• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Bookshelf
    • Audio
    • Complete List of Chautona’s Books
    • The Rockland Chronicles
      • The Vintage Wren
      • The Aggie Series
      • The Hartfield Mysteries
      • Sight Unseen Series
        • Sight Unseen Series Archives
      • The Agency Files
      • Christmas Fiction
    • Legacy of the Vines
    • Meddlin’ Madeline
      • Madeline Blog Archive
    • Ballads from the Hearth
      • Ballads from the Hearth Blog Archive
    • Legends of the Vengeance
    • Journey of Dreams
    • Wynnewood
    • Webster’s Bakery
    • The Not-So-Fairy Tales
    • Heart of Warwickshire
  • Start HERE
    • Characters
    • Suggested Reading Order
    • Free Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Podcast
    • Advertising
    • Podcast Guest Information
    • Podcast Interview FAQ
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Bonus
  • Speaking
  • New & Coming
Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Lessons Learned: in Speak Now

by Chautona Havig · 6 Comments

“You’re really good at authentic dialogue.”

I don’t remember who said it, but I remember thanking her and going back to look at my work.  I agreed.  Most of it was rather realistic. But I noticed something. Most of my scenes were very dialogue-driven.  And that got me thinking… What would happen if people didn’t converse as much in a book? Could I show through fewer words, actions, and subtext what people thought and felt?

Lessons Learned: in Speak Now

Links in this post may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Experiment time! 

So, I began Speak Now as an exercise for myself–a way to force me to write a less dialogue-driven story.  The “what if” question was,

How would a couple ever get to know each other if they didn’t spend the normal amount of time talking.”

I exaggerated the “men don’t communicate” stereotype to an enormous degree and went with it.  One thing that became very important to me right away was that he not be “shy.”  That would be too easy.

Characters: 

Obviously, I learned a lot from Cara and Jonathan, but Verna, and to a lesser extent Lily, taught me important lessons, too.

First up, Cara 

Setting up this book took a little work.  I had Cara who was only five years out of college.  I didn’t want to create a “Cinderella” effect where the rich man sweeps the struggling woman off her feet.  I really strive to keep my characters as “average” as possible.  That’s not quite as easy as you’d think sometimes.

I have many characters that are average Joes (more are than are not), and those I’ve given wealth to for various reasons.  In order to have Jonathan’s quirk of collecting jewelry as investments, he needed to have wealth.

So, I put Cara in the unusual position of a job that most would take 10-15 years at least to secure.  That let her be set up in a furnished townhome only five years outside of college.  Obviously not normal, but it did take away a bit of the “rich rescuer” feel from the book.

From Cara, I learned how to accept people where they are. She doesn’t try to fit them in a box, doesn’t try to bring them out of their boxes.  She just accepts them as they are and where they are.  (I think I said that already…  lol).

Her acceptance of Jonathan’s personality quirk (the distaste for conversation) inspires me.  Could I do that?  I doubt it.  She also accepts who he is as a widower with two children.  She doesn’t try to replace or eliminate Lily from his or the children’s lives.  She embraces that Lily helped shape them as people and respects that.  She’s not perfect.  I like that too, but I learned more from her virtues than I did from her faults in this book.

Then came Jonathan

From Jonathan, I learned how to accept what others do for you.  I learned how to reciprocate, but not to try to “repay.”  I also learned to see people through others’ eyes.  Would Jonathan have ever noticed Cara had his daughter not been so enthralled?  I don’t think so. Not where he was at that time.  He was still grieving for Lily.

I also learned that even when it seems like you’ve grasped temptation and given in, you can turn away at any moment.  I learned that protecting others is more important than gratifying self (something I knew, but it definitely reinforced it in a new way for me).  However, the way he fled further temptation–physically left the source–probably spoke to me the most.

How often do we think we can “handle it” and stay when we really should flee  whatever tempts us.  He “pulled a Joseph,” so to speak.

She caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house” (Gen. 39:12)  

Speak Now Quotes

One I grew to love most is Verna.

I admire Verna’s devotion to her second family–the way she mothers everyone in the Lyman household.  Even the simple admonishment to be sure that Cara knows the ring isn’t an investment is genius.  Someone like Cara would need to know that something that symbolic isn’t just part of a retirement portfolio.  For that matter, most of us would.

Some didn’t understand why I gave Lily the intimacy issues I did.  I know some thought it was a way to put Lily down and elevate Cara.  That was not my intention.  I chose to do that to show just how deeply Jonathan loved his wife.  Even with these issues in his marriage, even with the deep attraction between him and Cara, he still grieved for and loved his first wife.  Verna wisely told him to tell her that this past problem could affect their future.  She caught that potential problem before meeting Cara.

And of course, Lily

Lily’s love and care for her husband and children inspire me.  She prepared them for a life with someone else even before she died.  What do I need to prepare my family for in the event of my death?  If there’s anything I learned in 2012, it is that life is shorter and more limited than it often seems.

Speak Now Cover ImageOf course, a theme emerged as I wrote it–one I would never have expected.

This book revolves around the theme of attraction and dealing with that attraction in an appropriate manner.  I made a deliberate attempt to keep it from being “realistic.”  It’s fiction.  If I wrote “reality,” it’d likely be pretty boring. I know most people cannot have wordless conversations such as Cara and Jonathan did–especially not in the beginning of a relationship. But, I exaggerated reality in order to set up their attraction.  When you don’t have words to help drown out the pull of attraction, you have to deal with the actual attraction.

How did readers respond?

Before I ever published this book, I sent it, chapter by chapter, to a friend.  In fact, I dedicated the book to Michele.  In her words in her Amazon review (which obviously is highly biased), she said,

I agree with the other reviewers, they don’t talk much, that’s part of the point. Their chemistry together wasn’t just the physical ‘wanna jump his/her bones’ chemistry…they were so at ease and comfortable with each other, they could read each other, even when they weren’t talking. They were what I’ve always envisioned as soul-mates. ~ Michele “WV Mommy”

A few other reviews caught my eye as well.

Rather than a good vs. evil theme, Speak Now explores right vs. wrong in a situation where emotions are trying to take the lead. Jonathan struggles to balance his roles of father and businessman with his conflicting emotions of grief for the wife who died too young and love for the very different woman who would take her place. Cara is a very confident young woman who struggles with body image, yet is very secure in the other areas of her life. Both are very caring and considerate characters, thinking of the needs of others and responding to them. 

The underlying lesson woven through the story was the realization that we do need to be careful of the dreams and longings we allow into our hearts. “…we don’t have to let our mind stay where it tries to go. We can close that gate and send it down a different path.” ~Colleen in ND

I came away from this book feeling like I could do so much more in my marital relationship to better connect with my husband. I admired the author for bringing out danger zones that occur in pre-marital relationships, the struggles, the temptations, desires, weaknesses, and how it is difficult to make the right choices.  ~ M.A. Pyles  “brealimom”

And critical reviews had important things to say as well. This one is particularly helpful.

Another problem for me was the supposed chemistry they had. I just didn’t feel it. I guess in literary terms it is the difference between being shown something and being told something. I just finished another book that gave me butterflies every time the characters were in the same room. Jonathan and Cara just didn’t do that for me. I was told about their chemistry, but I wasn’t shown their chemistry. ~ Teacher with an opinion in VA

Aaah… Chemistry

I have a very hard time writing the kind of chemistry that some readers want.  I find that to get it sufficiently “chemical,” for some people, I feel like I’ve crossed into emotional pornography.  It’s my personal problem–I have it with reading other authors as well.  What many readers find to be perfectly normal and acceptable in the chemistry department feels much too personal and intimate to me, regardless of who wrote the book.  So, until I get past that or learn to write in a way that satisfies others and my conscience both, I will disappoint some readers in that aspect.  For that, I am sorry.

Speak Now stretched me as an author.  Additionally, the Lord taught me how important it is to remain strong in the face of temptation– not just sexual temptation.  Any.  Temptation to shirk duty.  Temptation to indulge in too much of anything that is inappropriate at that point–this book reminded me of how important it is to remain strong in the face of any temptation.

 

Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email

Related

Filed Under: General Information, Lessons Learned Series Tagged With: Rockland Chronicles

Previous Post: « Lessons Learned: in Prairie
Next Post: Lessons Learned in Past Forward »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Comments

  1. Teresa says

    July 3, 2013 at 4:23 pm

    Looking forward to reading this next! I love past forward!

    Reply
  2. Amanda says

    July 3, 2013 at 11:45 am

    Very thought provoking for me. I love romance books & we NEED Christian authors who don’t “dirty up” clean romance. Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Linda Sue says

    June 24, 2013 at 7:20 am

    Thank you for writing this – I found the wordless communication a little daunting – have never had that with someone else and hard for me to understand “how that works” – now I get it – you exaggerate something which might be to what is clearer in fictional writing. Again I thank you for NOT going to hot and heavy stuff – I find it most uncomfortable – we are not told to fill our minds with hot stuff – but that which is noble (golly sounds like one of your books!) and good. Passion is a great gift of God’s – but treated trivially – demeans the gifts. I appreciate your writing and your clarity

    Reply
  4. Elisabeth says

    June 24, 2013 at 7:11 am

    So fascinating!

    Reply
  5. dhbarbara says

    June 24, 2013 at 6:13 am

    I love insights into what drove authors. This is even better. Thanks for openly sharing this.

    Reply
  6. Michele Ballard says

    June 24, 2013 at 5:35 am

    Love this!!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 164: A Chat with Christian Fantasy Author, Ernest Yip
byChautona Havig

When I talked to Ernest Yip last month, I was crazy excited to learn about his fantasy novel, The Shattered King, an allegory about the attributes of God. Ernest talks about his inspiration, how he got started, and what’s coming next for us. I loved hearing more about the story and my copy is on its way to me now. EEEP! Listen in to learn more.

Note: links are affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Experience the Attributes of God in a Whole New Way

In the tradition of Pilgrim’s Progress or the parables of Jesus, Ernest Yip brings us a story that introduces to a King like no other through the various attributes our main character meets through out the book. I love a good allegory, and listening to Ernest talk about his book had me choming at the bit to get started.

Though written for teens, The Shattered King is sure to appeal to anyone who loves fantasy and adventure. I especially love how it is a great introduction to who God is without being a heavy or preachy tome of apologetics. Instead, we’re taken on an adventure to discover it all for ourselves.

I can’t wait to see what Yip does next!

The Shattered King by Ernest Yip

Finding his way home means finding something else first—someone else.

When a dark force shatters the benevolent and mighty king Eloa, the land of Astrea lies broken and dying. Though Eloa lives, he is a shadow of his true self, unable to restore his kingdom unless he is reunited with the living Fragments of his being and made whole again.

Catapulted into this unfamiliar world and gifted with a magical sword, teenager Jax faces the ultimate test—finding the lost Fragments of Eloa. Only by fulfilling this quest will he be able to return home. But there are new forces in power, forces that will do whatever it takes to thwart Jax’s efforts and defeat Eloa.

But Jax will soon find that Eloa is no ordinary king, and neither are his Fragments—

A creator of living stone beings A father of orphans in a storm-filled land A desert warrior of limitless power

And they aren’t the only ones out there…

Encounter the Fragments of The Shattered King, a tale of danger and discovery that explores timeless truths about the world we live in, where justice and mercy are sometimes the most powerful weapons.

You can find out more about Ernest from his WEBSITE.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

  • Apple 
  • Castbox 
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn 
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Stitcher
  • Amazon
  • and more!
Episode 164: A Chat with Christian Fantasy Author, Ernest Yip
Episode 164: A Chat with Christian Fantasy Author, Ernest Yip
August 16, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 163: A Chat with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel's Song
August 12, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
August 9, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 161: A Chat with Christian Women's Fiction Robin W. Pearson
July 26, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 160: A Chat with Liz Johnson about The Last Way Home
July 22, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 159: A Chat with Biblical Fiction Author, Mesu Andrews
July 19, 2022
Chautona Havig
A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Stephanie Landsem
July 12, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 157: A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Lynn Austin
July 8, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 156: The Fragrance of Violets by Susan K. Beatty
July 5, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
July 1, 2022
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Join a Reading Challenge

2022 Write Reading Challenge

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Check out the Sparrow Island novels. A tiny island with a lot of heart

independence islands series

Featured Books

Finding a Memory

Finding a Memory
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Finding a Memory
Buy now!

Penelope’s Pursuit

Penelope’s Pursuit
Buy This Book Online
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Purchase with Paypal
Penelope’s Pursuit
Buy now!

The Last Gasp

The Last Gasp
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Audible.com
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Amazon Kindle
The Last Gasp
Buy now!

Upcoming Posts

Sorry - nothing planned yet!

Or just subscribe to the newsletter

Recent Blog Posts

  • Experience the Attributes of God in a Whole New Way
  • Book Club Capers: July Part One
  • Has Ezekiel Always Confused You? How about a Little Fictional Clarity?

I buy my stickers here! (affiliate)

Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule

Footer

What Am I Working On?

Book, Chapter & Vows
Book, Chapter, & Vows
Phase:Week 3
100%
Get Book Updates

Featured

Finding a Memory

Finding a Memory
Buy This Book Online
Purchase with Paypal
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Finding a Memory
Buy now!

Dial W for Wrangler

Dial W for Wrangler

Disclosure:

Disclosure: Links on this website may or may not be affiliate links and as such, I may receive compensation from the retailer indicated for linking to their product. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Note: I DO NOT link to products that I do not recommend.

Privacy & Cookies. This website uses cookies (not the delicious kinds that make life grand) to do stuff it needs to do. By staying on the site, you agree to this evil substitution of yummy cookies for internet calorie-free substitutes. For more info, click here and read the boring stuff. Cookie Policy
Oh, what a beautiful moon. Oh, what a beautiful moon.
Look what arrived on Sunday. Eeep! @naomicraigaut Look what arrived on Sunday.  Eeep!
@naomicraigauthor 
#christfic 
#bibfic 
#BIBLICALFICTION
Reposted from @celebratelit ONE MORE DAY to get th Reposted from @celebratelit ONE MORE DAY to get this preorder deal for Ezekiel's Song by Naomi Craig, Author! ⁠
⁠
30% off plus free shipping for the paperback copy or $2.99 for the ebook, bonus gift with either!⁠
⁠
#ezekielssong #naomicraigauthor #celebratelit #biblicalfiction #christianfiction #biblestory #rahab #bookstagram #bookloversofinstagram #readersofinstagram #christian #fiction #books #christianbooks #christianbookstagram #faith #christianhistoricalfiction #historicalfiction
Reposted from @joanne.markey Picture says it all. Reposted from @joanne.markey Picture says it all. Link in bio.

#contemporarychristianromcom #christianfiction
@chantelreadsallday has a new readathon for the mo @chantelreadsallday has a new readathon for the month of September--You've Got Mail!!!
So excited for this. But I'm curious... can I count writing a book that takes place in a bookstore for that prompt???
#amreading 
#YouveGotMailReadathon
Reposted from @tabithabouldin Reposted from @Sarah Reposted from @tabithabouldin Reposted from @Sarah Monzon The entire Carrington Family series is on sale for only 99¢! (Free with #kindleunlimited ) 

Split-time romances with high stakes and even higher rewards! 

#splittime #romance #booksale #kindlecountdown #bookstagram #christianfiction #readmorebooks #read #books #ebooksale #boxset
If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing wit If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing with people.
Harper Brevig has two skills—picking out snarky bookish t-shirts and alienating customers. 
Oh, and racking up bills out of thin air. Make that three skills. She loves the elderly and the very 
young—except the ones who destroy her beloved books. You could say she doesn’t have a very nice 
“book-side manner.” 
Milton Coleridge and his parrotlet Atticus (not Finch) come to the rescue… but is it too late to 
save this bookstore?
Twice Sold Tales: the first full-length novel in the Bookstrings Series releases on November 2, 
2022. Link to more information is in my bio! 
#amwriting
#amreading
#bookishbooks
#bookstrings
#comingsoon
#ChristianFiction
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

Don't go before you grab your FREE short story collection!