In Everyone, Give Thanks

“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” – Albert Schweitzer

Writing can be a very solitary endeavor. Often times it is just you and the computer (or you vs. the computer, depending on how your day is going). I’ve been feeling the solitude lately. I’m about two-thirds of the way through a manuscript that is likely the most tense and emotional story I’ve ever attempted. It’s been tough. Draining. And recently I started to feel that inner light of creativity and passion start to flicker as if it’s about to go out.

At times like that, I’ve learned there’s only one thing to do: stop writing and pick up the phone. Call another writer, a critique partner, a loyal friend who reads (and loves) everything you write, and let them rekindle your inner spirit.

In a month where we are focusing on an attitude of gratitude, I have been reflecting on how much God has blessed me through relationships with other writers. If it had not been for my critique partners, a dedicated mentor, and good friends who love to talk books and writing and dreams as much as I do, I would have given up my pursuit of publication a long time ago. I am so grateful that we are not in this alone, that God designed us to be in relationship so we can encourage, support, and inspire each other. I am so grateful for my friends.


A lifelong storyteller, Sara Richardson is passionate about communicating reasons for hope. Previously she has been an advertising copywriter, an Internet communications manager, and a whitewater rafting guide. In addition to writing fiction, Sara has published nonfiction articles in parenting and family magazines. As a member of MOPS International, Sara enjoys speaking to moms’ groups. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from Regent University. Visit her at www.hopetolife.com

That's Not Funny

I love to laugh, but I’m not exactly skilled in the art of making other people laugh. Just ask my four-year-old. I’ll tell a story that I find hilarious, and he’ll look at me with his big, blue eyes ten years more mature, and say, “That’s not funny, Mom.” Usually he’s right. I’m lucky to have him to keep me humble.

Not long after I started writing, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and try to write something in a genre that was actually selling. At that time, Chick Lit happened to be popular, and I thought it would be a great fit for me. I wrote what I thought was a very funny novel about the wittiest character ever created. My book ended up being a finalist in the Genesis contest (I think there were a total of ten entries), but one of the agent judges came back with a verdict that sounded much like what my four-year-old continually tells me: NOT FUNNY. She was right. The comedy in the book was forced, the voice was somewhat clichéd and the character was not all that likeable. (Some may say I have a sarcastic sense of humor.)

Since then, I have faced the fact that I am not a humorist, but I have also realized that a book does not have to be a comedy in order to be funny. In fact, my favorite books are the ones that make me laugh and cry. The ones that reach deep into the soul and thread in a universal theme, but that also include irony and moments of comedy. Take The Help, for instance. So much of that book made me sad. I couldn’t believe how those women were treated. Because of the injustice against them, parts of it were hard for me to read. But the author used humor as a device to break up the tension and make the difficult parts of the story more palatable. It worked brilliantly, and yet it was so simple. She brought in a couple of quirky characters and an outrageous action taken by one of the characters (having something to do with pie), and I found myself laughing out loud. Can you imagine what that novel would be like without Minny Jackson? Instead of reading it in a few days like I did, it might have taken me weeks. Rather than being too heavy or trying too hard to send a message, it was one of the most perfectly balanced books I have ever read.

I’m not funny, but even I can come up with a few good lines here and there. I can invent quirky characters who get themselves into deep … trouble. Every novel should have some element of humor. Even the saddest, most dramatic storyline needs comic relief.


A lifelong storyteller, Sara Richardson is passionate about communicating reasons for hope. Previously she has been an advertising copywriter, an Internet communications manager, and a whitewater rafting guide. In addition to writing fiction, Sara has published nonfiction articles in parenting and family magazines. As a member of MOPS International, Sara enjoys speaking to moms’ groups. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from Regent University. Visit her at www.hopetolife.com

My First Mountain

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
 John 10:10

I was a gangly fourteen-year-old when I climbed my first mountain. Mount Huron, one of Colorado’s “fourteeners.” Climbing a mountain wasn’t really something I wanted to do. I was on a backpacking trip with my youth group and our guides woke us up in the middle of the night, told us to bundle up, get our water and our flashlights, and meet them in the center of our camp. We did, grumbling the whole way. The grumbles turned into passionate protests when they explained that we were going to climb a mountain. In the dark.

It had already been a rough day. We’d hiked over two ridges, and my muscles were sore. Earlier that day, on a particularly rocky section of the trail, the sole of my hiking boot broke off. So all I had left were my cool, pink tennis shoes. With terrible traction.

Though I pleaded my case, our guides didn’t back down. They basically told me to go or be left behind. Alone. With the bears. Since that wasn’t my idea of a good time either, I started out with the rest of the group.

I’d never felt so tired. My legs hurt, my head hurt, my eyes hurt. The only thing guiding my steps was the small, circular beam from my flashlight. As we started through a boulder field about three-fourths of the way through our journey, I dropped my flashlight. It bounced down the slope and my world went dark. I sat on a rock and cried. It was too hard. It hurt too much. I was too scared. I wanted to give up. But I didn’t. After a while, I prayed, I picked myself up, and I continued the journey—albeit very slowly—until I’d reached the top.

I’ve come to the conclusion that our fullest moments in life—the best times of refreshment—usually come after a long, arduous struggle. All the way up that mountain, I’d carried the burdens of resentment and fear. I couldn’t see where I was going. The world was dark and I was weary. But I kept hiking. And when I clawed my way up the last section of the peak right as the sunrise bled across the sky, all of those burdens disappeared. Refreshment rushed in and I only felt free.

When I think of living life to the fullest, when I think about refreshment, I always remember how I felt standing on the peak of Mount Huron. I’ve climbed many mountains since then—literally and figuratively. And after I conquer each one, I know exactly what Jesus was talking about in John 10:10. Life to the full—the life that He promises—is a life of both surrender and freedom. If you surrender to His will and hike through the rough spots, if you persevere and hold onto Him tight, you will most assuredly experience His refreshing sovereignty on the mountaintop.


A lifelong storyteller, Sara Richardson is passionate about communicating reasons for hope. Previously she has been an advertising copywriter, an Internet communications manager, and a whitewater rafting guide. In addition to writing fiction, Sara has published nonfiction articles in parenting and family magazines. As a member of MOPS International, Sara enjoys speaking to moms’ groups. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from Regent University. Visit her at www.hopetolife.com

Sermons Belong in Church

When I started submitted my manuscripts to agents and editors a couple of years ago, I collected a relatively large pile of rejection e-mails. While they stung, these rejections also gave me a gift: they offered me enough information to figure out what was lacking in my stories. See if you can determine what they were trying to tell me: “Your writing is not emotive enough.” “Needs more emotion.” “The story lacks depth.”

I couldn’t argue. They were right. I had been trained as a journalist—taught to remain objective and unbiased. Because of this, my characters’ spiritual journeys— their quests to fulfill their hidden needs—felt stilted, predictable, and … I hate to say it … preachy.

I love to hear my pastor preach a good sermon in church, but I don’t enjoy reading sermons in novels. And yet there I was, writing mini sermons every time my characters happened to get themselves into difficult situations. The common thread in my proud collection of rejections inspired me to buy a book so I could learn how to create compelling emotion in a story while weaving a faith element into the plot and characters. Writing for Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias was actually written for screenwriters, but I highly recommend that every storyteller read it in order to learn the art of conveying emotion.

One of the most important things I learned from this book was that we don’t need to explain faith or God or salvation to our readers. We need to show them examples in a character with whom they’re connected. Our characters’ purpose is not to preach to our readers, their purpose is to build a relationship with our readers and invite them to participate in an experience.

As Iglesias says in his book, “Preaching is frowned upon in dramatic writing because it’s telling. Most writers know that they should ‘show, not tell.’ Show your theme in action, and make the reader feel instead of telling him. You do this by dramatizing your deepest beliefs about human beings and the best way to live their lives” (39).

This concept changed the way I write. I realized I could let my characters live their lives. I could let them mess up. I could let them make the wrong decision. No. Let me rephrase that. I had to let them. If I had not made so many mistakes in my past, if I had not experienced darkness and pain, I would not know the pure joy and freedom that is found in redemption. And the same is true for our characters. Instead of fighting those things in my writing, I started to embrace them. I’m learning how to get emotionally involved in my stories.

“We learn best when we’re emotionally involved, not when we’re lectured. Great movies teach us about life while moving us emotionally. The more meaningful the theme, the deeper the emotions.” (40).

As writers who are also Christians, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to write stories with meaning. For me, developing a spiritual thread in my novels has been about learning how to deepen my characters’ emotions and invite the reader into their experience. This means leaving out a lot of jargon. It means reliving some of my own pain through their struggles. It means showing the darkness so our readers can walk with our characters into the light.


A lifelong storyteller, Sara Richardson is passionate about communicating reasons for hope. Previously she has been an advertising copywriter, an Internet communications manager, and a whitewater rafting guide. In addition to writing fiction, Sara has published nonfiction articles in parenting and family magazines. As a member of MOPS International, Sara enjoys speaking to moms’ groups. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from Regent University. Visit her at www.momstories.org.

I Hate Editing!

I’m not an expert on editing. To be honest, I really don’t even enjoy it that much. It’s not a gift I possess. I am much better at being the visionary—brainstorming new ideas, structuring a plot, writing fresh words. But, like all writers, I understand the importance of editing. It’s truly what turns a story into a book.

When I worked as an advertising copywriter, it was a relatively normal occurrence for a client to take a look at the ad copy I’d written and say, “Start over.” Without a word, I’d dutifully crumple up the printout and go for a three-pointer in my office trashcan. Sometimes I’d roll my eyes and grumble about it, but most of the time I’d simply sit back down at my computer and get to work. That was my job and I wanted to do it well. I wanted to get it right. Though it may not appear so, writing advertising copy is an art. It’s a delicate combination of capturing attention, sending a message and issuing a compelling call to action. That’s hard to do in a hundred words or less. It was almost expected that I wouldn’t get it right the first time.

But those first drafts weren’t wasted trees in the trashcan. Besides offering me countless opportunities to hone my basketball skills, those first drafts were the start of something. The words on the page simply had to be mined and reshaped and polished to reach their full potential.

That’s how I’ve recently started to think of my fiction first drafts. I no longer try to get it right the first time. I know I likely won’t get it right on the second try. Or the third. Instead, I’ve developed an editing process that works for me: I write my novels in layers. I’ve found it takes the tedium out of the task. First, get the story out. Then go back as many times as necessary to mine the potential, to deepen the plot and characters, to raise the stakes, to polish each scene so it shines with originality. Writing this way actually makes me feel like I’m working a new story each time I go through.

I’ll never be a fabulous editor; it’s definitely not my passion. (I am so grateful that there are passionate editors out there!) But I think all of us can develop a customized editing process that enables us to pursue excellence in crafting, not just a good story, but the best story we can possibly write.

And when you think you’ve done all you can with it, find a talented freelance editor who will prove you wrong. ;-)


A lifelong storyteller, Sara Richardson is passionate about communicating reasons for hope. Previously she has been an advertising copywriter, an Internet communications manager, and a whitewater rafting guide. In addition to writing fiction, Sara has published nonfiction articles in parenting and family magazines. As a member of MOPS International, Sara enjoys speaking to moms’ groups. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from Regent University. Visit her at www.momstories.org.

Sacrifice and Grace

When I tell someone that I write romantic suspense for the Christian market, I always laugh at the confused expression on their face. I can almost see them picturing a book cover that depicts a half-dressed Fabio sporting angel wings and a halo. Christian romance? Really? Is that even possible?

As a couple others have pointed out in their blog posts this month, we are involved in the greatest romance of all time—a love story that is still being written. “This is how God showed his love among us: he sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love. Not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John). This is the kind of romance every soul craves. One that involves sacrifice and forgiveness—one that is based on a foundation of grace and unconditional acceptance.

As I Christian writer, I am convicted to write deeper romance novels. I believe in true love. I know it exists, and I want to communicate God’s love to the world. I take great joy in explaining to those confused people that I write a different kind of romance. One that is not based solely on physical attraction. Yes, there is always a thread of physical chemistry between my hero and heroine, but it is not the driving force in their relationship. In every book, I strive to create a love between two people that emulates Christ’s love for us. One that speaks to every person’s need. It doesn’t matter if you write historicals or mysteries, or science fiction, if you can incorporate self-sacrifice and redemptive grace into your characters’ relationships, you are writing romance, and you will point hungry souls to the one love that will fulfill their every need.

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A lifelong storyteller, Sara Richardson is passionate about communicating reasons for hope. Previously she has been an advertising copywriter, an Internet communications manager, and a whitewater rafting guide. In addition to writing fiction, Sara has published nonfiction articles in parenting and family magazines. As a member of MOPS International, Sara enjoys speaking to moms’ groups. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from Regent University. Visit her at www.momstories.org.

Deep, Dark Secrets

I have secrets. Secrets that one or two of my closest soul mates may know, but that I intentionally keep hidden from the rest of the world. Are you curious?

The truth is we all have skeletons in our closets. They take on many forms—past wounds, previous mistakes, missed opportunities. These things are part of us. We may have let them go. We may have been healed from them. They may no longer weigh on us and hold us back, but they are still part of us in one way or another. They still shape how we see ourselves and the world around us.

I often know after reading the first chapter of a book whether or not I will connect with the main character. More often than not, I know after reading the first couple of pages. And in going back to examine the characters who have stuck with me and haunted my mind long after I put the book down, I have noticed that they are the characters who had secrets.

I read a recent example of this concept in Athol Dickson’s Winter Haven. Here are the main character’s thoughts eight pages into the book:

“I allowed myself to dream of Siggy. Knowing I was going to collect his body, it seemed safe enough to let my brother in again, or so I told myself. Of course I really knew there was no safety in my memories.”

Isn’t that a powerful line? Though it’s only a simple sentence, it reveals so much. It tells us that this woman has past wounds, and that they’re so painful she still feels them years later. This simple revelation made me want to keep reading. To get to know her. To learn what had hurt her so deeply. To discover what she’s still running from.

Another great example is found in Lisa McKay’s My Hands Came Away Red. The opening lines in this book gripped me and threw me straight into the character’s world.

“It only takes a day and a half for the dreams to find me again. I wake just before dawn sweating and shaking, the sheets all tangled around my legs. I can’t get back to sleep. If I close my eyes, I can see the flames and hear the voices.”

Right away I had to know what happened to her. I had to read her story.

What about you? Can you think of examples like this? Characters who revealed the smallest secret that hooked you in the beginning of the story? It’s a simple way to give your characters more depth and intrigue. Give them secrets and keep the reader guessing.


A lifelong storyteller, Sara Richardson is passionate about communicating reasons for hope. Previously she has been an advertising copywriter, an Internet communications manager, and a whitewater rafting guide. In addition to writing fiction, Sara has published nonfiction articles in parenting and family magazines. As a member of MOPS International, Sara enjoys speaking to moms’ groups. She earned a master’s degree in journalism from Regent University. Visit her at www.momstories.org.