Stories of Consequence
Blog
Reflections on writing, faith, and the stories that shape us.
Inside the Story Series #8: Writing Villains Without Caricature - Why Evil Often Looks Ordinary
When I say the word villain, what image comes to mind?
Perhaps someone with a cold stare and a threatening voice. Someone who delivers dramatic confessions and practically announces their wicked intentions. Think Snidely Whiplash with his black cape, elaborate mustache, and an unfortunate habit of making his intentions perfectly obvious.
We like villains who look like villains. They make the world easier to understand.
The trouble is that evil rarely reveals itself so conveniently.
Inside the Story Series # 7: What Fiction Can Say That Memoir Can’t - Why I Chose Story Instead of Autobiography
If you’ve lived through difficult experiences, why invent characters? Why create Beth Clark rather than simply tell your own story?
I’ve been asked that question, and it’s a fair one. Memoir is a powerful way to convey a message. It preserves memories, bears witness to the truth, and allows someone to say, “This happened.” I could have written a memoir, but I chose a different path.
Inside the Story Series # 5: The Hardest Chapters to Write - When Fiction Comes Too Close to Memory
A scene may be straightforward on the page yet still leave the writer staring at the cursor, reluctant or even unable to write. Some chapters are difficult because the writer doesn't know what should happen next. Others are difficult because the writer knows exactly what must happen but doesn't want to go there.
Inside the Story Series # 2: Why I Write Ordinary Heroes – The Quiet Courage That Changes Lives
One thing you'll notice in my novel, What Remains After, and in the short stories on my blog is that I don't write about superheroes. I write about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances and are compelled to act. That's what courage often looks like in real life. The people who change or even save lives rarely wear uniforms or capes. More often, they're neighbors, teachers, pastors, relatives, foster parents, friends, or even strangers who choose not to look away.
Inside the Story Series # 1 - Why I Chose Rural Alberta: How Place Shapes My Stories
Every writer has a place that lives in their imagination long before they put words to a page. For me, that place has always been Alberta, especially rural Alberta.
Why This Story Might Be Difficult and Why That Matters: Why Some Stories Refuse Easy Answers
Yet some stories ask something different of us. They invite us not to escape reality but to engage with it. My new novel, What Remains After, belongs to that second category.
If You've Ever Felt Unbelieved: Why Being Heard Matters After Trauma
Most people assume that after someone has experienced trauma, the deepest wound is the original harm they endured. Sometimes that is the case. But often, another wound follows. It occurs when someone tells their story and is not believed.
Is What Remains After the Right Book for You?
One of the biggest lessons I've learned as both a writer and a reader is that no book is for everyone. That doesn't mean a book is flawed. It's simply the reality of storytelling. Readers have personal tastes, preferences, and backgrounds that influence the kinds of books they enjoy.
When You Realize a Story Is Bigger Than You: What Writing a Novel Taught Me About Story, Faith, and Humility
Most writers begin a story with a clear idea of what they are creating. They know the plot, at least in broad strokes, if not in every detail. They've developed character profiles and may have even made character boards for them on Pinterest or sketched out how the characters look. They understand the central conflict, though it may change as they begin writing. They usually know the ending, though this may change during the writing process.
Why Some Characters Refused to Behave: What Fictional Characters Taught Me About Human Nature
… There are moments in their stories when a character refuses to do what they were intended to do. This isn’t necessarily because the writer loses control, but because the planned action no longer feels true.
The Difference Between Telling a Story and Living One
Human beings are storytelling creatures. History has been passed down through the ages through storytelling. We've also been given magnificent brains, and those brains enjoy imagining lives we don't necessarily live ourselves. As storytellers, we instinctively look for beginnings, middles, and endings. We want everything to fit together coherently, and when stories don't, we are left feeling confused, frustrated, and dissatisfied.
What Revision Taught Me About Patience – Lessons from Revising a Novel
Writing a first draft can feel exhilarating, but revision teaches a different lesson. It teaches patience. In this essay, I reflect on what revising What Remains After taught me about growth, discovery, and learning to trust the writing process.
The Hardest Scene to Write in What Remains After: Writing About Trauma, Truth, and Healing
As a reader, I used to assume that the hardest scenes for an author to write were the action scenes, fierce climactic confrontations, or moments of violence. Once I took up writing with the determination that it would be my calling and profession, I soon discovered that for me, the hardest scenes are not necessarily so because of what happens in them, but because of what they represent.
Light Shines Best amid Darkness
Recently, I submitted a manuscript to a developmental editor. That novel, FOR MAGGIE, is a project I have been working on in various forms for over half a decade. I was puzzled when my editor returned with the question of what genre I was writing in. I thought it was clear. My story is a Christian romantic suspense. My editor informed me that because my manuscript contained Christian themes, mentioned Christ, and quoted scripture, secular publishers or audiences would not accept it. I was aware of this. What surprised me was when she told me that due to the “dark subject matter,” it wouldn’t be accepted by Christian publishers or audiences, either. I had to decide whether to eliminate the spiritual elements from my book to target a secular audience or to lighten the subject matter and remove certain sections to appeal to the Christian market. I felt frustrated that, as a writer, I couldn’t explore the dark nature of the human condition and still be considered “Christian.”
Story Structure Series: The Fichtean Curve
In today’s post, we will explore a structure commonly used in various genres, including satire, speculative fiction, crime, and thrillers/suspense: the Fichtean Curve….
Story Structure: Freytag’s Pyramid
Last week, we examined story structure and its essential role in storytelling. Story (or narrative) structure is the order in which events in a story are relayed to the reader or audience. It can be thought of as the scaffolding of storytelling, holding the narrative together in a logical sequence or order from the beginning to the end. This week, we will study Freytag’s Pyramid, and the next post will explore the Fichtean Curve.
Story Structure Series: What is Story Structure?
Story structure, or narrative structure, makes up the basic foundation of storytelling. With a sound structure, a story rambles and makes no sense. So, what is story structure? It is the order in which events in a story are relayed to the reader or audience. It can be thought of as the scaffolding of storytelling, which holds the narrative together in a logical sequence or order from the beginning to the end....
Character Series: The Deuteragonist
The Deuteragonist is the second most important and present character in a story next to the Protagonist. Also known as the “secondary main character,” they can be a friend, ally, love interest, or even a foe for the Protagonist....
Character Series: The Antagonist
Equally important to the story as the Protagonist is the subject of this week’s post: the Antagonist. Without an Antagonist or Antagonistic Force causing opposition to or conflict for the Protagonist’s efforts to reach their goal, there is no plot. No plot, no story....
Character Series: The Protagonist
In earlier blog posts, we explored the five main elements of a story. One of those main elements was character. Over the next few weeks, we will examine the types of characters commonly found in literature. Specifically, we will explore the roles of the Protagonist, the Antagonist, the Deuterogamist, the Love Interest, the Confidant, and the Foil. This week, our focus will be on the Protagonist: the role of this character type, the characteristics that define it, and ways to create a strong example of a Protagonist in a story….