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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Life’s Pendulum: Why do we hop on for the ride?

by Chautona Havig · 1 Comment

As a child, I sat mesmerized by the pendulum on the grandfather clock my Uncle Oscar made for Grandma. My father talked about the cool crank used to wind it and how the weights would drop lower and lower every day until day seven when it had to be rewound or it would stop.  Then, he’d start singing, “Ninety years without slumbering, tick, tick, tick.  Life’s seconds numbering tick, tick, tick.  But it stopped, short, never to go again when the old man died.” (Henry Clay Work).

Yes, we sang songs for everything when I was a kid.  If someone did something a bit loony, we’d sing, “Crazy…”  Or, if anyone ever mentioned the word “swing” at all, we’d sing: “England swings like a pendulum do. Bobbies on bicycles two by two…” Yeah.  A song for every occasion and for every occasion, a song.  But that’s not explaining what pendulums have to do with anything.  Well, except that I kind of like that word.  Pendulum.  It has a nice ring to it.  Which is  kind of funny when you consider that one of those clock weights drives the chimes.  I digress.

Life's Pendulum

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So, what is the big deal about the pendulum effect?

Glad you asked.  Or rather, in case you didn’t, I asked for you.  I’m helpful that way.  *whistles*

It’s just that, as people, we’re prone to what I call “the pendulum effect.”  Janie Doesky has been spending too much money as of late.  She looks at her bank accounts online and freaks out at the excessive spending and waste.  Does she settle down and make a wise spending plan?  Some do. I won’t pretend they don’t.  But a common reaction is for people to cut up credit cards, withdraw 20.00 in cash and decide that’s all she can spend for the month.  On the 4th of the month, of course.

Or, like Kaye, she sees that she has six melon ballers and decides to get rid of all of them.  After all, a spoon does the same job.  Oh, and out go the cookie and ice cream scoops.  People used spoons for centuries and so can she!  She had been waaaaaaaaaay over to the right of the clock, but instead of coming to a balanced middle-of-the-clock, she hangs on and swings all the way over to the left.  Or vice versa.

pendulum image

It happens all the time.

I’ve seen it in homeschooling, where a mom started with hyper intentions and realized that three weeks in, they were already burned out.  So, instead of deciding that marine biology might not be essential for a kindergartner in the Midwest, she throws all books to the wind and tells them to explore their environment…. until they’re about seventeen and a half and then goes, “AAAK!  okay, you’re going to do 8 years in one.  Get cracking.  I want that Algebra book done by the end of the week.”

Kid stares at mom and says, “Why are there letters in my math book? And is this like plusses or takeaways?”  (exaggerated to make a point)

So, of course, when I started working on Cassie in The Vintage Wren, I realized I had another Kaye–different reason, different problem, different personality, same result.  An extreme response to a simple solution to a common problem.

You know, I’m not writing this book to make a point about anything, really.  I’m not here to try to convince people that they shouldn’t buy anything with packaging, shouldn’t have trash service, and shouldn’t enjoy a can of Coke (which is the only way to enjoy one, btw.)  See!

Coke pendulums don't count

So why am I writing it?

Well, because you see it’s about people.  And there are people out there who are passionate about not using straws, about having a “zero-waste” life.  I didn’t really “get” the passion.  Or the driving concern.  And, I couldn’t understand why someone would choose to avoid a really great Viva paper towel (I do love that brand).

I couldn’t understand why–probably for similar reasons why they couldn’t understand how I wasn’t jumping on bandwagons and reusing them as container garden boxes or something.

I’ve said it before, but I often feel the urge to repeat it.  The characters that I write, I don’t always completely agree with.  They hold convictions I don’t, don’t hold convictions I do, they make choices I think are wrong, and convict me with their very right choices.  But as I explore these characters, I learn from them.  Will I ever become a homesteading gal like Willow, or an extreme minimalist like Kaye?  Probably not.  Me? Try for a zero waste… DAY, even?  Probably not.  Could I forgive the kind of blatant and public humiliation and the lies that Mac did in the way he did?  I don’t think so, but I’d want to.  Do I think it’s right that I have a character flirting with a relationship with an unsaved man?

Nope.  But people do these things.  And as I write about them, read about them, examine them, I learn.  I take their actions to the Word and I explore them there. Look, I may never change my mind… or I might.  But the point for me is to learn.

It’s why I write.

I don’t write these characters as models to imitate in every way.  But I always try to show something in them that you should.  The point is for you to discern what that is for yourself.  I’m not writing moralistic drivel to spoon-feed values into you so you can regurgitate the right response.  I’m trying to “stimulate [you] to [demonstrate] love and good deeds” and sometimes that’s going to mean doing the opposite of a character because you saw in that person what you know the Lord doesn’t want from you.

And sometimes I’m just showing what I see in life and learning to appreciate “the other side” a bit.  With Cassie, I have a whole cast of characters.  They make me think, they are on all points of that pendulum swing.  Some are far to the right and others to the left.  Some are nicely balanced, and others vary in the extreme.

Meet:

Cassie:  A bit sarcastic, definitely extreme when challenged and has a strong, competitive spirit. But she’s caring, loving, and generally comfortable in her own skin. She has a tendency to manipulate things or let you think things happened or will and then confess.  I like her.  I think she’d make me tired in person, but I like her.

Lauren:  If Cassie is impulsive and impetuous, Lauren is her balance.  In fact, Lauren is a fairly well-balanced character.  So I find it really fun that she does something out of character and totally off balance.  Because, as humans, we’re like that, aren’t we? We all have some out of character quirk that keeps us from being dull.

Joel:  Aaah… Joel.  To be honest, I didn’t think I’d like him.  He’s stealing the show.  I get emails demanding that I not break his heart.  OOPS!  He handles Cassie’s extremes very well and yet isn’t just a pushover.  That’s a nice combination right there.  Too bad she can’t see it.

pendulum image

Evan:  I didn’t expect to like Evan, either, but I did.  No matter how hard I try to make him kind of a jerk about his lack of understanding regarding the whole eco-thing.  He just refuses.  And maybe that’ll be better in the long run.  He’s a bit more intense than Joel–driven.  But maybe that’s what gives him an edge, you know?

Marla:  So far, she’s just a mom.  A cool mom, but a mom.  I want to make her a bit more like the Marla in my life, but it never works.  And now I think it might be too late. She’s already done something that probably kills that personality trait.  Sigh.  Oh, well.

Grandma: Yeah.  She’s gonna be something else.  And that’s all I’m sayin’.

There you have it!  The cast of Cassie and Co.  Except for Think.  But that’s for another week.

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Comments

  1. Angela Martin says

    August 31, 2016 at 9:23 am

    I love this.
    (I almost said “I. Love. This.” But I knew Jillow would not approve. I wish more writers had a Jillow.)
    Still praying for you.

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

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Episode 206: A Chat with Lisa Phillips about Her New Spin-off Series
byChautona Havig

Fans of Lisa Phillips’ Last Chance County series are doing happy dances following the release of an exciting new spin-off series, Last Chance Fire and Rescue. Expired Return brings back a few favorite characters and kicks off another of Sunrise Publishing’s author/mentor led fiction seasons! Listen in to find out what happens when an author brings back a guy she dropped a building on a couple of books back…

 

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Let’s face it. Authors might SOMETIMES be “done” with a series, but readers often want more… indefinitely. Well, with the brilliance of Sunrise Publishing’s mentor model, authors get to collaborate with authors they trust to do their “worlds” proud while still having time to write new, exciting things as well. And some of the Sunrise lead authors even write in the spin-off series–like Lisa Phillips and Trisha Goyer!

This new Last Chance County series promises everything we love about Lisa Phillips’ world–danger, intrigue, heart-stopping suspense, drama… you know… all the feels. But in addition to her own release, Expired Return, this series also introduces us to new authors who have been carefully vetted and selected to ensure they do justice to Lisa’s Last Chance characters. I, for one, can’t wait to check it all out.

Lisa and I chatted about what she plans for the series,Lisa hinted about a possible super-secret reveal coming soon, and I even poked her with the idea of a Last Chance Christmas.

Help me convince them on that, will ya?

But this new book… Whoa…

Expired Return by Lisa Phillips

Pepper stood up. “How dare you.” She could spit fire at him right now. She’d loved and supported Victory since the day she was born. “You know nothing about me.”

“What’s this?”

Pepper whirled around at that voice. Heart. Breaking. She loved that gruff, commanding voice more than anything else in the world.

He wore a look a lot like Aiden’s. Blank, which she knew—or hoped—had to do with protecting his heart because he still cared for her. Except he probably hated her.

Donaldson sat back in his chair. “Allen.”

Former police officer Allen Frees had both hands on the wheels of his chair. He wore a fire department uniform of slacks and a white shirt. Emblems. A badge. His life of service hadn’t ended when he landed in that chair after a building blew up over his head.

As far as she’d been able to tell, it barely slowed him down.

She’ll give everything to protect her family.

He always knew she was the one.

Veterinary tech Pepper Miller lives a quiet life in Last Chance County. She’s watching her niece until her sister shows up…if she ever does. When Victory’s father demands he take over her care, Pepper knows something has gone wrong. With a new drug in town, and her sister embroiled in a dangerous bargain, it’s up to Pepper to protect the people she loves.

Even if it costs every secret she’s ever kept.

Fire Department liaison Allen Frees lives with the injuries he sustained as a police officer in a raid gone wrong. He’s put his life back together but getting the truck crew and engine squad to succeed might be his toughest assignment yet. When Victory is nearly kidnapped at a community event, Allen steps in to help Pepper keep her niece safe. The one thing he couldn’t fix was the love he lost, but he isn’t going to let Pepper walk away this time.

No matter what walls he has to break down.

Last Chance County returns in this blazing new series from Sunrise Publishing.

Last Chance Fire and Rescue

  • Book 1: Expired Return
  • Book 2: Expired Hope (coming soon)
  • Book 3: Expired Promise (coming soon)
  • Book 4: Expired Vows (coming soon)

Last Chance County

  • Book 1: Expired Refuge
  • Book 2: Expired Secrets
  • Book 3: Expired Cache
  • Book 4: Expired Hero
  • Book 5: Expired Game
  • Book 6: Expired Plot
  • Book 7: Expired Getaway
  • Book 8: Expired Betrayal
  • Book 9: Expired Flight
  • Book 10: Expired End

Learn more about Lisa and her books on her WEBSITE.

Learn more about the different seasons (series) offered by Sunrise Publishing or how to audition with them on the Sunrise Publishing WEBSITE.

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Episode 206: A Chat with Lisa Phillips about Her New Spin-off Series
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His sister has a solution--lots of dates. Great, heaping gobs of them. Go ahead. Be awkward. Get used to it. Then... then try with someone you really want to get to know. He's not so confident, but when a man gives his word... (Note to self: no more agreeing to Selby's plans without knowing what they are!)
Find out what happens in Random Acts (or is it Facts?) of Shyness.

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