Wordless Wednesday!

What tale can be told about this poor ship?

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Dancing a jig for Jesus!

Being a sailor was a lonely life. Men would spend weeks, often months at sea, only anchoring in ports long enough to get supplies and be on their way again.  When they weren't on duty, they found ways to entertain themselves during long voyages. They would drink and play cards, write letters to their sweethearts, but more often then not, they would sing and dance. Usually there was at least one person on board who could play an instrument. In good weather, sailors would gather around on the main deck, and sing along to the music and dance with each other!

Dancing throughout the ages has been an expression of joy, happiness, and romance. In native cultures, dancing could also be an expression of virility or power over one's enemies or a way a please a god.  There are many references in the Bible to dancing. God's people often danced out of joy, awe, and worship of God.

King David was no exception. When he brought the ark of the covenant back into Jerusalem, he led the joyful procession by dancing before the Lord.

Then David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod.  So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet  2 Samuel 6:14-15

Here was the King of Israel, the most mighty, powerful man in the entire kingdom and he had stripped down to a simple undergarment and was dancing like a crazy man. I love this about David. He wasn't into status or position. He didn't care what anyone thought of him! He just wanted to glorify God.

Can we say the same thing? Are we willing to be made a fool for Jesus?  Or do we shrink back from expressing our joy, our worship of God when we are among people who wouldn't understand? People who might laugh at us or make fun of us. Why is it acceptable to paint your face blue, go to a football game half naked and shout and carry on for your team, but when a Christian raises his hands in worship and shouts hallelujah or--shock of all shockers--he or she dances in joy, why does the world snicker and belittle that person?

And more importantly, why should we care?

Now as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart. . . .And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!”

David's wife, Michal, was embarrassed of her husband. She thought that as a king, he should act more dignified and regal. She was worried that her maids would sneer at him and think less of him as a king and a man.  I've met many people like this, haven't you? It's all about appearances, their shiny cars, fancy houses, what so and so thinks of them, how many prestigious social clubs they belong to, and of course how many important people they know. You want to know something? God doesn't care one fig for any of those things.

I love David's reaction:

David retorted to Michal, “I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord.  Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!  2 Samuel 6:21-22


Take that, Michal!  David loved God so much, he could have cared less what people thought of him. He intended to dance and sing and worship God with all his might even if the entire kingdom thought he was a fool!

I wish we all had the mind of David!  And not the mind of Michal. God was not pleased with her attitude for she put man's approval above God's. So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life.  2 Samuel 6:23
So shove aside your inhibitions! Sweep away your need for man's approval. Focus on God and God alone and on how wonderful and loving and good He is, and then dance a jig for Jesus!  I guarantee He will be pleased!

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Tis a Writer's life for me!

Those who are part of my Motley Crew have already seen these pictures but I thought I'd share with everyone else. A fan who has a production company is making a video trailer to celebrate the re-release of my pirate series: Legacy of the King's Pirates. She sent me some photo shoots from their initial session.  I couldn't believe she's using live models in costume!! SO COOL!!   I can't wait to see the end result. I'll post it when I do

For some reason, video trailers really excite me. I love seeing my characters come to life, even if it's just for a few seconds. :-) 

This is my favorite!

Writing news:  I hope to be done with the first draft of Forsaken Dreams by next week.. maybe the week after. My first draft is complete garbage. If you read it, it would make no sense. It's basically a right brain dump while my left brain is stunned into a catatonic state. LOL.  Sentences are all in fragments.. there are missing dialoge tags, notes to myself about things I need to add or things I need to researchm and terrible misspellings!  I'll give you a sample here:


(mention that they’d tried medicines and nothing worked) Thunder bellowed in the distance and Eliza gazed up at the gray roiling clouds..dark and gray like her heart. She hugged herself beneath a sudden chill and forced her gaze to the two canvas bound forms laid out on the plank of wood. Mr. Milner, the ship’s xxx and Mrs. Blaine, wife of Mr. Blaine the xxx, who stood over his wife’s lifeless body sobbing uncontrollably.

Nicholas opened his bible and began to read:
Fill in words
But the words sounded hollow in Eliza’s ears. Hollow like the empty threat of thunder in the distance. What could any storm do to them now that they ahdn’t already suffered in the first storm and now in this next catastrophe. that ethereal mist had dropped a deadly disease upon the ship. How or why, nobody knew. Three days later, with over half the passengers and crew sick, these two precious lives had slipped away.

This is just the guts of the story. It's not pretty but at the end I know the plot of the entire novel and for some reason, that's a huge relief to me.  Next step? More research, filling in blanks and places I left for later, spelling, adding emotions and dialogue tags (those are the "he said, she said" things)  and generally, making it pretty.
 
I pray everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!! 

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing all my blog followers and Facebook friends a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

I encourage you to do two things on this special day. First, no matter how hard your year was, give thanks to God for all the blessing He has bestowed on you. If you're alive and have food to eat and a roof over your head, then you have just about as much as the pilgrims did at their first Thanksgiving!

Secondly, Give. The last half of Thanksgiving is giving. Do something for someone else today, whether it be helping out at a soup kitchen or offering to do the dishes at home, go out of your way for someone else. Perhaps think of a compliment to give to everyone at your table, or pull aside a family member who may be discouraged and comfort them. Or maybe phone a friend who may be alone and invite them over for dinner.. or pie!  Ask God to show you something you can give today.

Enjoy this short video on the true meaning of Thanksgiving!!

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Wordless Wednesday!

Loose a Broadside!

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Don't end up in the bilge!

The bilge is located at the very bottom of the ship, down in the hold, where dirty, smelly, sludge collects. Believe me, even hardened sailors didn't want to go down into that smelly pit, only inhabited by cargo and rats. Plus, without a lantern, it was so dark you couldn't see your fingers in front of your face.

But so often in life, we make one small bad decision after another, one small step down the ladder to the hold, and before we know it we are up to our knees in bildge water, filth, rats and darkness.

Don't think it can happen to you? Well, it happened to King David, a man 'after God's own heart'. He took seven crucial steps, made seven crucial decisions and everyone of them led him into the darkness.

It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 11:1


First step down on the ladder.
When David should have been leading his army, he chose to stay at home.

Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.

2nd step down
As soon as David saw the naked woman, he should have turned his eyes away. But he didn't. He must have stared at her for quite awhile to notice how beautiful she was.

Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her

3rd Step down
David acted on his desire. He could have done nothing, but he chose to call the woman to his bed.

And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”
So, David calls her husband from battle. (Okay, this sounds promising)
When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah departed from the king’s house
 
4th Step down
David had a chance to tell Uriah the truth. To confess what he'd done. Instead, he tried to trick Uriah into going home and sleeping with his wife.
 
But Uriah was a man of integrity. He didn't go home, stating that it would be wrong for him to have the comforts of a wife and bed when his fellow soldiers were sleeping on the battlefield.
 
Now when David called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.


5th step down
Realizing what a great guy Uriah was, David had another chance here to tell the truth. Instead, he chose to try and get Uriah drunk so he'd go home to his wife.

In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. ¹⁵ And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.”

6th step down
David could stop all this madness now by choosing to confess his sin and accept the consequences. Instead he sent a letter that would condemn an innocent man to death.

So, of course, Uriah dies in battle.

Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another

Last step down
After David has murdered Uriah, he tries to cover it up by basically telling the commander of his army that these things happen in war. No big deal.

Now, David is in the dark bilge. It isn't a pleasant place. The son Bathsheeba born him soon dies. For the rest of David's life there is turmoil in his family. One of his sons rapes his sister, another son murders his brother and then gathers an army against David. It is a huge family mess, a mess that could have all been avoided had David just paused on any one of those steps and made a different choice.

So, be careful. Don't let your guard down for a minute. Every tiny desicion you make will either lead you up to the sunshine on deck or down into the hold. Pause, think, pray, ask for God's strength and wisdom. And he will lead up toward the Son.

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Tis a Writer's life for me!

In every good book and movie the main characters go through some kind of change. They grow, they learn, they move from a bad place, position, or attitude in their lives to a better place. They transform into a better person. If a character doesn't progess or change in the story, I guarantee you the story will be flat. 

So how do you make a character change? You push him or to their very limits. You put them in terrifying, even deadly situations! And then see how they behave. This is the fun part!!!  At first you character will probably not do so well. They will fall back into their old familiar ways, but if you keep pressing them and if you give them something worthy of changing for, by the end of the book, he or she will be a new person!

To accomplish this, I use a spiritual/character arc for my main character. Basically, I draw a huge arc on my chalk board that looks like an upside down bowl.  At the beginning, I list my characters qualities. Here's the list I made for Luke Heaton, the hero in my last book

• Angry
• Volatile
• Selfish
• Arrogant
• Immoral
• Alcoholic
• Doesn't think God cares
• Feels like a Failure.

Man, Luke is quite a mess!!
Then on the right side of my arc, I list where I want my hero to end up.

• Quit drinking
• No longer immoral
• Willing to sacrifice himself for others
• Believes in a loving, active God
• No longer angry
• In control of emotions
• Humble

Trying to change this guy, now, that's a tall order? 
But here comes the hard part. I need to list different events and people from the beginning of the arc all the way to the end that will help move Luke slowly from point A to point B.

This is where both characters and plot come into play. I list all my characters, both main and secondary and decide if there's something they could say or do that would influence Luke in the right directiong. I write all those things down. Things like:

Cassandra makes him want to be a better man so he can win her love
Reverend Drummond talks to him about God's destiny
Biron Abbot discusses spiritual matters to him and provides a good example of a Godly man
Noah Brenin, Lukes Best friend is a role model for who Luke wants to become like.
Joseph Keene is an example of who Luke doesn't want to become like in the future

Now, I consider what events can occur to change Luke

Falling in love with Cassandra
When his enemy Tripp ruins Luke's life, he sees how his gambling and arrogance caused this man's hatred
When Luke's brother is in danger, he recognizes he is responsible,.
When Cassandra is destitute Luke gives up his own money--something he's never done before
When Luke reaches the bottom and is thrown in prison and everyone he loves is in danger, he finally humbles himself to the point of looking up to God.
When the angel delivers him, Luke realizes God has been with him the entire time

There are more, of course.. but once you have a good list you can start lining them up on the arc. Remember to make them believable and be sure to incorporate all your different secondary characters, making use of their unique roles we discussed last week.

And lastly, if you're writing a romance, you need to create another arc for the heroine as well, using the same principals as above.  The heroine's arc can be completely different from the heroes. In fact, it's preferable that she have a different set of lessons to learn than the hero and even more perferable if some of those lessons conflicted with the heroes. The more conflict the better!.

This is the last lesson I'm doing on writing. Next week, I'm starting a general posting on Friday about anything that comes to mind. Just a way for us to interact at the end of the week. 

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Here's how I see Faith and Dajon from The Red Siren!

Which also happens to have the worst cover of all my books. Uggg.



Captain Dajon Waite



Faith Westcott

  



















Faith Westcott abandoned her shallow faith when a series of tragedies struck her family. To save herself and her sisters from forced marriages, this fiery, born-to-the-manor redhead is a lady by day and a pirate and by night. How long can she maintain this dual identity before she’s caught red-handed? God-fearing Dajon Waite, who scours the Carolina coast, expunging it of pirates, is a more-than-capable captain in the British Royal Navy. But when he is asked to take on the guardianship of Faith and her sisters, he’s headed for deep water. Having vowed to avoid women, what will he do when he finds himself falling for Faith? Sir Wilhelm Carteret has always gotten everything he desired but Faith seems to be unaffected by his charms. When he devises a plot to rid himself of his competition, more than Captain Waite’s reputation is at stake as alarming secrets are revealed. Will Faith regain her trust in God only to find herself headed for the gallows? Will Dajon scuttle his good name—and neck—to save her?

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Wordless Wednesday!

All hands down!!

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Need faith, try stepping off the plank!

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him  John 14:21

Recently, I've been reading through the  Gospels and  I've discovered something I never really considered before. Love, Obedience and Faith are all so intricately connected, that one cannot exist without the other.

• You cannot love God and not obey Him. In fact John goes so far as to say that love itself is obeying God. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments  1 John 5:3
• You cannot obey God unless you love Him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him 1 John 2:5
• You do not have faith unless you obey God. Obedience is an expression of your faith in God. If you don't obey God, you neither believe in Him nor love Him.  

You see how they are all connected?  Keeping these three things in mind is a good way to check yourself in your Christian walk. If one of them is off, then chances are you've slipped off the narrow path. Too often we see people these days who profess to love God but their actions prove otherwise. They profess to have faith but when called to act on that faith, they cower in the corner.

Jesus always demanded action from those He called to follow Him. He never asked them to simply recite the sinner's prayer and then go about their business. Everyone He called, everyone He healed, He either rewarded them for stepping out in faith or He required them to step out in faith. What is interesting is that all of these people had very little faith at the time they encountered Jesus. Oh sure, they may have heard about Jesus, heard He was some kind of prophet, but their faith in Him as the Son of God was pretty much non-existent. In fact, most of Jesus's own disciples didn't even truly believe He was God until after His ressurection. 

But they obeyed the call of Jesus and their faith started to grow with that very first step. As the great theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, "the response of the disciples is an act of obedience not a confession of faith. Only he who is obedient can believe. . .For faith is only real when there is obedience, never without it, and faith only becomes faith in the act of obedience.

Do you find yourself lacking in faith? Try obeying Jesus and stepping out of the boat!

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Tis a Writer's Life for Me!

Can you ever have too many secondary characters?  I'm feeling that way now as I'm writing the first book in my next trilogy, Escape to Paradise. Problem is I need all these characters! The hero and heroine from each book along with all the secondary characters are on a ship at the moment heading toward Brazil!  So, that's 6 main characters and 12 secondary characters and about 30 other minor characters.  I'm pulling my hair out trying to keep everyone straight. Even while I'm in the POV (Point of view) of one of the main characters, I have to keep track of what the other people are doing or they'll simply run loose.

For example in this one scene, I'm in my hero's head and he's giving a speech to the entire crew and all the passengers assembled on deck. That's great. But while he's talking, I need to transform myself into a little invisible sprite and hop from head to head in my secondary characters trying to figure out what they are thinking about my hero's speech and what they would say and how they would behave in response. When you've got a dozen or so people to figure out, the task can be daunting!

But not only must I figure out what they are going to say or do, but I must work their response somehow into the character arc of my hero and heroine. You see, when you write, no scene, no dialogue should be without a specific purpose. It should either move the plot along, or it should change the main characters.  So every time a secondary character speaks or acts, it should not only fit their personality but it should have an impact on the main character's journey. Let's look at an example from my book, Surrender the Dawn.  One of the hardest scenes for me to write is a dinner scene where you have mulitple people sitting around a table.

There are 5 characters in this scene. Each one's actions and dialogue reveal to the reader a bit more about them. There is also a lot of tension in this scene between these characters.  Just from this short excerpt, how do you think the plot is forwarded? How are relationships moved forward or backward?  What role does Mr. Crane play? What about Cassandra's mother?

Grabbing a plate of what appeared to be fried fish, she handed it to Luke. “Yes, indeed, sir. We have Mr. Heaton to thank for that. As it turns out, he is quite the privateer.”
Luke smiled inwardly as he grabbed the platter and slid a portion onto his plate.

Mr. Crane sipped his wine. “Isn’t it just a game of luck, Mr. Heaton, this privateering?” He said without looking at Luke. “I mean to say. It’s quite a gamble that you’ll even encounter a British vessel, let alone one that you can catch and defeat in battle.”

Luke opened his mouth to reply but the man continued, “And then she must have a bellyful of cargo to sell to make her worthwhile prey.” He plucked a biscuit from a tray and passed the plate to Cassandra. “Yes, indeed, it seems but a game of chance.”

“As it turns out, Mr. Crane. I’m quite good at gambling.” Luke winked at Darlene as she passed him a bowl of greens. The girl giggled.

“A worthless pastime,” Mrs. Channing interjected. “For charlatans and idlers.”

“I quite agree.” Mr. Crane huffed. “Your reputation, Mr. Heaton, does you no credit. And like all gamblers, I’ll wager your luck will run out in time.”

“Then you would wish ill-luck on me as well, Mr. Crane.” Cassandra seethed. “For my success is tied with Mr. Heaton’s.”

Luke raised a brow at her spiteful tone.

“Not at all, my dear.” Alarm rang in Mr. Crane’s voice as if he realized his error. “I merely speak in philosophical generalities. No harm done, Mr. Heaton, eh?”

Fury surged through Luke’s veins while he forced a calm smile upon his lips. All eyes shot to him as if expecting an angry outburst. “I’m flattered that you have spent so much time pondering my past and my reputation, sir. Perhaps you should attend to your own.”
Cassandra smiled and gazed down at her plate.

Mr. Crane stretched his neck. “I’ll have you know, sir, that my reputation is without blemish.”

Mrs. Channing helped herself to the meat pie. “Indeed, Mr. Crane. You need not concern yourself in that regard. All of Baltimore can attest to your good name.” She gave a nervous chuckle, no doubt anxious to change the topic. Her glance took in the table. “Do forgive the lack of proper dining service. I’m afraid we haven’t had time to redeem our china and silverware.”

“Ah, no bother. No bother at all, my dear lady.” Mr. Crane lifted a spoonful of fish to his mouth then recoiled slightly as he tasted it.

“But, wouldn’t you say, Mr. Crane,” Cassandra pressed, “that one’s reputation is never etched in stone? That it is subject to improvement over time?”

Amazed at her defense of him, Luke sought out her eyes, but she kept them locked upon Crane.

Mr. Crane gazed at her with the patronizing look of a teacher with a child. “A rarity, Miss Channing, for it is my belief that one’s character”—he cast a condescending glance at Luke—“or lack thereof, is forged in one’s youth.”

“I do not agree, sir.” Cassandra pursed her pink lips. “And I’ll ask you not to further insult Mr. Heaton. He is my guest.”

Luke sipped his wine, enjoying the exchange. Enjoying that this fascinating woman stood up for him. Perhaps he should thank Mr. Crane for being such a priggy bumblehead.

There's much more to this scene that would make a clearer picture, but you get the point.  Tune in next week when I'll discuss how I develop my character'c arc and how secondary characters feed into that..

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Here's how I see Dominique and Admiral Chase Randal in The Falcon and the Sparrow!

London of 1803 is as wild as Rome before the fall of the Empire as the rick seek to feed their insatiable hunger for pleasure while ignoring Napoleon's resurgence.

Into a dark London townhouse walks a timid woman set upon saving her brother's life, even if it requires her to commit treason upon the country of her birth.

Admiral Chase Randal is intrigued by the new governess in his home and cannot deny that his grieving heart is beginning to awaken as he watches Dominique with his son.

Dominique loves the admiral's son, but how can she understand an attraction for the admiral when he claims to deny the existence of God? For only through God does she find her courage to spy for France.

 

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Wordless Wednesday!

Grounded and abandoned. :-(

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Hoist those sails!

Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. John 12:35

In other words "Keep moving. Keep sailing!" Don't ever stop. Don't lower your sails for one minute. Why? Because darkness is pursuing you.

 So, what is this darkness? It is anything that is not light. And God is light. Anything that is not of God is darkness. In Romans 13, Paul describes works of darkness as revelry, drunkenness, lewdness, strife and envy. But darkness is not just doing wrong. Darkness is a force. It is evil.

• Ephesians 6 tells us there are spiritual beings who rule the darkness.
• In Colossians, we discover that the darkness is powerful.
• In 1st Peter, darkness is described as having chains to bind people.
• In 2nd Peter that darkness is described as total blackness.
• We are told throughout the gospels that outer darkness is equivalent to hell.
• In 1st John we are told that if you are in the darkness, you can't see anything. You can't see the truth or even where the light is.

 Darkness is Satan himself. And we know from 1 Peter 5 that he is prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

There is an evil force following us, chasing us in fact! Sounds a bit scary to me! So what do we do? How do we outrun it? Simple. We keep moving in and with the light.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

Christianity is not a spectator sport. You don't say a prayer, get on the ship and then lollygag around and watch other people hoist sails and haul lines. You can not remain stagnant. You must progress, move forward, learn, grow, allow the Holy Spirit to guide, direct, convict you, change your heart. This involves more than Sunday church and reading a devotional, saying a couple of prayers during the week. This is a lifetime commitment to a deep abiding relationship with God. It means loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, body, and strength.

If you get lazy in your walk with God, darkness will creep up on you. It is subtle, slow like an insidious cancer. You won't notice it at first but after awhile you'll see a change in your attitude, in the things you think about and say. Your desires will change. You'll slip back into your old ways. You won't pray as often, think about God very often, or read your Bible. And before you know it, you're treading water in the midst of a storm and your ship is sailing away.

 So, hoist those sails, haul those lines, scrub those decks and commune with the Captain of your soul daily. Allow Him to guide your ship, teach you, lead you, love you. That's the only way to stay out of the darkness!

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Tis a Writer's Life for me!

In the last couple Friday's I've discussed how I create my hero and heroine for each book. But what about all those pesky secondary characters? I usually have quite a few in my stories. Where and how do I come up with all of them?

Naturally, as part of your storyworld, your hero and heroine will come in contact with many other people. The first thing I do is make a list of the normal people they might know. For instance, if my hero is the captain of a ship, he'd have a first mate, second mate, quartermaster..etc.. in other words, a crew!  Even if he's a simple farmer, he will have a family, farm workers, friends. Usually, my heroine will live amongst relatives such as parents or cousins or an uncle. These are all people who are normally a part of their lives. I write them all down on a list and give them names and occupations and how they relate to my hero or heroine.

But here comes the fun part. (And sometimes, a very complicated part), I need to choose the dominant secondary characters, assign them a role, and plan how they will either assist or deter the hero or heroine from achieving their goals. Not all of the secondary characters in a book will be dominant. Most will be what I call fillers. They merely exist in the story, are part of the plot, but they really play no role in moving it forward. The dominant ones are very important because they will play a part in moving the main characters forward through the story, both physically and spiritually.

Here are the roles I assign my secondary characters. These are taken from the book 45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt. (Highy recommended book)

Friends:
1. Magi – voice of wisdom/ been there, done that. Often unwilling to help hero and prefers to be left alone.
2. Mentor – more like the hero and closer to level. Can be negative or positive
3. Best Friend – Hero’s confidant
4. Lover –

Rivals
1. Joker – troublemaker with a sharp wit
2. Jester – funny but usually means well most of the time
3. Nemesis – a friendly troublemaker just trying to mess things up for hero for the fun of it
4. Investigator – butting in when not wanted or needed. Insecure. Tries to control
5. Pessimist – constantly disapprove of hero
6. Psychic – know it all/superior attitude power hungry
7. Villain - the antagonist

Symbols
1. Shadow – mirrors the hero’s flaws or shortcomings
2. Lost soul – symbolizes hero’s past
3. Double – a role model – who the hero wants to be

 

I don't use them all in each book, but I choose those who fit my plot and purpose. Let me give you some examples from my last book, Surrender the Dawn


Abner Tripp



Cassandra's mother









Margaret Dayle





Biron Abbot


• Villain - Abner Tripp- trying to ruin the hero, Luke Heaton, because Luke humiliated him in the past
• Pessimist - Cassandra's Mother who tried to discourage Cassandra from her goal and turn her onto the wrong path.
• Mentor - Reverend Drummond - gives spiritual advice to both hero and heroine
• Role Model - Margaret Dayle - Cassandra's maid who provides an example of a woman who completely trusts God
• Investigator - Milton Crane who tried to get Cassandra for himself and was always butting into her business
• Best friend to Luke - Noah Brenin
• Magi to Luke - Biron his first mate who is a godly man and is always giving Luke good advice

There's more, but you get the point.  After I create these characters and give them roles, I must decide how they are going to help or hinder the hero and heroine.. .but that's for another week.

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This is how I saw Kent and Isabel in The Restitution!



Only with darker hair!

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Wordless Wednesday!

Coming out of the storm...we are saved!

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