Don’t Quit Your Day Job

by Elizabeth Musser @EMusserAuthor

We’ve all heard the quip, when starting out on the writing journey, ‘don’t quit your day job.’ It is usually offered by a caring friend (or editor) who knows that making a living in the writing world can be daunting. But I’ve found that keeping my day job has not only put food on the table but has also blessed my writing. For the past twenty years, my day job as a missionary in Europe has inspired my other job of writing ‘entertainment with a soul.’ Paying attention to daily experiences, whatever that may include, can certainly provide us writers with great content for our stories. Here’s how my day job inspired my latest novel.

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Writing on the Move, by Elizabeth Musser

Elizabeth Musser, a native of Atlanta, Georgia now living in France, is a novelist who writes what she calls ‘entertainment with a soul.’ Her novels have been acclaimed in the United States and in Europe.  The Swan House (Bethany House, c2001), set in Atlanta in the early sixties, was named as one of Amazon’s Top Christian Books of the Year (2001), was an ABA and SEBA bestseller and was recently named one of Georgia’s Top Ten Novels of the past 100 years, right behind Gone with the Wind (from Georgia Backroads, Autumn, 2009).  

For over 25 years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in mission work with International Teams. They presently live in Lyon, France. The Mussers have two sons, a daughter-in-law, and a brand new grandson. 

To learn more about Elizabeth and her books, and to find discussion questions as well as photos of sites mentioned in the stories, please visit www.elizabethmusser.com.

Writing on the Move

How does an author write when she is constantly moving?

I am a missionary and I am an author.  I love both of my vocations and am so thankful to the Lord for allowing me to use these gifts and talents for Him.  For about fifteen years now, I’ve juggled the missionary and writing life.  When I received my first contract for a novel, back in 1994, my sons were young and the only time I wrote was in the mornings, when they were in school.  Ministry and family time came in the afternoons and evenings.

This schedule worked pretty well for many years. 

Then two years ago, my husband and I received a new role within our mission.  Instead of doing ministry uniquely in a local church in France, we were asked to become Pastors to Members—providing spiritual oversight for our colleagues who work all over Europe.  As empty nesters, the job fit well.  I could travel with my husband.  Except for one problem:  how could I write creatively when we traveled so often with virtually no ‘alone time’ to cogitate and dream.  How, Lord?

Ah, that was the best starting place—on my knees before the Lord, asking Him how to manage.

And the Lord reminded of this simple truth: I do write when I travel.  I write in my journal.  I was ‘journaling’ long before that word was considered a noun.  The day I left for college, I bought a yellow spiral notebook and started recording my thoughts, feelings, prayers and descriptions of life.

That practice has continued for thirty-five years.  Now, my journal is on my laptop, a folder filled with hundreds of word documents that record snippets of thoughts and feelings and experiences and adventures.

So as I begin a new novel, I go back to my journal entries, and places like Venice and Tuscany and Vienna all come alive to me as I read about what inspired me back when I walked those ancient streets.  I’ve already done the research!  Now, as I read and remember, I create new scenes for a novel.

Of course, most of my journal entries are letters from my heart to the Lord, praising Him as He shows up in the midst of the mundane.  And those life experiences make their way into my stories too because life is a mixture of the exotic and the mundane.

So, dear readers and writers, if you too find yourself on the move all the time—whether you are running around caring for kids or neck-deep in a career or traipsing around the world like me, my advice is simple.  Jot down your adventures in a journal or on the computer or on an Ipad.  Somewhere.  Anywhere.  Then later, sometimes much later, those entries may serve as fodder for a new story.  It has worked for me.  As I sit down to create, in between the rest of life, there’s a prayer on my lips and thankfulness in my heart for all those ideas I jotted down somewhere long ago.

Her Secrets of the Cross trilogy is now available in its entirety in English.  Elizabeth wrote Two Crosses, Two Testaments and Two Destinies back in the 1990s. The first two books in this series came out in the mid 90’s, but a company buy-out led to a moratorium on adult fiction – thus the third book was never published in English.  In spite of that fact, all three books have been best-sellers in Europe. 

Two Destinies

Faith and love could cost them everything

When Rislène Namani meets Eric Hoffmann in 1994 France, the spark between them ignites a firestorm of trouble. She fears the repercussions from her staunchly Muslim family for her attraction to a Christian. Yet Eric captures her heart. More than that, his faith captures her soul—a faith she comes to embrace. And it all stirs up a wasps’ nest of danger, mystery, and love that could cost her everything, even her life.

The risk is real, especially when Rislène’s family discovers her secret. Eric must save her from a forced marriage in Algeria. As the civil war in Algeria escalates in the midst of Ramadan, and poverty and social ills in France boil over, their lives become as tumultuous and uncertain as the world around them. Clinging to faith, they fight a battle as contemporary as today’s headlines.

The first two novels in her Secrets of the Cross trilogy, (Two Crosses, Two Testaments) which take place during Algeria’s War for Independence from France, were republished by David C Cook in June, 2012.  At last, the third novel in the trilogy, Two Destinies, will be available in bookstores everywhere starting September 1, 2012.  Set in France and Algeria near the end of 1994, it is the story of the persecuted church in North Africa, the terrorist activities in the midst of Algeria’s civil war, the desperate homeless people in France, and courageous individuals willing to risk their lives to help those in need.  The issues addressed in this novel are more timely and relevant to Americans than when Elizabeth wrote Two Destinies back in 1998.  Ever since 9-11, Americans have become much more aware of the Muslim world.  In the trilogy, Elizabeth tackles faith questions and issues which Americans now read about and see on the daily news.

From an interview with Publisher’s Weekly, “Elizabeth Musser likes to say she has two part-time jobs. Not only is she an award-winning novelist, but she and her husband serve as missionaries at a small Protestant church in Lyon, France. In both lines of work, she avoids preaching and simplistic answers, choosing instead to portray a God who cares in the midst of life's complexity...”

Elizabeth adds, “My desire is to offer the best literature I can write, drawing the reader into a story that is compelling, believable and sprinkled with historical detail.  I seek to give a realistic picture of what faith lived out in this world looks like, and, as always, I hope that my stories can be appreciated by all audiences, not just those readers who hold my same religious beliefs.  It is a delight to receive confirmation of this through reader letters.”

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BOOK CLUB TALK WITH ELIZABETH MUSSER

I caught up with Elizabeth Musser at the ICRS conference in Atlanta a few weeks ago. I enjoyed talking to Elizabeth about her new book The Sweetest Thing and book clubs.

What have been the benefits to you in having relationships with reading groups?

I love hearing from reading groups/book clubs! I find it so encouraging. I’ve received photos of different book clubs, each holding a copy of my novel on the beach or at a special meeting. Knowing book clubs are reading, discussing and enjoying my novels is an answer to prayer—I especially like hearing about discussions in which people of different religious points of view were touched by the messages in my novels.

Because my novel The Swan House (Bethany House, 2001) takes place in Atlanta and has several scenes which occur at the real Swan House (now a part of the Atlanta History Center), many, many book clubs throughout the years have journeyed to Atlanta and had lunch at The Swan Coach House (where a scene from The Dwelling Place is set) and then toured the Swan House. For years, there was a docent who took book clubs on a special tour, pointing out all the things that were mentioned in the novel. I have so enjoyed hearing from different book clubs which have done this. And it has been a special privilege occasionally to join a book club on a tour and/or for lunch at the Coach House.

Where would you like to see your relationship with reading groups grow? How do you think your goals can be met?

I enjoy interaction with reading groups and am happy to speak to groups by phone, skype or in person. Living overseas, it is harder to organize phone calls because I am 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and often reading groups meet in the evenings, which is the middle of the night for me. So I’d like to figure out ways that I can interact—perhaps by answering a few questions ahead of time. I’d also like for the groups to be aware of all that is available on my website: discussion questions and lots of other information about my novels, updates about our ministry in France, a ‘my favorites’ page, photos from book signings, etc. www.elizabethmusser.com

I have a recently launched fan page on FaceBook which offers photos and updates about reviews, interviews etc. and interaction with readers: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabeth-Musser/149546181768451#!/pages/Elizabeth-Musser/149546181768451

Do you have a set size a reading group has to be before you'll talk to them on the phone or in person? What do you feel most comfortable doing?

I am happy to talk with any size reading group by phone or Skype. Since I do many speaking events when I am back in the States, I like to invite reading groups to come hear me if they want a more formal presentation. But I have often spoken to groups of 10-15 readers in a home or church setting or in a restaurant, etc.

Which type of book club meeting do you prefer? Why?

I enjoy all types of meetings, but I suppose I prefer being able to share a bit about my background and reasons I wrote the novel and then interacting with the readers in an informal question and answer time afterward.. I need a little bit of structure—I speak more clearly when I have an idea of the format of the meeting.

Do you learn about your book and yourself from book club meetings? If so what?

It is extremely humbling to hear positive comments about my novels from the readers’ perspective. Honestly, I at times get tingles running through me to hear that readers have been touched by my words, moved to laughter and tears, and have even drawn closer to the Lord as they contemplate the message of my stories.

I often hear that readers are also inspired by my life. That too is very humbling and a bit unbelievable to me, and it is clearly God using what I offer Him—in fear and trembling—for His glory. What an answer to my prayers. I love to tell readers that their gifts and talents too can be used in surprising ways to glorify God.

I really enjoy listening to a readers’ perspective on a character, a scene, a theme from a book.

Did you learn more about your characters than what you had originally intended? Have you been surprised by readers’ reactions to one of your books? Characters? If so, which ones?

Many times as I am in the process of writing a novel, I find my characters doing things that surprise me—as I delve into their personalities. However, I’m careful that they remain true to themselves—so sometimes those surprising actions get edited out. As an author, I need to know a lot more about my characters than I can show in the novel—for instance, their background, their likes and dislikes, their fears, their secrets. Many of these things come out during the course of the novel, but not all. Still I need to know so that it all holds together.

Oh, I love to hear readers’ reactions to my characters! Surprised? Well, yes. In The Swan House, I have a character called Ella Mae—she is an African American who serves as a maid in the 1960s South. I felt I was very honest about the unjust way she was treated by her employers—not unkindly, but condescendingly—and I feared that the society I was describing (elite Atlanta) would not look favorably on my honest appraisal. But quite the contrary, many readers have told me, in tears, that they had an ‘Ella Mae’ in their lives and family and that I described their feelings exactly. Pure love and yet a naïve misunderstanding of racial issues. They were thankful I tackled this issue through my character.

I chuckle too at how vehemently some readers express their disdain for villains in my novels—especially Jean-Claude Gachon and Ali Boudani in my first novel, Two Crosses. But even Spalding Smith in The Sweetest Thing has gotten some very negative reactions (well deserved, I must admit!)

Mostly I hear that my readers find my characters so real and they can identify with them—and this is exactly what I want. I say that although I write inspirational fiction, ultimately what I want to communicate to my readers is the truth—and that is accomplished by creating characters with depth.

Has your book club experience - getting feed back from reading groups - helped you in writing future books? If so, how has it helped you?

Yes, I glean information that I can use to help me as I write future novels—hearing what readers like most about my novels. I’m all ears! Mostly, the input I get from reading groups confirm that what I am writing is being well-received by my intended audience and I should continue in my goal of writing what I call ‘entertainment with a soul.’ Probably the comments I most often receive are that my novels deal with real issues and that I depict realistic spiritual struggles in believable ways. Hearing that someone has gained a better perspective on God or been helped through a difficult period in life by my novels makes me feel all the more responsible to communicate God’s wonder and power and my characters’ need for Him in ways that depict truth.

Thanks for your book club insight Elizabeth. I know how much I learn at book club meetings about the book, situations and each other. It's very interesting to hear what you as a writer enjoy and experience through book club events. Really enjoyed meeting you at the ICRS Conference and learning of your novel journey.

We are featuring Elizabeth's new book The Sweetest Thing at The Book Club Network. We're having a give away opportunity on Monday, August 29th at 9p.m. Bethany House Publishers will be giving away 10 copies of her books. Mark your calendars. Thanks to Nicola Martinez, Edi tor-in-Chief of Pelican Book Group, for donating a Kindle to be given away on the same night. It's going to be a fun, fun, night.

Until Next time.

Nora St.Laurent

The Book Club Network

www.bookfun.org

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Elizabeth Musser on Animating the Inanimate

Elizabeth Musser, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, now living in France, is a novelist who writes what she calls ‘entertainment with a soul.’ Her novels have been acclaimed in the United States and in Europe. For over 20 years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in mission work with International Teams. They presently live in Lyon, France. The Mussers have two sons. To learn more about Elizabeth and her books, please visit her website and see her YouTube video.

Animating the Inanimate

“The best images come unbidden”—so said my high school English teacher after reading my first novel years ago. While kindly complimenting me on many aspects of the story, he pointed out that at times I ‘beat the reader over the head’ with imagery or symbolism, saying effectively “Don’t ya get it? Isn’t that cool?”

His advice? Trust my readers and let the images spring forth naturally because they belong. I create the story and so involve the reader with her senses that she escapes and becomes part of the story herself. In short, she ‘gets it’ because the story whispers truth to her.

I love that about creating a story—letting images become part of the story. But often the images invoked come from inanimate objects. In novels, many inanimate objects can take on a life of their own and capture the readers’ imagination. Close your eyes and picture Tara in Gone with the Wind, Manderley in Rebecca; the old armoire in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. These places and things conjure up deep emotions within us because they captured us in the story and we ‘got it.’

When I am enmeshed in my story, suddenly an object or a site weaves its way around a character, revealing another layer of the story. Nothing needs to be explained; it’s just there, to be discovered by a careful reader, and enjoyed.

In my novels, I have found many different inanimate objects suddenly taking on a life of their own: an old car, a mountain, a stately manor house, a painting, a town. In one of my novels, I had several characters read a book that does not exist. I have received quite a few letters from readers asking me where they can purchase that book!

Authors often become known for the places they create. Think of the fictional community of Yoknapatawpha County used in several of William Faulkner’s novels or Garrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon or the town of Mitford in Jan Karon’s series. Why is setting important? It lets readers taste and feel and experience a place.

I have had many book clubs travel to Atlanta, Georgia after having read my novel The Swan House to visit the real Swan House, a lovely mansion, built in the 1920s by a wealthy family, now owned by the Atlanta History Center. These readers come to tour The Swan House and eat lunch in the nearby tea room because they have read about both places in my novels. They want more of the experience.

Once, a student, backpacking her way across Europe, showed up at my home unannounced, practically in tears because all the hotels in town were full. She had taken the train to Montpellier because she fell in love with the city in my novels. She wanted more.

Whether describing an actual place or town or object, or creating it purely from our imagination, we writers can allow the inanimate to speak to our readers. This, of course, requires careful research—either being familiar enough with the place to describe it in an alluring way or ‘knowing’ this fictitious place so well in my mind that it seems real to the reader, so that, when that place decides to intrude in the story and become something more, it does so in a convincing way.

In my new novel, Words Unspoken, I have a scene that takes place at the popular Tennessee tourist attraction, Rock City. I paid for a ticket and stood out in the freezing cold on that high mountain perch for an hour, watching the colors of the sky and valley below as the sun set behind me. Then I went home and described it in three sentences. The excursion took half a day. Was it worth it? I think so and perhaps readers want to visit Rock City and stand at that very spot because the setting came alive for them.

In fact, often an inanimate object actually begs me to become a character in the novel. The Swan House did this for me. In Words Unspoken, Lookout Mountain is hovering over the story, keeping watch like a wise grandfather. Or is it? Sometimes the mountain changes and becomes a daredevil teenager, taking the reader on a wild ride, zigzagging around hairpin turns on a road perched on the side of the mountain. Which is it? An elderly man or a rebellious teen?

A place can grab the reader’s heart and she can become as fond of the setting as the characters.

So how do I personify a place? In all honesty, it happens quite naturally as I do my work of creating strong characters within a realistic setting, combining vivid word pictures with careful research.

Excuse me now. My ‘writing chalet’ (the tool shed where I work) is inviting me for a cup of tea, a brownie and the scent of fresh-cut roses that are widening their smiles on my desk.


Lissa Randall’s future was bright with academic promise until the tragic accident that took her mother’s life—and brought her own plans to a screeching halt. Eighteen months later, she still can’t get back behind the wheel. A casual recommendation to Ev McAllistair’s driving school sets in motion a cascade of events . . . until Lissa begins to wonder if maybe, just maybe, life isn’t as random as she’s thought.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Lookout Mountain, TN, Words Unspoken weaves together a vibrant cast of characters whose intertwining stories of courage, choice, heartbreak, and hope will hold you captive until the final page.

Click here for a review of Words Unspoken.

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