Sometimes inspiration or direction hits me like a ton of bricks. I guess you could say that my powers of listening to the subtle suggestions don't work too well. That's why God continues to amaze me in so many ways.
I've continued to pray and look for some kind of direction in my life. Whether it's me getting back into the classroom or going forward with my novel writing, I needed a sign to understand where to go next. So last week I went book shopping. This, for those that truly "know" me, is a dangerous mission in life. It doesn't matter how rich or poor I am, I always go into the bookstore and come out with a ton of books. Last week was no different. I've been wanting to read some newer YA novels just to have a conversation starter at upcoming teacher interviews. It's one of the things principals and interview teams like to do most - ask about what you've read recently. Anyways, I picked up some great new books - especially Laurie Halse Anderson's latest novel (she's an amazing writer). I decided to walk over toward the Christian fiction section, which by the way is only two bookcases in length compared to traditional fiction or YA fiction. I noticed that 90% of the titles/covers had to do with Amish characters for the fiction. I didn't think anything of it and left with my targeted novel selections.
The next day I'm watching the Twitter feeds and conversations between a few authors that I follow. A great conversation was started about YA fiction that has either strong religious themes or strong religious characters. The authors remarked at how editors of the major publishing houses usually suggest changes when they see either in the author's manuscript. One author remarked at how this didn't make too much sense because there are teens out there that have a strong faith, so why not represent these teens in literature. This is when the light bulb started to illuminate.
The following day I read an article about the latest Catholic Youth Conference. It talked about the thousands of teens that travelled from all over the country to attend the event. That's when the light bulb kicked into high gear! Through three days of hitting me over the head, I finally figured out what God wants me to do with my novel writing - focus on strong faith characters that represent the Catholic traditions. I've already started it with the first novel "Angels & Bullies of St. Aelred High." That whole spark changed how I approach revising the second novel. I need to make it realistic to the practicing teen Catholic. It has to relate to their lives and others that they meet each day. It's exciting to know that I've found my niche market - teen Catholics. I can't wait to finish this next book so that I can share it with the world.
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