I think a bit of rewriting is called for here.

Then you learn all about the BOOK PROPOSAL. What? I have to write out why the publisher would be interested in my story? I have to write a hook to catch their attention? I have to explain what it's all about in a sentence. A whole book? Then give them ideas about how I'd promote my book? And how I'd market it? Then say why it's maybe a little like some other authors' books, but different; a new twist? Mm, complicated!

So you get yourself a substantive edit from a very understanding, but very honest editor. You really learn scads. This gives you confidence to rewrite, realizing ( like the determined authors we are) that like any true work of music, art, literature, practical mechanics, and especially the Christian life, there are guidelines to follow. Yes, it's hard work, but what a sense of accomplishment. And, hey, you've just climbed over the wall!

Don’t you admire quilters?  They are so passionate about buying just the right coloured materials, or collecting well-loved scraps.  And from this hotchpotch kaleidoscope, they patiently work stitch by stitch to create a beautiful piece of patchwork art.

I am no quilter, but I know exactly how they feel when they first see the pattern in their head.

 I can also empathize when things go awry and need reworking. Then the pure joy of completion filling one’s whole being when that last piece has been stitched into place.

You see, writers have a lot in common with quilters!

Writers also need to follow a pattern, and this forms a synopsis, or plot outline. Your characters, like so many pieces of coloured materials, don’t do much until they are manoeuvred into place. Like real life, the unanticipated causes change, and sometimes they won’t easily fit in – which causes some interesting complications. Imagine if every colour and tone were much the same in a quilt design. Dull! Similarly, the juxtaposition of opposite character types is necessary for an engaging plot because it elevates tension and intrigue.

If you are to touch the lives of your readers, you need to dig deep into your own experiences and bare some of your deepest emotions, otherwise it will sound too clinical. Most of us have endured some form of heartache or another. I recall things that broke my heart, or crushed my spirit, and I let it happen to my character. When someone very close has died, that’s a deep wound and you can put that raw emotion into your story.   

Dredge up incidents that have upset you. Spiteful things; an unjust accusation. Delve deep and find frustration; self-pity; worrying; scheming to get your own way, and yes, deliberate sinful actions – all unchristian traits. Not to wallow in these attitudes – especially if the Lord has forgiven you – but to help understand the reactions of your characters. You should realize that if we are guilty of these, then your characters shouldn’t be perfect either. (Oh, thank the Lord He doesn’t give up on us!)

In an inspirational novel, a spiritual thread is worked through the lives of the main protagonists. That vital thread sews the whole story together. From the start to the finish, you’ll want them to grow. Like all of us, they’re going to have their flaws, in making bad choices and being opinionated, but also to demonstrate strengths like resourcefulness and integrity.

And the villain. Even with a nasty type, give yourself latitude to hint why they are like they are. Yet, it doesn’t always have to be a person – it could be an austere religious system, whatever – but an antagonist is something or someone placing an obstacle in the path of the main characters preventing them from reaching their goal. And if they can’t reach it, how will it affect them? Opposition from other people, or circumstances causes seemingly insurmountable problems. Great! This lifts the story from the mundane. Deterred at every step from reaching their longed for objective builds stress. And we can all relate to that! So how will they solve this situation?

Yet, against all odds, but with resolve, courage and faith, your protagonists should battle through. Maybe bloodied and emotionally bruised, yet finally overcoming the very obstacles that threatened to destroy their heart’s desire.

So whatever happens from beginning to end, with all pieces now set in place and loose ends tied up, this should culminate in a satisfactory conclusion.  Enemies scattered, good guys on top!

Aim to show how all these things – as hard as they seem at the time – work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. 

Words. Words. Words....

Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.  There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.