Rewriting My Least Favorite Tales

If you have been reading my blogs, you know that I've been rewriting some of the fairy tales to make inspirational, historical novels or novellas set in the Middle Ages. I am taking out the magic and make-believe and making them more plausible. I have just sent the first one, Roslyn's Rescue, to the editor. It is loosely based on "Little Red Riding Hood."

It has been interesting to me to discover that it is easier for me to rewrite the tales I did not like as well than it is my favorite ones. I guess that makes sense since I am more eager to change those I liked less. "Little Red Riding Hood" was never one of my favorites, but I had a wonderful time revising it. In my version, Roslyn and her sickly mother live alone, and the woodcutter everyone considers dimwitted tries to help them out. The wolf is actually an unscrupulous knight.

I have also finished the first draft of the next tale. Glenda's Gold is based on "Rumplestiltskin," a story that never made much sense to me. How I handled Glenda spinning the straw into gold to make it realistic still amazes me. The solution came to me from the Bible during my morning devotion time. God does indeed work in unexpected ways. It will probably take me several weeks to edit and check thousands of words to make sure they were used during medieval times before I send this one to my editor.

I am debating which story to work on next. I am considering "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Hanzel and Gretel," or "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." I may publish each story as an ebook first and then group two together to form the print edition. Glenda's Gold also has some of Roslyn and her family in it, although each book could also be read as a standalone. I am truly enjoying this -- all except looking up so many words.

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One Legend of the Brown Lady



In 1848, Chowan Baptist Female Institute (much later to become Chowan University) opened as a four-year women’s college in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. During the Civil War, a young lady attended but had to say goodbye to her fiancé when he went off to fight in the war. Sadly, it was their last goodbye, because he was killed and never returned. Not long afterward, the young lady developed typhoid fever and died, although some say it was more from her broken heart or at least not having a will to live. She was buried at the end of October, however, legend says her spirit could not find peace. Restless and driven, she began to roam the halls she had once walked as a student.

Most people who have sighted the ghost say she likes to appear in a mist or fog, and she’s always seen wearing the same brown dress. No one remembers her name and no records have been found to tell who she was, so everyone began to call her “The Brown Lady."  Custodians and staff also reported other odd occurrences – leaves gathered into little piles in the hallway after it had been left clean, twigs left in places where none had been; lights tampered with; a baffling rap on a window; and numerous other unexplained incidents. Especially, those working in the Columns Building reported hearing a distinct rustling like those of a long dress over petticoats and hoops. However, some students in the girls’ dorms have heard her sobbing. She's mainly been seen around the Old Column's Building, but she's not just restricted to there. Her second favorite place to roam is in the girls' dorms, but she might just turn up anywhere on campus. She especially likes to come out close to Halloween, the night of the roaming spirits and near the time she died.

As the years passed, the sightings and the legend grew. An early President of Chowan, W. B. Edwards, liked to encourage stories of The Brown Lady. He’d also been known to take students to the Wise graveyard near Halloween. No one knows for sure that The Brown Lady is buried there, but legend enthusiasts like to think so. In the 1940’s and 50’s, the college held a Brown Lady festival. As part of the event, a student would be nominated to dress up as The Brown Lady. She would lead participants around campus and to the Wise family cemetery.

This is the legend most often told on campus today. As with most legends with longevity, however, there’re several versions of the story. When Chowan University decided to publish a literary magazine showcasing students’ work, the committee decided to call it "The Brown Lady" after the legend. The magazine is available free each spring. In volume 3 in 2015, one of the short stories is about a new sighting of The Brown Lady in “The Legend Continues.” And so it has, over many years.

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Salvation Is the Kickoff Not the Touchdown

If we were honest, most churches have probably failed at reaching the lost in recent years. We tend to sit in our churches and expect the lost to come to us. Still, we do a better job of reaching them than of making disciples. Some Christians have gotten the idea that once a person comes to know the Lord as their Savior, the work is over, they've done all that is required, and nothing else is needed. However, salvation, although of utmost importance, is just the kickoff to a Christian life. It is not the final destination or the touchdown.

As with any good team, new members need training. We multiply by making disciples who can go out and make other disciples. This is the model the apostles used in the early church. How many Christians do you know who do this today? Do you? The pastor and his staff surely can't do it all. We are all commanded to do this in the Great Commission.

So, as football season continues, remember the analogy. No game is won at the kickoff. It takes practice, following the coach's instructions, learning, working with team members, making sacrifices, commitment, dedication, and perseverance. Let's not stop until the end of the game, when Jesus comes for us at the rapture or our life ends. Nothing else is as important.

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Living in the Story

Before I ever begin to write a novel, the characters have visited with me time and time again, and I've watched scenes play out in my mind. I know my characters well, like good friends. I know the setting, where the story will begin, and generally how it will end. This continues for months, sometimes even years, until I have time to get it on paper. It's how I sort through all of my ideas. I write the ones that never fade and keep me coming back to them.

Then, when I begin writing, I live the story with my characters. I see what they see, hear what they hear, and feel what they feel. This works better when I can find a large block of time in which to write and don't have to keep coming in and out of my characters' world. But I can do it with only snippets of time if that's all I have. I love this process, and if I don't get to write on a manuscript for several days, I begin to feel that something important is missing.

However, all this doesn't necessarily end when a book is published. Like any good friends, they still visit occasionally, which is good because I miss them. Sometimes they tell me things I wish I had included in the book, but that's okay. I always feel a book is complete before I send the manuscript to the publisher. These are just extras I can treasure. And when I write by living the story, my readers can live the story when they read it.

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Sari Days

Several years ago, I had the privilege of spending a summer in India on a Fullbright-Hays Scholarship. I studied under professors at the University of Madras and traveled and toured India. It was a wonderful experience, and I found the culture fascinating. I also found it interesting that most of the Indian men wore Western clothes, but most of the women wore saris (sarees).

A sari is six or more feet of cloth wrapped around a drawstring petticoat, pleated or gathered in the front to allow movement, and worn over a short blouse. There are hundreds of ways of wrapping the sari, and different regions and locales have their own style. I bought the three that I have in Madras (renamed Chennai) in southern India, and I wrap mine in the style they do there. I wore them especially when I taught about India.

Saris are comfortable once one gets used to them. They can still be worn if the woman's weight changes, she becomes pregnant, or if other styles change. They normally come in either cotton or silk and in an enormous array of colors. In addition, they are very feminine looking. These are likely some of the reasons they have remained so popular.

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Why Do You Attend Your Church?

Why do you attend the church you do? Have you even thought about it? You don't have to answer to anyone but yourself, so be honest. Answers are often as varied as the people themselves. Some say they attend where their families have gone for generations. Others go for the programs offered or music they enjoy or dynamic preaching. Some even go to large churches to get lost in the crowd so they don't have to do much.

I think too many might go about this all wrong. They try to find a church that appeals to them, instead of the one where God wants them. I find that more and more today, people look to be entertained and moved. They look for a church that can meet their needs. Perhaps it would be better to consider one where they are needed, where they can best serve God. Certainly, they need to pray and turn the decision over to Him.

It's fine to consider how well you'll be fed by God's word and encouraged by His people, but sometimes God wants us to go where we can make a difference -- where we can feed people and be an encourager. I strongly believe the key to any decision is seeking God's will. He can see the big picture - the past, present, and future. You can trust Him to never lead you astray. When we serve Him according to His will, we will have a special peace that we can find nowhere else.

I've known some people who have become church hoppers. They stay at a church for a little while, eventually see something they don't like, and move on to another church to repeat the process. This is not what Christ intended. We are to be servants, not spiritual gypsies. Unless God moves you, serve where you are planted. How active are you in God's kingdom building? How willing are you to answer God's call when He sends opportunities your way? In what ways could you make your church stronger, according to God's plan? 

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Historical Purist?

When I write historical fiction, I don't mind doing the research to get it right. Perhaps that comes from the fact that I got my bachelor's degree in history. Having a history background has also helped with the writing. I find I often have a sense of time and place that makes the writing easier and brings the books to life. Two of my historical novels (When Winter Is Past and It All Started at the Masquerade) are set in the 1700's and five (Cleared for Planting, Sown in Dark Soil, Uprooted by War, Transplanted to Red Clay, and Mountain Mishap) are set in the 1800's.

In addition to background research and specific research of facts as I need them in writing, I also check vocabulary words to make sure they were used in my time period. It bothers me to read books where the vocabulary is too modern for the book's setting. I want mine to remain appropriate and true. My husband thinks that my attention to these details is what makes my historical novels so popular.

However, when I started writing a series of books set in the Middle Ages, this has presented a problem. I find that not only is the vocabulary I can use extremely limited, but I'm also having to check about five words in every sentence to see when they first came into use. As you can imagine, this is very laborious and time-consuming. Some of my favorite authors of Medieval fiction don't restrict themselves in this way. They include words used through the 1950's but structure their sentences in a way that gives the impression of Medieval speech.

I have thought long and hard about this, and I can't bring myself to do less than my very best. I'm not entirely satisfied when I find modern words in the historical novels I read, and I wouldn't be satisfied writing that way. I have found that I tend to be a traditionalist when it comes to grammar and writing, and I guess this is just one more example. I may be too much of a historical purist, but I don't think I could be happy with the books I published if I thought I'd made easier choices instead of making them the best I can. I truly believe my readers deserve the best.

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