No Longer Flopping

I had considered sharing my book progress for the New Year, but realized how apropos it is to share it after climbing over some major hurdles in my transcription certification journey.

You see, I'm one of those "if I can't do it perfectly, I won't do it at all," people, and God's really been busting down those walls in me. The last few months have been an exercise in resilience, in doing things way less than perfectly and realizing I'm still here. God still loves me. And I'm humbled that He wants to know me in the midst of my not-so-pretty walk this season.

I've been praying about my next writing project. And God answered that prayer. He gave me the premise, and I'm not looking back! (This never happens! Usually, I flop around until I find a plot, much like a fish that's unfortunately found itself stranded on the shoreline.)

Now, things might change as I discover where this story is going, but ultimately, I know it will involve sharing the Gospel and the hurt that's hidden in the human heart. And I'm so excited to get started once I've finished my second test.

So without further ado, here's the premise of my soon-to-be-titled next novel:

Thirty-six-year-old Hellie Garmin is a struggling writer whose only friend in the world is her younger brother, Brent Garmin (25). She lives a strange and secluded life, observing rather than living, and therefore, has no real "plot" to draw from when writing "The Next Great American Novel." One day, when following a stray cat that she creates an entire storyline around, she ends up at a small church. She thinks it's kismet, that the gods are shining down on her, and she stumbles in, thinking it would make for a great story. But what she gets is a crash course in human nature and the power of God working in the most unlikely of circumstances. 

I'll, of course, be fleshing out dear Hellie and Brent (I have some seeds planted in my heart about their back stories), but I can definitely "see" where God may be taking me in all of this.

Thanks for your prayers and encouraging words. And just a quick shoutout to my writer friend, Priscilla, who is such a blessing when it comes to keeping me focused on the writing gift God has given me. There's been a ton of times when I think, "I just need to give this whole thing up," and then God uses her to keep me going. I often (and I think we all do) get scrambled up in what Christianity is "supposed" to be, and then comes along someone who is simply loving God and loving others, using her own gift of words to bring light.

That...that is what I want to do too. And I pray that for all of us.