Life Lessons: My current work in progress - Ruth L. Snyder

One of the projects I'm tackling this year is a collaborative effort with five other authors. Helping Hands Press is publishing the San Francisco Wedding Planner series, a light romance. Our publisher presented us with the context for the story and the main characters. It's up to our team to fashion a fun, interesting story. To launch the project, each of the six authors wrote one chapter of the opening story. The Initial Consultation was published in February. I will also be writing the complete story for volume 6, but I have to wait until volume 5 is written (the beginning of June) so that I can tie the loose strands together to end this first series. Volume 6 (my story) is scheduled for release on July 3rd.

For the second series of the San Francisco Wedding Planner, each of the authors is writing a prequel about one character from the first series. My character is Heather Donovan, wedding planner extraordinaire. I'm just putting the finishing touches on Life Lessons, which will be published in mid-July. Heather is in her first year of nursing practice, experiences her first love, and comes up against some challenges which cause her to examine her choices.

I am finding this project challenging in several ways. First, there is only one plot which is shared by all six authors. You never know what interesting twists the writer before you will throw into the mix. Another challenge is the quick turn-around time for writing. Each writer has between two to three weeks to write 10,000 words once she receives the story previous to hers. I'm also finding it a challenge to write for the general market - keeping the story light, funny, and interesting, but also offering the reader something to think about.

Here's a teaser for you:

"Ms. Simons is in labor and will deliver soon. You'll assist, of course. She has requested a late-term abortion."

"How far along is she?"

"Twenty-two weeks."

"That far? What if the baby is viable?"

"The fetus will not survive. Do you understand?"

Heather searched Jonathan's eyes. "What are you saying?"

"You will not provide any extra support that could determine viability. Ms. Simons is near the edge mentally and I've agreed to perform a late-term abortion for health reasons."

"But Jonathan. How can you even say those words? Do you realize what that means? Baby Shannon was born at twenty-two weeks and she's viable. How can you not provide the same level of care for this baby?"

"Because my patient, Ms. Simons, has the right to choose. It's our job to meet the needs of our patients."

"But technically, once the fetus is delivered, he or she becomes your patient too. Do we just stand by and let him or her die? Doesn't that make us complicit in murder?"

"Heather, you studied abortion. Didn't you know you'd be asked to provide medical assistance with these types of procedures?"

"Of course, but I never expected to be presented with two babies at the same gestation, with totally opposite requests for care. Did you encourage Ms. Simons to consider adoption?"

"Heather, you know that's not my place. Yes, I presented her with options, but she had to make her decision. I couldn't sway her."

"But what about the Hippocratic Oath, specifically that phrase about never doing any harm?"

"I'm glad you brought that up, because providing treatment to the fetus may prove harmful to Ms. Simons. I have my instructions from her and I intend to carry them out. What I need to know is whether you're prepared to back me up or not. I'm hoping I know the answer to that question, but I need to be sure before we assist Ms. Simons."

"How can you even ask me to do this?" Heather glared at Jonathan.

"Because it's your job." He glared back. "This may be the first time you've been asked to help with this procedure, but it won't be the last." He grasped her firmly by the shoulders."I know it's tough, but as a medical professional you must do it."

"And if I refuse?"

"You don't want to go there."

For more about Ruth and her writing go to ruthlsnyder.com and "like" her Facebook Author Page

A Priestly Business - by Marcia Janson

Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you think about it, reading fiction is kind of odd.  We voluntarily suspend disbelief and allow our minds to become part of an alternate reality. For a few hours, we jump into life events in another place and time while embracing the worldview of characters who may be very different from us.  It’s an escape from the present moment that is kind of like an island stopover between the lands of waking and dreaming. Even though our intellectual minds are in control of the whole process, there is a sense in which our imaginations open us to a dream world where fantasy and reality intersect.

When we close the book, we must re-focus on our own lives, but something has changed. The remnants of the novel’s events or atmosphere tend to linger on, affecting our mood and even our outlook on life. Good fiction quite often inspires a sense of unrest in our minds, as we try to come to terms with a new understanding of human existence. That’s usually a good thing, but how it affects us depends on what types of characters the author has created and what philosophy of life drives their attitudes and behaviour.

We may come away from some novels feeling just terrible. A certain dark cynicism or fear tries to creep in, pushing Godly hope into the background. Alternatively, it is wonderful if the writer has, in some subtle way, woven God threads into the fabric of the story. Even a tiny spark of redemptive love or surprising joy in the midst of despair can make the human spirit sing.

Gore Vidal once made an intriguing comment: 

“Writing fiction has become a priestly business in countries that have lost their faith.”  

There’s a lot of truth in that. In Canada, it seems that the majority of people consider spirituality to be a side issue.The general cultural message is, “Follow whatever god you wish, but don’t bring your faith into the public square.”  

Outside the walls of the Church, not many people read Bibles or buy Christian novels and magazines. As Gore Vidal’s remark implies, that does not mean that people aren’t looking for answers to the deep questions of life. The world of fiction - that island stopover between waking and dreaming - is a place where the heart and intellect can enter into and live a story together. There is spiritual hunger out there and Christian fiction writers in particular have an opportunity to provide a small oasis where people can sample a little taste of God’s banquet. 

 
If there's a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet,
then you must write it.  ~Toni Morrison
 

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Photo credit

Woman with candle - http://www.flickr.com/photos/glassified_seconds/7648000958/