Backstory 101 ~ Backstory Ascends Its Throne

We've discussed the improper use of backstory within a manuscript, but let's get to the main reason why backstory is so important. Backstory builds your characters into 3-D humans. It adds depth to who they are, what they are, and shows why they act and react as they do within the pages of your manuscript.

Let's work on an example together. This is the opening scene of your newest work-in-progress: A woman who has endured abuse in the past at the hands of her spouse is sitting at a table as he rants and raves. Remember, on paper, the reader knows nothing of this woman or of this man. They don't even know that she has been abused in the past. Yet. What we are going to do is SHOW through her actions and reactions to her spouse that she has endured violence at the hands of her husband before.
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Mary focused on the vein in Larry's forehead. The one that always swelled in direct proportion to the build of Larry's anger. She gripped the edges of the kitchen chair with her hands and dared not stare down at the rough wood boards of the table.

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"Listen to me!" he snapped. His mouth twisted into a cruel line and he lunged forward. His fist sliced down. The table rocked beneath the onslaught.

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Her spine stiffened and she purposely blanked her expression. Fear swam in the back of her throat, an oily taste that worked her gag reflex.

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Larry jammed his face up next to hers. "That's the problem, you never listen to me."
He grabbed her upper arms with all the strength of a construction worker, his breath hot on her face.

So what have you learned from this passage? What words show that she has been through this before with Larry?

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Debut Author ~ Jonathan Acuff

Sometimes, we fall in love on mission trips even though we know we’ll break up when we get back. Sometimes, you have to shot block a friend’s prayer because she’s asking God to bless an obviously bad dating relationship. Sometimes, you think, “I wish I had a t-shirt that said ‘I direct deposit my tithe’ so people wouldn’t judge me.”

Sometimes, the stuff that comes with faith is funny.

This is that stuff.

Jonathan Acuff’s Stuff Christians Like is your field guide to all things Christian. In it you’ll learn the culinary magic of the crock-pot. Think you’ve got a Metro worship leader-Use Acuff’s checklist. Want to avoid a prayer handholding faux pas? Acuff has you covered.

Like a satirical grenade, Acuff brings us the humor and honesty that galvanized more than a million online readers from more than 200 countries in a new portable version. Welcome to the funny side of faith.

Tell me a little bit about your background and your family.

I grew up in Massachusetts with two younger brothers and a younger sister. My dad is a minister and that’s how I learned about a lot of the things I write about on SCL.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Hobbies?

I like to run when I have time. More than anything, I like to play and hang out with my wife and kids. I have two daughters, ages 6 and 4 and they are awesome.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Flight. Everyone wants to be superman.

What has God been teaching you lately?

Patience. He’s been teaching me about the slow build up of patience and how slowness is not a punishment.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

In the 3rd grade I decided I wanted to be a writer.

Where are you headed next?

I’m going to Nashville, Houston and Dallas in the next few weeks.

How did you get involved in writing?

A teacher in the third grade laminated some poems I wrote and I fell in love with it then.

What was the most difficult aspect of the writing process?

Finishing a piece. Starting is so much easier.

What did you enjoy most about the writing process?

The brainstorming part.

How do you find time to write?

I get up at 5AM before anyone in my family is up.

Where did you get the idea for the book?

There was a popular site called Stuff White People Like. I feel like it’s weird that we Christians always steal popular secular ideas like making “Got Milk?” say “Got God?” I thought it would be a good idea to discuss that problem by committing that problem.

What are the major themes of the book?

I try to clear the clutter of Christianity away so we can see the beauty of Christ.

What kind of research did you have to do for the book?

Writing the site gave me lots of things to talk about and write about.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

That they’ll know how fun and full of laughter a life of faith can be.

What would you say to someone who wants to become a published author?

Pick a time to write and then do it. Don’t debate whether you will write each day, just write.

About the Author:

For the last ten years, Jonathan Acuff has written advertising for clients ranging from the Home Depot to Chick-fil-A. In addition to his many day jobs, he also writes a blog called www.stuffchristianslike.net. He and his wife live with their two daughters outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

Learn more about Jonathan at http://stuffchristianslike.net.

Stuff Christians Like
Release: March 2010
Soft cover, 208 pp.
ISBN: 0310319943

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Sunday Devotional

One of Max’s least favorite activities is bath time. He hates it. The moment I say, “Let’s give you a bath,” Max is hiding under the couch. Unfortunately, he doesn’t always give me choice.

Take, for example, last Saturday. My family and I were busy doing yard work. Max came outside with us, but since we couldn’t pay much attention to him, it wasn’t long before he found his way to the pasture. The cow pasture. Where the cows are. And the cow patties.

When I finally realized that Max wasn’t in the yard with us, it was too late. He’d found every mud puddle and cow pie in the area, and he wore the evidence proudly. Disgusted, I carried Max inside, at arm’s length mind you, and plunked him in the tub.

“Bad dog, Max,” I scolded as I scrubbed, and rinsed, and scrubbed some more. At last, I was able to wash away the stench. Max was clean, but not happy. The moment I lifted him from the bath, he bolted for the living room, dripping and shaking all the way.

What is about getting a bath that he hates so much? Why does my washing away the grime make him want to run and hide? Can it be he’s actually content to wallow in the filth?

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that was exactly right, and we are not much different. Our sins cling to us, covering us in an unholy stench that must disgust our God and Savior. Yet, He does not hold us at arm’s length. Instead, He bids us come to let Him wash away our sin, and though the process can be uncomfortable, I’m learning to love bath time.

Psalm 51:1-7 (New International Version)

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

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Winners!!

It's always so much fun to give away great books!! Congratulations to this week's lucky winner:

kate (from California) – A Shore Thing by Julie Carobini
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kate, please use the button in the upper right side of this page to email me with your mailing address so I can forward your information to the author. Then, sit back and wait for your book to arrive.

Thank you all so much for stopping by The Borrowed Book and thank you, Julie Carobini, for your generosity in providing a book!

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Weekly Drawing

Entering our weekly drawing is easy:

1. Leave a comment on Fridays or...

2. Sign up to follow The Borrowed Book. Followers will automatically be entered for a chance to win that week's drawing!

This week, The Borrowed Book is giving away:

A Shore Thing by Julie Carobini ~ Callie Duflay just isn’t like the rest of her family. While they’ve built white collar lives, she prefers getting her hands dirty by working with children and local California causes. When Callie learns that a beloved piece of untouched property in her town of Otter Bay may soon be developed, she confronts the architect assigned to the project.

Gage Mitchell may be an easygoing, eco-friendly professional, but he’s not about to back off this job no matter how cute Callie or her pet pooch, Moondoggy, may be. His reasons and hers are noble—both have a heart for protecting God’s creation, and the truth is these two would be perfect for each other outside of this face-off. But will they ever figure that out?

Winners will be announced on Saturday, 08/14/10.

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Reader Excerpt ~ A Shore Thing by Julie Carobini

Chapter One

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The rope in my hand resembled a noose. "Sorry, pal, it was all I could find."
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The stray doggy with the dewdrop eyes had found me earlier today as I jogged along the shores of Otter Bay while trying to shake off a tough weekend. I slipped the makeshift leash around his skinny neck. It was almost evening and our trot through the woods on the way to my sister's house for Sunday supper would serve as my halfhearted attempt to find this dog's owner.

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Hopefully, they're long gone, because until this pup's arrival, I hadn't realized just how hollow my house with its reclaimed wood flooring and single occupant had begun to sound.

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It wasn't supposed to be this way. By my age--and my mother's calculations--I should be living quite comfortably as a wife and mother and keeper of a house surrounded by a white picket fence. "Men aren't attracted to tomboys, Callie," my mother always said, clutching her heart and peering into the sky. She'd always been dramatic like that. Probably a leftover from her days in musical theater, an aspiration she eventually gave up to raise children.

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Click Here to read the entire first chapter of A Shore Thing by Julie Carobini. And be sure to stop by The Borrowed Book on Friday for your chance to win a copy of Julie's book!

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Author Interview ~ Julie Carobini

Julie Carobini writes seaside novels filled with faith, flip flops and waves of grace. This summer she celebrates the release of her fourth novel, A SHORE THING (B&H Publishing Group). Julie blogs, owns an online store—Juliesbeachshop.com—and runs on the beach (when her bum knee cooperates). She lives with her husband Dan and three children on California’s central coast.

When did you decide to be a writer?

As an avid pre-teen Nancy Drew reader, I don’t really remember ever not wanting to be a writer. I began writing articles for publication when my first child was born about 19 years ago, and also wrote a couple of romance novels that didn’t sell. But as they say, third time’s a charm, and my debut novel, Chocolate Beach, released in 2007. By that time, I had a renewed faith in God as well as a redefined focus on the kinds of stories He was leading me to write.

At what point did you stop juggling suggestions and critiques and trust yourself (as a writer)?

I thought a lot about my answer to this because trusting oneself as a writer is a process that takes time and practice. My first published novel came about as a result of a mentoring group at the Mt. Hermon Christian Writer’s conference. The first 20 pages of the manuscript were critiqued there and I learned the art of accepting face to face criticism. Yowza. Tough to do, but oh so worth it. That group, led by Randy Ingermanson, helped me fix parts of the manuscript, but also proved the subjectivity of critiquing. I learned to be teachable, but also to disagree with some suggestions and go with my instinct.

Are you a disciplined writer or do you just write when you feel like it?

When I’m on deadline, I’m very disciplined. With three kids on different schedules, I have to write each day to get that word count in, and often, that means shutting down email/Facebook/Twitter! When I’m not on deadline, it’s amazing how much time I can waste…

What kind of activities to you like to do that help you relax and step away from your deadlines for a bit?

You know, this is so important for writers. I have to force myself to take those breaks, but when I do—wow!—I’m almost always mentally recharged and ready to hit the writing again. I live near the beach, so my favorite respites take place on the sand. Often with my dog, a dose of prayer…and a hot latte.

What is your favorite novel and what made it special?

I love The Secret Garden because both the characters and landscare are so rich. It’s as if I can see the characters expressions, hear the creak of the garden gate, and smell the mix of new growth and withering vines beyond the crumbling wall…

I LOVE that book, too! So tell me, how do you think reading the work of others helps you as a writer?

When I’m stuck, I often take one of my favorite books outside and get lost in it for awhile. Stirs up the creativity! Reading all kinds of writing can also provide a terrific education. I’ve read a couple of writing books that I can recommend, but usually I learn best by reading and analyzing the work of great storytellers.

Tell us a little about your latest release:

A Shore Thing is the story of Callie Duflay and her fight to stop a huge development from taking over her beloved beach front town of Otter Bay – even as romantic sparks fly with Gage, the architect on the job. Full of small town politics, quirky characters, craggy tidepools—and romance!

Where did you get your inspiration for A SHORE THING?

I’ve been fascinated by my brother, Daniel Navarro’s, career as a certified green architect, and I started to think about how his work honors God. I became equally fascinated thinking about how a person in his position could be in direct conflict with someone of the same mind, but who approaches their beliefs in a different way. Enter Callie, an eco-conscious gal who loves God, children, and the open land of Otter Bay. I kept wondering how these two could find ‘common ground’ and that was the seed for the story.

Which character is most like you?

Hmm. I’d say Callie because she’s passionate—but doesn’t always think before she speaks!

Who is your favorite character and why?

I love them all, but just thinking about Moondoggy, Callie’s adopted stray pet, makes me smile.

Did you know how A SHORE THING would turn out? Were you surprised by any of the plot twists or characters?

Not initially. As the plot moved along and the characters became more and more boxed in, I kept doing research on various ideas that sprung up. I’m pleased with the way it turned out!

What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

First, I hope readers are entertained. I hope they get lost in the setting…that they draw in the scent of pine mixed with the ocean breeze, and sense the brisk wind licking their cheeks. But I also hope that readers perceive the bigger picture that God has in store for those who love and follow him. For our hero and heroine, Gage and Callie, giving up is hard to do. I hope A Shore Thing demonstrates that no matter what our particular will in a situation is, the only way to be truly wise is to build our lives on the rock (see Matthew 7:24).

What kinds of things have you done to market this book? Have you found anything that works particularly well?

The sales & marketing team at B&H Publishing group is da bomb. They have worked with me to get my novels into all kinds of stores, especially in my local area or areas where I’ve traveled. I’ve followed up by visiting many of those stores, bringing ‘thank you’ chocolates for the staff and bookmarks for the readers. It’s been a win-win-win, I think. Of course, I also connect with readers via social networking sites, my occasional e-newsletter, and my blog. I love receiving letters from readers!

Tell us what new projects you’re working on.

I’ve completed the third book in the Otter Bay series of stand alone novels, and I’ve already seen the beautiful cover! Fade to Blue is the story of Suz, a character who appears in A Shore Thing, and her journey to independence.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Just that God took all the lows and highs in my life and created something new with them. Believe me when I tell you that I had no plans of my own to write beach-themed novels one day. I just kept praying and writing and seeking until an idea popped into my head. I followed that idea, and now find myself editing my fifth novel filled with ‘waves of grace’. Hope that encourages someone!

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Thank you, Julie for stopping by The Borrowed Book!

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Now, want more? Be sure to stop by The Borrowed Book on Thursday for an excerpt from A Shore Thing by Julie Carobini.

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