Dee's Devotional:10.10.05

Bible verse for thought: 1 Samuel 3: 3-10. Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.

Who in their right mind wishes to write christian fiction? The past four days I have watched the screenplay adaption of Nicholas Sparks' "A Walk to Remember." I like it better than the book, which is odd. It's usually the reverse. What I liked most about it was how the story spoke on faith. Jamie's faith in God. Her faith in Landon. Landon's mother faith in his father. Jamie's father's faith tested. Faith in friendship. Everything. And this faith has been eating at me pretty bad.
My life like most isn't storybook. I feel like little Peter in "Finding Neverland" right about now. Who gives a flying flip about make believe?
Today I did my first official business as a Daisy Scout Leader and I failed at it. I'm so embarrassed by the blunder, I want to drop out and save face. That's also how I feel about writing creatively.
I don't want my first novel to suck rocks. I don't want to miss the point God wanted to make. Many times I feel like I'm not worthy enough to write anything worthy or good. My life isn't storybook.
Sixteen years ago--half of my life ago--I remember wondering and making plans regarding how my life would be at 32. I accomplished none of those goals: to be an architect, have a phd, marry, have kids. Well...I did have The Kid--Selah. She surpasses my expectations everyday. Which makes me feel even worse, because I just made a blunder with her Daisy Troop. This self-loathing is a demon. I should be reworking through my second draft, reading a novel, something inspiring. But I'm here berating myself for being lackluster and trying to talk myself out of something only a freak like me could do for free--that is tell stories.
This month in church we are looking at recognizing God's voice. I came forward during altar call, bent down at the chancel rail and begged God to open my ears. As I type, I hear him talking to me. Be silent. Be patient. Believe. Be. Believe...This faith thing is hard.
If you haven't done so, stop by faith*in*fiction blog this week. I've posted about it today already. When I'm not being silent with God, pushing myself to clean up this novel or trying to back out of this Girl Scout committment, I will be there renewing my faith not only in my purpose as a Christian, but as a writer.

Writing to see what the end's gon' be,
Dee

The End of the Horror: Day One

J.Mark Bertrand and Dave Long get down and godly with Ezekiel's Shadow. Have you checked it out, yet? Have you read the book?

Dee

Lost and Forgotten? Or, Forgotten and Lost?

© Marina Woods, www.goodgirlbookclubonline.com

 

Lately, God has been dealing with me about some things.

As a Christian book promoter and publishing and marketing consultant, I have noticed some things.

 

There seems to be a lot, and I do mean a lot of books published and marketed to and for women (and a lot for men, too) in the Christian and inspirational market and mainstream market, but not as many for teens. In particular teens of color. As a marketer, I do know that women make 79% of book buying decisions and many contact GGBC for book recommendations for their children.

 

As I was sharing my idea for a teen storyline with my friend who owns a publishing company, she was ecstatic, commenting that not only is it needed but teens have a larger disposable income than adults.

 

One of the things that make me say, hmmm.

 

Then, one day, a teenager joined the young adult GOOD GIRL group and when she mentioned the list of authors she enjoyed and books she has read, guess what?

 

They were all adult books.

 

My Mom works in a large public library.  And guess what? She says that 99.9% of the books that teen girls check out are by novelists such as Zane, Eric Jerome Dickey and a couple of other “popular” authors whose names escape her. The point is, teens are reading adult books—so why isn’t something being done to address them, reach them, market to them, speak to their needs… maybe…hopefully… prayerfully even plant a seed?

 

I wanted to agree with someone who wrote me wanting to start a teen GOOD GIRL book club chapter. “There are good books out there for teens that are not Christian marketed,” she admonished.

 

Okay. Name them.

 

This is not to say there aren’t any. But who is reading them, buying them and writing them? This I want to know if you know. This way, we can offer more edifying yet interesting, entertaining books for teens and also monitor what they are reading and buying. After all, what goes in, comes out in life, right?

 

 © Marina Woods, www.goodgirlbookclubonline.com