Stories Cooking...and ReCooking... and Simmering... and Parboiling.... :-P

One thing I've noticed about myself: I totally live in a different world. We will be sitting at the table for dinner and Mommy and Daddy will be talking about landscaping plans, and all of a sudden the dinner table, the light overhead, the hearts-and-stars wallpaper, the food, and the family will all surge far away, the words become white noise, and I find myself in Tuquivi with Jeff, surveying the adobe-and-thatch building that will become his home and grudgingly scuffing his shoe on the mud floor...

...or I am with Kami Willard, standing by the casket of her younger sister, remembering her shattered past, and then turning around to see, with surprise, the man she used to love...

...or I am with John Cray and Mark Sayers, battling pirates, and Darkie hovering over Mark, pouring out the awful secret of his past...

...and then I hear something from the outside, perk up, and say, "Huh, what are we talking about?" and am answered by snickers around the table. :-P


I have two major developments going on right now.


First development:

A brand new story. Yes, told you my brain is always cooking. It is the story of Kami Willard. Seven years ago, Kami was in love with a young man named Jim. But then Jim's busybody family started telling stories about Kami's father that led to the breakup of Kami's family and the suicide of her father. Kami and her younger sister lived together for several years after that... But now her sister has died of a sudden, unprecedented seizure and Jim all of a sudden returns! Kami doesn't know that she can trust him-- or any Christians, for that matter. Aren't Christians just people who say they are "saved" and use that as an excuse to do whatever they want? Is Jim really sincere in His love for God... and for her? Can she lay aside the doubts and bitterness that she has stored in her heart against God, and allow him to heal her life and give her hope and a spirit of forgiveness?

I like this idea a lot; my plan is to bring the reader through the journey of the deepest parts of Kami's heart as she gropes for something to hold on to in life and as she seeks to know the reality of God and life in Christ. I'm trying right now to figure out the plot so that it is exciting and builds to intensity at the right spot... something I have a hard time with, which is why I love Airborne so much because that came very naturally in that story. :-)


Okay, second development:

Era changes! Ugh! Do you know what kinds of problems I've been having trying to reconcile my Ann Williams story idea with the era I picked for it-- 17th century England? It just hasn't been working at all, and I have gotten so frustrated with it! And yet, I love the story idea and I really want to write about the era. So I am changing some things.

I think I will move Ann's story to a different time period. I'm considering the Bolshevik Revolution. I might post some options on the sidebar and have you vote which one you think is the best idea!

But Crown and Parliament won't be left alone! I think I might move The Marquis' Daughter , The Pirates' Revenge, and the sequel back to the 17th century instead, and the third book, instead of falling at the time of the War of 1812, will fall at the time of the English Civil War. This will make MD much more believable, because people don't seem to really care a whole lot about historical accuracy that far back, so I can get away with having pirates attempting to take over the seas! :-P What do you think? I think it's a cool idea but I am very willing to hear your input!! :-D

Oh, I just love writing! :-D





P.S. Here is a funny story about how in-another-world I am. I had borrowed a video from Marie K. about Christianity and Science Fiction: Reclaiming the Genre for Christ. It was by Doug Philips of Vision Forum. (I don't care much for VF personally, due to much of their theology and practice, but I like their filmmaking resources!) Mr. Philips was talking about how many science fiction movies promote unbiblical philosophy-- many promote evolution; Star Wars promotes faith in "anything", not in the Bible, and is produced by a person who calls himself a "Buddhist Methodist",which shows in the stories... Anyway, Mr. Philips played a clip from Star Wars Episode 4 (which was my favorite movie when I was, like, 9 or 10 :-) ) It was the scene-- some of you may be familiar with it-- when Darth Vador and a bunch of guys are sitting around a table in, like, an office room or something (?), talking about the plans, and DV tries to choke the one guy, and stuff. You know which scene I'm talking about? (It's been a long time since I watched the whole thing, so I couldn't tell you exactly when and where it is, except that it's before the guys come to rescue Leia.) Then he showed the scene after the rescue, I think it was.... when DV is walking down the hallway, with dead people on either side, and his breathing machine going at it's normal, creepy rythm... and then my mom kicked my bedroom door open real loud (jokingly) and I just JUMPED in my seat!!! Oh my word, I was SOOOOO startled! (*AAAAaaahhhhhh, it's Darth Vador, come to get me! Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!) LOLOLOLOLOL.... Oh dear, I'm such a case. I get some absorbed in these things, I really find myself in whatever place I am daydreaming, reading, or watching, it's totally ridiculous. :-P Oh, Melanie, wake up, would you? :-P