Saint Valentine's Story

My name is Valentine. I was a priest during the third century when Rome was ruled by Emperor Claudius. A lot of people didn’t like Emperor Claudius including me.

Claudius wanted a big army and expected men to volunteer to join, but many men didn’t want to leave their wives and families to fight in wars. This made Claudius furious and he decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought this cruel, and I thought it preposterous.

One of my favorite duties was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers. And one night the steps came. Terror rippled through us. Thank goodness the young couple escaped in time. I was not so fortunate and thrown in jail, sentenced to death.

Wonderful things began to happen. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love. One of these young people who visited regularly, the daughter of the prison guard, helped to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I had done right in defying the emperor and performing secret marriages.

On the day I was to die, February 14, 269 A.D., I left my friend a note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine." I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. Now, every year, people remember and think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten!

**Paraphrased from http://www.pictureframes.co.uk/pages/saint_valentine.htm

The Romance I Could Write

I admit -- in my BJ (before Jesus) days, I read a lot of secular romances. I read some not-so-wholesome stories. And after about 20 of them, I was bored to tears. They were all the same: boy meets girl; boy loses girl; girl gets involved with the wrong guy who treats her shamefully; boy1 rescues girl; they live happily ever after.

I am not against the happily ever after -- it just didn't seem real for me. I didn't have that kind of romance in my life, and I didn't know anyone else who did, either. So I stopped reading romance stories.

Even AJ (After Jesus), I avoided romance stories because the couple I did read were the same formula, except for the being treated shamefully, that is. That formula still wasn't real for me.

And then I attended a writers conference, and the only class in a particular time slot I was even remotely interested in was "Writing Romance That Sells" by DiAnn Mills. I wasn't really interested in writing romance; I was interested in writing a book that would sell.

So DiAnn went through the requirements of a romance:
1. Find a character no one would particularly like
2. Redeem the character
3. Put that character in a painful situation you have experienced where you were hurt and betrayed.
4. Write the opening line to the story.
5. Figure out why the hero and heroine would never fall in love and marry.
6. Figure out what makes your story different.

And I came up with a pathological liar who tries to make herself look good by making others look bad, but one of her lies rebounds to attack the only person she really cares about, an elderly widow next door, and she sees what her lies do to her and others. The hurtful scene, which really happened to me, was her boyfriend broke up with her by giving her a record album: 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. And told her he was going back to his wife (okay, in my case, it was his previous girlfriend)

My opening line was:
Slamming the door behind her, Madison was positive of only two things: she would never come back to Lincolntown, and she would never fall in love again.

My hero (not the jerk with the record album gift) and heroine would never fall in love and marry because she wants a career, and he wants a mother for his three small children. Oh, yeah, and she says she will never fall in love again -- it hurts too much.

And what makes my story different is that Madison learns that her importance is not in what she does, but in who she is in God. And she can be just as important to God changing diapers as she can climbing the corporate ladder.

When I finished the class, saw how DiAnn had tricked me into falling in love with a romantic suspense idea, I told her, "Now, this is a romance I could read. And one I could write."

So, I haven't written it yet, but it is on my list. I fell in love with the parts of a romance I like to write about -- the tension, the truth behind the facade, and the journey towards God.

What kind of a romance could you write? Every genre has romantic elements -- post your comments about your genre and how you weave romance into the plot. And if you haven't written any romance in yet, how could you do that?

Love Is in the Air

Okay, Paula took my idea for this post. And Kathy posted about every romantic movie I could think of, and many more I've not heard about. (Can you tell I'm not a movie fan?) BUT Kathy didn't mention the one book/movie that always resonates with me because of the subtle romance. Pride and Prejudice.

Do I hear a collective sigh? (Mr. Darcy will always look like Colin Firth to me.)

I've never wanted to be a romance writer, especially since that isn't my preferred fiction reading. However, I love a good mystery, suspense, or thriller that has a touch of romance. And that's what I write. I don't really want to be hit over the head by all the various ways of describing attraction, most of which makes my eyes roll. Some even makes me want to throw the book across the room. Especially if what is keeping the hero and heroine apart is something that could be cleared up in a matter of minutes if only they would talk to one another!

My hubby and I met at a very, very conservative Christian university in the South that had extremely strict rules for dating couples. We were not allowed to even hold hands on campus. In addition to the usual dating opportunities a college campus has—lunch, dinner, sporting events, concerts, recitals, etc.—we had what was called the "Social Parlor." Think huge furniture store with loveseats and coffee tables scattered all around. And a chaperon sitting sitting at a desk or walking round the "parlor," making sure all couples were adhering to the rules.

A little strict? Yes. Archaic even? Yes, again. Frustrating at times? Absolutely! But those were the times that taught us the power of a look and the ability to communicate that has held us together over the last 33 years. And when we were together away from the school, we held hands, hugged, and yes (GASP) we kissed! LOL

That's why Jane Austen's subtle romance as portrayed in Pride and Prejudice appeals to me. As Elizabeth and Darcy got to know each other better, the more they came to appreciate each other for more than just physical attraction. That's the kind of romance I strive to portray in my own writing. And that's the kind of romance I like to read as well.

Marjorie Vawter is a professional freelance editor who proofreads for CBA publishers, edits for individual clients, and does a little writing herself in her “spare” time. An avid reader, she also judges for several prestigious awards in the inspirational marketplace, and serves as conference director’s assistant for the Colorado and Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conferences. Since 2008 Marjorie has had the privilege of working with other writers as the ACFW Colorado Area Coordinator. When she can get away, she enjoys hiking and snowshoeing near their cabin in the Indian Peaks Wilderness area northwest of Denver. She and her husband have two adult children.

The Great Romance

Last night my almost twenty year old was curled up with a younger brother watching Swan Princess, a favorite from her childhood. I slipped in next to them, bummed that they'd already finished off the popcorn, and delighted in the romance.

As I watched my thoughts turned to the basic story-line of all the great fairy tales--wonderful prince fights evil, rescues beautiful and good-hearted princess, throws a royal wedding, and they live happily ever after.

And then I thought about Jesus.

Wonderful Prince leaves His royal dwelling and descends to those more lowly than Himself. By sacrificial giving He wins the battle against evil, qualifies us to be His bride, and invites us to the wedding feast, promising us a happily ever after.

And those thoughts led me to think about the grand theme in any good romance, which takes the over-arching picture a little deeper. As Kathy talked about below, in the really good romances the hero or heroine sees the true essence of the other person and calls it forth.

Which brings me full circle to Jesus.

Jesus, my Creator, sees the real me. He loves sacrificially and unconditionally. His care causes me to long for Him, and to long to be the person He sees. He calls forth more goodness and beauty than I knew I had, causing me to blossom in His love.

I love how the themes of love and redemption run true in good romance. I love it that our Creator inspires writers who, knowingly or not, tenderize our hearts for the Greatest Romance of the Ages, the romance between Jesus and us.

Our Creator has a romantic heart. How could He not? He's the one who designed red roses, vines full of purple grapes, sunsets, ocean views, and turtle doves. He gave us music, poetry, dancing, and stories themselves.

As I've begun to discover Jesus as my Lover, and not only as my Lord, my relationship with Him has taken new wings. He is the Great Romancer of my heart, whispering love like I've never known, surprising me with beauty, and calling forth the true essence of Who I am.

As writers we have the unique opportunity to write God's heart of romance, tenderizing the world for the Greatest Romance of all.


A writer, speaker, and homeschooling mother of four, Paula Moldenhauer is passionate about God’s grace and intimacy with Jesus. Her website, Soul Scents, offers a free weekly devotional, and you can visit her blog at GraceReign. Paula serves as president of HIS Writers, the north Denver ACFW chapter. A devoted Pride and Prejudice fan, she loves good conversation, peppermint ice cream, and walking barefoot. Her greatest desire is to be close enough to Jesus to live His fragrance.

Tale As Old As Time

 

Ah, romance! Boy meets girl. Boy is a mess. Girl sees something in boy that he never knew existed. Boy lives up to girl’s belief in him. Boy – now in his true essence – and girl live happily ever after.

This simple formula is what creates a good romantic story. We’ve seen it time and again.

• Beauty and the Beast
• Dirty Dancing
• African Queen
• Angel and the Badman
• Music Man
• Guys and Dolls
• The Lady and Tramp
• King Kong (Think about it.)

Sometimes it’s the girl who needs to move into her true essence.

• Sweet Home Alabama
• Hope Floats
• My Fair Lady
• Miracle on 34th Street
• True Lies
• Romancing the Stone

The beauty of this formula is that it’s flexible. Often, both boy and girl change.

• Enchanted

In a rare instance, the girl is changing the boy, but she doesn’t realize it.

• Ground Hog Day

Or the boy is changing the girl, but she doesn’t realize it herself.

• 50 First Dates

This is the lesson I learned when taking Michael Hauge’s screenwriting class at the ACFW national conference last year. Here is his bit of wisdom:

“The reason the romance character and the hero belong together, is because the romance character is the only one who sees beneath the hero’s identity and connects at the level of essence.”

We made him say that several times so we could write it down. This, my friends, is the key to writing a good romance. For an in-depth observation on this subject, please go to my Craft Cinema blog and learn how the animated feature, Megamind, meets this requirement. I have also included Hauge’s six questions to ask your character to understand his or her identity and essence. Watch the movie first, though, unless you don’t mind the spoilers.

Beauty and the Beast is the quintessential example of the identity/essence idea.

Beast is a prince trapped in a monster’s body due to his lack of the ability to love. When Belle meets him, he is living in that identity. Beast has no love or respect for any human being. He has captured Belle’s father, an innocent victim who accidentally trespassed on his property.

Belle offers her life for her father’s, and is now condemned to live in the dying castle forever. Through her spunkiness, she eventually stands up to the beast, who responds to her in his identity. He grouses and grumbles, even roars a time or two about how impossible she is. But we get a glimpse of his true essence when he protects her from wolves. He gets hurt in the process, and as she tends his wounds, he begins to open his heart to caring for another person.

The final act is a poignant portrayal of true love. Beast allows Belle to go home after he shows her a magic mirror and she sees her father lost and sick in the forest.  At this point, he moves into his essence—now caring deeply for someone other than himself. This unselfish acts leads to his near demise as angry villagers storm his castle.

The mob is lead by Gaston, who early in the story made it known that he would have Belle at all cost. Through a series of events, Gaston and the villagers believe the beast to be dangerous and must be destroyed. In a one-on-one combat between Gaston and the beast, Gaston nearly meets his fate at the hands of the beast, but the beast relents due to his love for Belle and his new essence. He tells Gaston to leave and never return, but when Beast leaves him to climb up to the balcony where Belle awaits him, Gaston follows and stabs him in the back. Gaston then falls to his death.

On the balcony now, Beast is dying.  Belle cries over his limp body. He has sacrificed himself by moving into his essence—a caring and loving being. But, in true Disneyesque fashion, as he breathes his last breath, the spell is broken, and a dramatic transformation takes place. He turns back into the prince, a handsome young man who must now convince Belle that he is the person she has come to love. She’s skeptical at first, but when she gazes deep into his eyes, she sees him for who he truly is, the one she fell in love with, sans fur and fierce teeth.

And then they kiss. And the spell is broken all over the castle. And they get married. Sigh.

Please enjoy this quick look at the beautiful love story. It shows in only a few minutes how identity/essence works. 

******************

Kathy Kovach is the ACFW Rocky Mountain Zone Director, and author with Heartsong Presents and Barbour Publishing. She writes Spiritual Truth…With A Giggle, thus proving herself as one of God’s peculiar people. With a passion for story, she dissects movies on her Craft Cinema blog. Read the first chapters of her books at Fiction Finder and visit her at www.KathleenEKovach.com.

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.

***

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.

Love is in the Air!

In keeping with this month's theme of romance, and yet, like I usually do, putting my own twist on it, I'm going to blog about my latest love affair with writing.

I have fallen in love with the Write-Out.

As a refresher, a write-out is where you go OUT to WRITE. Sounds simple enough.

The only problem is the tether tying me to my desk, my email, my fax machine, and my jammies. Okay, I don't actually have jammies, but if I did, they would keep me in my house.

And yet there is that new love calling my name sweetly, promising me many happy hours of productive work, of inspiring phrases, of scenes that just wouldn't get written if I sat in my basement office.

Not to mention the cups of designer coffee I wouldn't get to enjoy.

At the first write-out in January, I completed a whole scene. And before you start to pooh-pooh that, my scenes are around 1500 words. A chapter, to some. At the second write-out, I finished a bunch of revisions and almost another whole scene before my laptop battery died. So, at the next write-out, I realized I needed a place with outlets. Oh, and great coffee, too.

I found that place, a local coffee shop. When I walked in the door, I felt like I was home, only better. The tantalizing smell of fresh brewed java, sitting heavy on the back of my tongue, made me salivate. The quiet, gentle spirit of the store spoke to my need for a place to concentrate. The outlet near a table spoke to my need for power.

Electricity, not control, that is.

While going to a write-out is exciting and inspiring, it isn't easy. There are many reasons to stay home. Laundry calling my name. Weather not the best. Conflicts with the car schedule.

And yet, there are many, many more benefits to going. Proving I am committed to doing what I need to do to write. Doing what is necessary to get the job done. Being willing to give up the comfort of my office chair for the inspiration of having people around me. Being able to bounce an idea off a fellow writer, or ask that famous question, "What do you call it when ---" (you fill in the blank. You know you do that when you can't find the right phrase or word). Brainstorm titles, names, occupations. Flesh out a goal-motivation-conflict profile of a character. Stare out the window at the cars going by and get just the right dialogue out of thin air.

So I am going back there again. I completed yet another scene last week, and this week I'm hoping to meet a few friends at the same shop, fellow writers out for a write-out. Sip some wonderfully decadent coffee. Put my characters in hair-raising, spine-tingling, wet-your-pants trouble. And enjoy some time away from my email, my fax, my desk.

Write-outs are held every week in the Denver area. Tuesday mornings, and the fourth Tuesday evening of the month. Check the website for details, like time and place.

Now, please excuse me. I have someone special to meet -- and yes, my husband knows all about it!