Jaime Guerrero of Spain was one tough warrior. He was the son of a whore; Señor Guillermo Guerrero was his father. Meanwhile Guillermo’s legal wife had given him other sons, and when they grew up, his wife’s sons threw Jaime out. They told him: “You’re not getting any of our family inheritance—you’re the son of another woman.” So Jaime fled from his brothers and went to live in Portugal. Some riffraff joined him and went around with him.

Have you read the above bible story before? What? Bible story? You ask. Oh yes, the names have been changed as well as the locations, yet relatively same in distance as the original. They story line was untouched.

This is a doctored up cut and paste job from the Message translation (Judges 11). The concept is true to the Hebrew from whence it first was transcribed.

This is not the only instance of earthy adultery seen in the pages of the Bible. On this same page where our tale of “Jaime” is found there is bloodshed, polygamy, human sacrifice, and more sexual sin. We also see the guidance of God, His mercy and people who are wholeheartedly dedicated to His will.

The bible is a fascinating book. When we slow down and really think about the whole situation in any given portion we find true humanity alongside sovereign divinity. People have been people since Adam. Not much in our nature has changed.

As a writer I have been grappling with a question of content. It would seem that nothing is hidden in the stories of the bible heroes. Noah got drunk. David slept around and committed premeditated murder. Peter was a turn coat. The list could go on. As a storyteller, mainly in the fiction realm, how does this affect me? My question is:

As a Christian writer what licence do I have in the themes I choose to include in my stories?

For much of my younger life I was a gullible literalist. Things were very black and white. It thrilled me to be able to proclaim fearlessly and foolishly things as “right” and “wrong”. As the hairs on my head have started to gray I have begun to see the beauty in the shades of life lying in the in-between. I have to fight the urge to slap labels on things, especially in the very public creative expression arena.  There is truth to the notion that some things are neither “right” nor “wrong”, per se.

When I read this part of scripture my thoughts went to the characters in the novel I wrote last year. One of the main themes is teenage pregnancy out of wedlock. A twinge in my gut said that this topic is taboo for a Christian writer. Yet there are also elaborate lies and disobedience to parents. Where does one draw the line?

By telling a story true to human nature I do not feel as though I am being irreverent. What are your thoughts on this topic?

In the next few days there will be many winners crossing the finish line as they log in their word counts. The idea was 50,000 words in 30 days. I am happy to report that I did it!

Wow-ee.

I feel it is necessary to add that the novel now needs a ton of work. Editing galore, scenes needing tweaking, and much weighing of words await me in the coming months. I look forward to going back and adding the shading, darkening the color here and there and defining the lines to make them jump out and grab you as you read.

It was especially surprising that the characters took the story for unexpected twists and turns. I had to trust them. There were a few spots where I wasn’t too sure they knew where they were going, but they got back on track soon enough. It really seemed to take on a life of its own. That was very surprising to me.

I am considering posting a couple more excerpts in the coming week. For now I am just content for you to know that I finished. Yes!

During the month of November I am writing a novel called ‘Chapped’. With two weeks to go I am safely past the half way point and feeling very good about the flow. Current word count is 27,628 words of the final goal of 50,000 words.

To read the first excerpt you can click here: Chapped Excerpt First Week

Please bear in mind that this is a first draft and very rough. I value your input as I understand that the creative process is enriched by community. Feel free to comment below.

- o -

The Longburrows had long been known for their hard working contribution to the community. Industrious and of strong genes they were admired for being able to accomplish much. This tendency to work hard and work well ran strong in Brooke’s blood. Her pragmatism dictated that there must always be a project in her hands. Dexterity in sowing , knitting and crochet had been cultivated by her able mother. Brooke began to gather the items she would need for the projects she wanted to work on while at her Grandmother’s house for the coming months. The saying about idle hands being the Devil’s playground had crossed her mind a few times.

She mused wondering about her condition and the validity of that saying. She wondered if some might think that her idleness that night might have given the Devil a moment to play on her. She knew that might be what some might think. Then she wondered how something so miraculous and wonderful could be considered a work of the malicious evil of all evils. Then she mused that the act itself could not be described as idle in the least bit. Moreover it was an active act. Thus, she reasoned, that anyone who might assume this was a point of weakness that the Devil preyed upon was sorely mistaken. Still, there was that tinge of regret that had begun to sprout once again. She stared at it from all sides and had a hard time coming to understand why the goodness growing inside her could be the result of something that caused such a gnawing sense of guilt.

Once or twice the thoughtful girl tried to broach the subject with her mother. She was a good enough woman and had done the best she knew how to raise her little girl. Now when crisis had struck she went into survival mode. Everything was calculated and mechanical. Even her desire to avoid all appearances of evil required that much care be taken to act as if nothing was wrong around the help and especially around her husband. The smiles came at all the right times. The work did not slow in the house. There were no lapses in the routines of social calls and entertaining. It was life as normal, as far as anyone passing by could ascertain. So when her curious daughter came with well mulled over questions she was ready with a premeditated response designed to cut the conversation as quickly as possible without upsetting her daughter.

Brooke would start in with a simple, or at least what seemed simple to her, question.

“Mother, when I am at Grandmother’s house will you come to visit me from time to time?”

The mother and daughter had a cool relationship, yet spent much time together keeping their hands busy or fulfilling social duties. Brenda knew that her daughter would have an inclination to want her to be there with her for part of this ordeal, as she saw it. Yet, for her plan to succeed this could not happen. The situation must be handled in a sterile environment far away from the peaceful little home she had created. No, she could not participate.

“Brooke, dear, mother told you. You will be with your Grandmother Adelaide. She is a sweet lady who is easily agitated by much company. For the good of us all it is best if I not ruffle her nest any more than it has to be. In addition to that, we can’t leave your father alone, now can we? Who would keep this place running if the both of us were gone at the same time? I am handling it dear. I told you. Don’t you worry; you will be fine with your dear old Grandmother. I am handling it all, Brooke, dear. Now peal those last two apples and then you may go lie down. I am sure you are needing to rest by this time.”

The two would then stand silently side by side finishing their task. In this case the task was peeling some apples for a pie they were making. Brooke understood the dismissing tone in her mother’s voice. She had received her answer and knew that she must not bother any more. Though, other questions, deeper questions, had replaced the one first in line.

(c) Angie Washington 2009

On November 1st I began writing ‘Chapped’. Unless inspiration strikes I plan on taking the weekends off from this creative project. Gives the story time to stew and brings the flavors out. My goal is an average of 12,500 words a week for four weeks. At the end of this first week I have 13,179 words logged.

I have decided to share some excerpts as I go. The technique I am using of writing fast and furious to get the story out of me and recorded somewhere dictates that I will be doing some major editing after the month of November is done. I work well like that. Very rarely does the first stroke remain when I am sketching; it will be the same for this book. The idea that is in my mind will be shaped and formed, added to and taken away from until I have a finished product that I am content with displaying for others. That being said, there is a chance that the excerpts I share will be tweaked and possibly even removed from the actual book.

PLEASE feel free to comment honestly and openly. I am well aware of the importance of corporal contribution in the creative process.

Without further ado:

Her cheeks blazed, warmed with anticipation. Wind whipped them raw in the top-down convertible. The neatness of her golden ponytail began to come undone. A hair-do was not going to be the only thing undone that brisk February night. She pulled a tiny mirror out of her purse and glanced at it. Pleased with what she saw yet wanting to ensure a perfect night she pinched her high, glowing cheek bones once again. Mirror still in hand she let her big blue eyes give a side long glance at the driver. Her 15 year old heart did flips. The blinking dashboard lights were the only thing that illuminated his dark features on that backwoods road leading up to Inspiration Point. His coal waves atop his firm brow flew around the chiseled jawline. He caught her glance. The half way dimpled grin sent goosebumps down her spine. His foot pressed heavy on the gas pedal.

The couple arrived at the cliff’s edge. The tiny Virginia town sparkled under the light of a full moon. Finishing a thrilling ride up the hill through the winding woods signaled the start of a new thrill. A sunset escape and uncommonly warm weather for that time of the year made for a fun joy ride in the new 1975 Chevrolet Caprice convertible. Now that the darkness had set in other things were on the mind. The boy worked to pull up the cover.

(c) Angie Washington 2009

Now, on with the crunchy, munchy, mixed up life I lead…

• National Novel Writing Month has begun!
• At this moment I have 4,047 words logged in.
• Today in Bolivia the Day of the Dead is being observed.
• No pressing engagements means time for writing. Yes!
• I am hoping to log some more words before the day is done.
• Yesterday, Sunday, November first was our 8th anniversary of the day we landed in Bolivia as missionaries.
• We didn’t do anything special or out of the ordinary to remember the day. It came and went with our regluar Sunday stuff of church services, take out for lunch, napping and lounging.
• This weekend I also finished painting three commissioned pieces. That was fun.
• Earlier this week I painted a picture for the wall of the bedroom of the son of a friend here in the city. That was fun, too.
• DaRonn got back from a good ministry time in Mexico. Then made a quick trip to Miami to pick up some things for the upcoming conference here this weekend. He came back Saturday night. It is good to have him home.
• This weekend is the Leadership Summit conference.
• Next weekend I will be climbing Mt. Tunari with 7 other people; one of them is a guide. So much fun!
• The weekend after that I am hosting a sort of Thanksgiving celebration in my home followed by the end of the year school program with the kids. Those will be two very fun things.
• I am so ready for the school year to be over. Nine more school days. (9!)
• Got an encouraging e-card yesterday that just made me so happy.
• Two friends asked me if I wanted to hang out this week. I feel loved.
• We may have found a place for the orphanage. Weighing the pros and cons it looks like the best bet.
• I have a friend who asks me what I dream about, what I am thinking for the ministry and life and such. She is a marvelous catalyst. She got me dreaming out loud this week and it has been revving in me ever since. I really want to move forward with some of the things. It gets me all excited just typing about it.

Enjoy the pics of the paintings:

(Click the image to see it in proper dimensions and closer up.)

There are moments when inspiration levels are high. I liken it unto an adrenaline rush. Creativity flows and beautiful things happen. This is distinct from when I just doodle and peck to get through the dry times.

There are certain stimuli that evoke this inspiration high. It is different for everyone, I am sure. Here is a list of my “Inspiration To Go” when I need a boost. There are four groups: places, audio, books and shows.

Places – When I get myself to these places and out of my regular surroundings inspiration abounds.

• House of Dreams Orphanage
• Tunari National Park
• Driving
• Botanical Gardens
• Columbus Plaza

Audio – Audio learning is not my specialty. Usually I need silence while I create, but to spark the inspiration these are things I listen to. My hands must be occupied for it to “work” like washing dishes, baking, cooking, etc.

• Regina Spektor
• Coldplay
• Leeland
• B.Z. preaching

Books – There are so many beloved authors sitting on my shelves. Usually I am absorbed in what I read. This is a list of things I can pick up for a short amount of time then put them back down and move on revved up.

• C.S. Lewis
• Dickens
• Louisa May Alcott
• Spanish – English Dictionary
• Professional photography compilations

Shows – This is my favorite. My tactile learning style thrives on being able to see, hear, and feel the story all at the same time. The corporal creative energy that is poured into making a show astounds and inspired me. Live performance is the most energizing; I do what I can with what I have at hand which is mostly movies.

• Theater / Plays / Operas / Top notch concerts (Oh, how I miss access to a quality theater!)
• Pushing Daisies
• Chicago
• Away We Go
• Brothers Bloom
• Far and Away
• Penelope
• Chronicles of Narnia movies
• Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
• Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium
• Romeo and Juliet (1996)
• The Beautiful Country
• Inkheart
• Millions

What inspires you?

Columbus Plaza at Night

And now is that time. November 1st is Sunday. That is when the writing begins. The fact that my computer went kaput is not going to deter me; we’ll get it fixed. The fact that there are mountains we are climbing in the ministry will not deter me; we’ll make it through. I am so ready for this.

What excites me even more about this is that I am not going it alone.  Aside from the thousands of NaNoWriMo participants world wide I know four people, personally, that will be writing a book at this time.

• Shawn Smith – My youngest sister. Yeah!
• Becky Gomez – My dear friend since high school. She is a published author.
• Mike Bradley – Connected to our ministry through prayer. We keep in touch on Facebook.
• Tyson Malo – A fellow missionary here in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

There is still time to join. Let me know if you do so we can keep in touch through the process next month.

Do you want to know what I’ll be writing about? As the writing progresses I will be sharing excerpts. For now you get to know the title: Chapped.

The outline is written. I know where I am going with it. Some time this week I will settle on a name for my heroine. Fun stuff!

Are you a planner? Are you one of those people who looks ahead, sets goals and strategizes how they are going to accomplish their ideas? Have you ever noticed the similarities in the words ‘idea’ and ‘ideal’?

Both my husband and I do our share of planning. Whenever we collaborate we usually finish our planning session with raised eyebrows and a smirk on our lips. One of us will invariably say, “Well, it looks good on paper. Let’s see how it works in real life.” It used to feel like a Mac Truck ran us over when our ideal ideas did not work out exactly the way we hoped. After being smashed to pieces a few times we have wised up a bit and learned to be on the look out for large oncoming vehicles when we set about with out neat little plans. Instead of getting caught like a dear in the headlights we have learned to adjust and let the creative juices flow as we adapt to the reality of a less than ideal world.

All that to say: I have a plan. The plan commences four weeks from today (Sunday). The date will be November 1, 2009. My plan is to start writing a novel. Then, for the 30 days following I (along with thousands of other people around the world) will get my ideas out of me into print. The goal is 50,000 words. Lofty? Probably. Impossible? Nope.

It is called National Novel Writing Month, or the more endearing nickname: NaNoWriMo.

The outline is scratched out in pencil in a little notebook waiting patiently on my desk. Oh, I am just so excited! It may mean that I am less present here at the @. Maybe not. I might share tid-bits of the story as I go. I might not. This is my first year as a participant. We’ll see how my ideal ideas play out in real life.

Here is a fun little logo for you to look at. If you click it you will be taken to the home page for NaNoWriMo; careful, you might get sucked in! Let me know if you decide to participate so we can cheer each other on.

Do you have plans for November? How about writing a novel?

I have been looking forward to this all year. I am posting about this kinda early because I wanted to find out who was doing it so that we could keep tabs on each other. The organization heading up this mutual, worldwide endeavor is called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writers Month, www.nanowrimo.org) .

Here is the deal: you have 30 days to write a 50,000 word novel. Anyone who finishes is named a winner. The logging in of the words on the site is completely based on the honor system. The main goal of the effort is to get people writing. What better way to do it than: with a deadline, thousands of co-participants around the world and the hope of being called a winner if you finish? I really think it is going to be fun.

There are a couple of months to plan and get organized, if you are of that nature. They recommend having a general story line or outline of what you are going to write. Then again, there are people who do no planning and just go about writing. Whatever suits your fancy is fine with me. They also say that one of the keys to being a finisher is to resist the urge to edit as you go and just write, write, write.

So who is with me?

If there are any local participants (meaning Cochabamba, Bolivia residents) I am considering organizing a get together like the first week of December, or something. Even if we don’t all finish (heck, who knows if I even will… this is my first time) I think it still would be cool to get together and celebrate our efforts.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you are thinking. If you are in another city please still let me know if you are going to do it so we can cheer each other on.

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