Faith

Lilies of the field

Well the Bible tells us that the lilies of the field don't have to work for their keep but the Lord allows them to be what they were meant to be without their struggling. I'm reminding myself that goes for me too. I don't have to be a worrywort. It doesn't mean I can sit back and twiddle my thumbs, but it's a matter of trusting Him in every difficult situation. That's my thought for today!

It's been fun blogging here. But soon I'll be blogging on another site linked to my www.ritastellagalieh.com web site. I'll announce the changes when it's finished. I've been enjoying working on online courses with American Christian Fiction Writers. You keep on improving as you continue to pick up great advice. So I give this an A1 endorsement to anyone wondering whether to take a course. And free, too!

Characters...do they ring true?

I've had several ideas for a new book series, so must get to work on this. Recently I've been working on revision after doing an extra online course on character studies with Meredith Efken.

It's an interesting experience setting aside how you would react to a situation...good or bad...and crawling inside that of your main protagonist. One of my male characters was emoting just a little too much, so I've been revising his actions and attitudes and understating this. Now he rings true. I appreciate his strength and his rather awkward way of saying what he really doesn't mean in order to cover up. Oh no, he's not about to let anyone see what's going on inside...except me, of course. Mm, it's nice being privy to this!

Clean Up

Yesterday we had an interesting viewpoint from our pastor. Because it was the much publicized "Clean Up Australia Day" where hundreds of Aussie's picked up tons of litter( including mountains of plastics and cig butts) he pulled in one of those green trash bins. From that very visual aid--I mean how often do you see that in full view of the church congregation? he drove home a great message.

Yes, it's so necessary that we clean up our lives, too. He listed many of the sinful things we dump into our lives that mess us up and come between us and our Holy Lord. Wow! I'm sure it struck home to us all. It's often the little things we slip up on, but it all adds up.

The Strange Saga of Kelly's Castle

My agent in Pennsylvania tells me she's snowbound so will get to read the proposal I sent last night. She's happy that I've been willing to work on my craft...and so am I.

I've put in a great deal of thought into this story. It all began when some Malaysian friends took us to see a most unusual sight. An English-style castle set well apart from the town of Pusing. It was in ruins, and naturally I questioned who it once belonged to. Everyone had their own opinions and even the local authorities told me they hadn't any data on it, except that it had something to do with a man named Kelly, so I felt a story coming on. Kelly just had to be Irish, didn't he? Anyway, the partial manuscript of The Strange Saga of Kelly's Castle is now being read through, and here's hoping!!!

PROPOSALS

Being deluged with thousands of submissions is enough to make publishers choose only those authors who clearly spell out what their book's all about in their book proposal. That's much easier to do on a small book, but a full-length historical is some challenge. Still, it does cause one to get to the nub of the plot and what the characters's goals and motives are. I've decided the genre I love to write most is Historical Romantic Intrigue.

There's something about a woman living in the Victorian era who is independent and forthright, but has to conduct herself within the parameters of a society which could be hypocritical. People guessed what went on but as long as it wasn't done openly that was OK. It seems self righteousness was rampant then. This gives plenty of room for twists and turns in the plotline.

Mmm! I love complications. After all, life today can be complicated. But back then with limited communication, misunderstandings were rife. Well, they are in my stories.