It's common knowledge that authors find their muse in many different places, but one author found her muse while teaching Sunday school.
Author Barbara M. Britton recently was featured on the Books of the Month TV program. Today we host the episode, now available online, on demand, courtesy of Preach the Word Worldwide TV Network. Learn how teaching Sunday school to children helped to spur Barbara's story ideas for her now-popular Biblical fiction series "Tribes of Israel."
Today we welcome debut author Barbara M. Britton and get to know a little more about her. Barbara, welcome!
Thank you for hosting me on your blog today. I am happy to share my writing journey with you and the story behind “Providence: Hannah’s Journey.”
Do you plot or let the story unfold as you write?
I have read articles on whether writers should be plotters or pantsers (write by the seat of your pants). I tend to be a combination of the two. I’m a plantser. I have an outline of where the story is going and I write to meet each plot point. With Biblical fiction, sometimes the Bible gives the entire storyline, but other times it doesn’t. I based Hannah on the servant girl in the story of Naaman in II Kings 5. The Bible doesn’t tell us if that girl was rewarded with her freedom for essentially sending Naaman to the prophet to be healed. I wrote the happily ever after.
Have you ever cried while writing a book?
Yes, definitely. I know I am writing well if I’m crying and my critique partner is crying. The number one job of a writer is to elicit emotion from the reader. I know I have done my job if there are wadded up tissues on my desk.
How well did you do in English class as a kid?
I was A material with spelling words and using them in sentences. I still struggle with comma usage and other grammatical details. I took a grammar class recently and discovered there are different types of sentences. Who knew? I flunked some of the homework assignments. That is why I love my editors.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? If so, what is it and why?
When I taught chapel to elementary students, my husband would always challenge me not to tell a story, but to think of the theology behind it, and why God placed this story in the Bible. Easy, right? So, all my books have a theme. For “Providence: Hannah’s Journey,” the theme is God is in control even in the chaos of life. I let each reader pull out the theology in the novel.
As I reviewed the galley for Hannah’s story, I was battling breast cancer. I needed to remind myself every day that God was in control no matter the outcome. Praise the Lord, for it seems I am cancer free.
What is your favorite comfort food?
Easy peasy. It’s chocolate. But I can be a chocolate snob. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, home to See’s Candies, so dark chocolate butter creams are my favorite chocolate. I have many, many close seconds. And I am open to discovering new favorites.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would be essential for you?
A cell phone. A cell phone tower. Unlimited fresh water. I know some would say a Bible, but I hope I have enough Scripture stored in my heart that I could recite it to myself. Prayer just comes with the territory—no pun intended.
Do you laugh at your own jokes?
Of course, even if no one else does. Laughter is the best medicine to calming the stress in life.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you so much for reading Hannah’s Journey. It’s exciting to have a book release into the world, but it’s also scary. I am grateful for the support of my readers.
What is your favorite comfort food?