Tragedy and Romance (+giveaway)

August 9, 2021 Jaycee Weaver44 Comments

I’ll be the first to admit I tend to lean toward uncomplicated, happy romances by default. Like bacon and cheese, such books make up the majority of my dietary preferences, literarily speaking. However, these aren’t the books I savor. They aren’t the ones to win awards and acclaim and get talked about nonstop.

I could be way off base, but it seems to me those spaces in our hearts tend to be reserved for the tragic tales. Now, since we here at Inspy Romance focus on CCR, we’ll stick to that genre, which means certain rules apply to our tragedies. They still require romantic love that ends happily and threads of faith (whether overt or subtle) that lead to characters overcoming whatever tragedy or trauma stands in the way of that happy romantic ending.

Now that the parameters are in place, let’s talk about why we love sad stories. We could get technical and talk about catharsis and endorphins and bio-chemical responses, but that might bore you to tears. Instead, let’s talk about it purely from a human experience standpoint.

As readers, we all know how books make us feel things, how reading makes us more empathetic. There’s no avoiding tragedy as part of the human experience. We all experience it on some level at some point in our lives. Considering we were created for connection, it makes sense that reading others’ experiences builds that connection as it allows us to see through someone else’s point of view.

Why am I thinking about all of this?

A few reasons. If you’re part of my email list, you’ll know we’ve faced several losses recently both in my family and in the reading community (including the heartbreaking loss of fellow author and former IR blogger Marion Ueckermann). I also read a few posts recently comparing people’s reading tastes pre-covid, height of covid, to now. It’s been interesting to see how many chose primarily comedies versus how many actually preferred tragic stories. I read one person’s comment that she walked away from tragic stories, specifically romances with an HEA, with a fresh outlook and appreciation for life.

What do you think? Do you ever go through phases where you just need to read something sad? Do you still want the tale to end happily?

I’m curious about your answers, truly!

Last week I reread one of my novellas from last year, This and Every Christmas, (which I’ll be releasing individually here in a couple of months) in preparation for writing its follow-on book for this year’s Christmas Lights Collection. I set out to write a story that was light and happy and Hallmark worthy, but as it progressed, I was hit with loss after loss for my poor hero. I never would’ve imagined readers would connect with a story in which three key people in his life die within the span of a few chapters, yet I’ve been hearing over and over again it’s one of their favorites. (You can’t see my shoulders shrugging, but trust me, they are.) It made me wonder.

And then there’s a major tragedy that sets the foundation for my entire novella Braver With You in the upcoming Save the Date collection. I had no idea when I started writing Ashlyn and Conrad’s childhood sweethearts story that such heartache would be the basis of not only her backstory, but his! I won’t spoil the details (though I do hope you’ll pre-order your copy of the collection for only 99¢ and then leave us a review with your thoughts) but writing the trauma she experienced as a little girl and understanding how it impacted every significant person in her life was eye-opening for me as a writer.

Life is hard, loss even harder. Perhaps that’s why we connect so well to characters who’ve faced things we have or worse. Maybe it’s finding hope for ourselves in the hard times, even when our only example of coming out the other side is a fictional character. I’m not exactly sure, but it’s definitely worth spending some time contemplating.

So I’ll let you contemplate, then you can leave a comment below to share about whether or not you connect best to characters who’ve faced tragedy or trauma and why you think that might be. I’d love to read your responses to my above questions. And then just to lighten things up, I’ll choose one random commenter to receive an advance review e-copy of Braver With You OR This and Every Christmas, winner’s choice. Also, if you have any great book suggestions for CCR titles in which characters face and overcome tragedy, I’ll give you an extra entry into the giveaway!

Until next time, happy reading (or not)!

How Being an Empath Impacts My Writing (and everything else)

June 9, 2020 Jaycee Weaver26 Comments

It’s always been hard to explain the difference between sympathy and empathy. It’s even harder to describe being an empath versus feeling empathy, but the best I’ve been able to come up with is this: empaths are highly absorbent emotional sponges in human form.

Unlike sympathy, which is essentially identifying someone’s emotional state and reacting compassionately, empathy is the ability to put yourself in another’s shoes. Actually being an empath takes it one step further—we actually feel the emotions others around us are experiencing within our own bodies as if it were happening to us.

I won’t describe my journey to realizing I possessed these traits— that would take up far too much time, though if you’re curious you can click the links like this one here or here. I will say they traits have amplified as I’ve matured and become less self-involved (which in a way, makes sense, right? I pray, “more of You, Lord, less of me,” and He actually answered that prayer in a very literal way, allowing me to hurt for what hurts Him).

Anyway. So how has being an empath impacted my writing? I’ll do a list of the positives and a few drawbacks.

Empaths are able to conceptualize the world from a multitude of perspectives. In my writing, this translates to infinite storylines with a wide range of characters! My career never has to end! (Hear the maniacal laugh there?)
We can read emotional cues and tend to be highly emotional ourselves, so it’s easier to imagine both the physical and internal experiences of others. In writing, that means I can craft authentic characters and vividly describe their experiences.
Because empaths perceive a lot of nonverbal cues and experience emotional responses internally, I can write realistic character interactions, even if I haven’t lived it myself.
Working out sticky plot points is actually fun for me because I can run through multiple scenarios and see how different actions might spark different reactions from different characters, and how the plot would naturally move depending on each scenario. Like a crazy road map in my head.
Heightened awareness extends beyond emotion. I’m also highly attuned to colors, sounds, smells, sights, flavors, and touch. Incorporating heightened senses enriches the reader experience of a story.
I can get stuck inside my head and feel too much at once, though, which means sometimes it takes forever to write a scene (or blog post, ha ha) and I end up revising it 436 times while rethinking, “will a reader understand this is my character’s opinion and not mine?” or “will this hurt a reader?” or “how else might this be interpreted?”
Empaths want to help everyone, all the time, whether that’s listening to a loved one or aching to bring understanding to a polarized society or observing injustice or someone hurting in the grocery store. So sometimes priorities get skewed as I drop my writer jobs to help someone else with theirs. Usually that’s not a big deal. I enjoy helping others, I just have to work extra hard to say no because I love saying yes so much. It’s also imperative to create a bubble I can retreat into to restore my spirit.
Emotional trials get in the way of my creativity, which means sometimes I can’t write at all. Last week we lost a very dear friend. We had both good and not-so-good news from other loved ones. Added to the existing COVID stress, racial tension, and political negativity from every direction, I could hardly function.
Back to the good stuff. There’s a lot of humor to be found in hyperbole. What’s a fun way to deal with all those extreme feelings? Turn them into dramatic reactions and over-the-top situations. Case in point, Jenna Davis from Whatever Happens Next.
And last but not least, because the Christian and Inspy writing community is so very uplifting and supportive, all that love and grace restores my spirit and stirs me to bring balance to the world by writing stories that inspire empathy in others, too.

So there you have it. Many of these traits are common to other writers and readers, of course, to a degree. When we read, we’re naturally building empathy skills because we’re reading through the eyes of the characters. While only about 15-20% of the population are true empaths, we can all increase our ability to exhibit the traits that make us better and can be an asset to us in everyday life. I hope I’ve shared a little bit of something new and interesting with you! Be sure to comment below—whatever you’d like to share. I’d love to hear from and connect with you!

Covers · Roundup

It’s Complicated… (interesting characters usually are) + cover reveal

February 11, 2020 Jaycee Weaver19 Comments

If you’ve been on social media at any point in the last decade, you’ve probably noticed at least one of your “friends” with the relationship status It’s Complicated. The phrase has filtered its way into our culture in all sorts of ways—movie titles, song lyrics, book themes, mindsets.

It’s complicated isn’t always a response we’d like to accept, but it’s often the easiest response to most of those nosy questions we can’t completely answer without either revealing more than we’re comfortable with or shocking the inquisitor with an unavoidably long, drawn out response. It’s more polite than telling them none of your business, right? Ha ha!

But when it comes to characters, I have to admit, I LOVE complicated. The more complex their backstory, the more I want to read. Neat and tidy characters are fine on occasion, but let’s face it. Real people are pretty complicated. And as readers, we tend to be more fascinated by humanity than non-readers. I read an article a while back that frequent readers tend to be more empathetic. Perhaps this is why complicated characters are so interesting.

I’m a reader first. Becoming an author flowed naturally from that love, but always, first, a reader. I’ll list a few that stick out in my mind, then I’ll tell you about some I’ve written. After that, I’ll share with you the cover of my latest book and why I loved writing the characters in it. 🙂

From IR’s own Elizabeth Maddrey, comes Lydia Brown in Wisdom to Know. She’s a pastor’s daughter caught up in a binding chain of bad choices. I read this a few years ago, but she’s a heroine who has stuck with me. Another that stands out is Jen Andrews in A Handful of Hope. Her struggle with depression is thoroughly true-to-life and so well presented.

Toni Shiloh, another IR author, does complicated characters very well. Some of my favorites are Belle Peterson and Nikki Gordon from her Maple Run series. Evan Carter from Returning Home is also a wonderfully complex hero. Toni tackles characters who’ve suffered abuse, assault, missing limbs, parental abandonment, infidelity, and more with finesse and sensitivity.

Then there’s Janet Ferguson. Oh my goodness, I just love her characters. Raw emotion, depth, intensity, tragedy, internal struggles, wars against sin and pain and fear…and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve loved them all, but my favorite is still The Art of Rivers.

Oh! And while I’m thinking of other IR authors (and can I just say, there are a lot of amazing ladies in this bunch, so I’m only picking a couple real quickly) I have to include Valerie M. Bodden. The entire Hope Springs series is wonderful—with a plethora of complex characters—but none more complicated than bad girl Jade in Not Until Us.

Melissa Tagg also has a way with complicated characters. I’d have to say my favorite is Now and Then and Always. Marshall and Mara both have painful stories they’re working through as they build a relationship while restoring an old B&B.

No list would be complete without Lea Sim’s two highly emotional novels, Running From Monday and Waiting on Tuesday. Lea tackles some difficult topics, and her characters have endured severe abuse, infidelity, loss, and more. Readers are put a bit through the wringer on these, but it’s their richness and authenticity of emotion that make them such memorable reads.

T.I. Lowe’s Until I Do—and her whole backlist, actually—is another perfect example. A marriage in shambles, readers get an inside look at a couple’s struggle with becoming empty-nesters and their floundering relationship. Other books by TI Lowe feature characters running from dark, violent secrets, human trafficking, and other trauma.

Several friends I asked reminded me of Tammy L. Gray. I’ve read quite a few of her books, but Mercy’s Flight is definitely one that stands out. Violent pasts, betrayal, children in need, secrets, and a journey to trust and find courage barely scratch the surface of Matt and Grace’s story.

I absolutely HAVE to include one of my very favorites, Jennifer Rodewald. I need to take a break between her books because I can pretty much guarantee I’ll be gutted afterward. Her Grace Revealed trilogy is ripe with intense, complicated characters with highly charged emotions and very real issues, but my personal favorite is still The Carpenter’s Daughter.

Whew! That ended up being a rather long list, so I’ll cut myself off there. Hopefully I’ve introduced you to some new-to-you authors, titles, or characters you’ll enjoy as much as I have.

Since I’ve already gone on long enough, I’ll summarize what kind of complicated characters I enjoy writing. In Whatever Comes Our Way, the hero and heroine face traumatic pasts, grief, guilt, anxiety attacks, and the aftermath of loved ones’ drug use. In What Makes a Home, prickly Jobie’s colorful lifestyle catches up to her as we come to understand why she chooses to live the way she does (until she meets Jesus!). In Adrift, (which is always free) Erin still experiences grief after losing her husband too young. Now, not all of my characters are over-complicated. Some have it pretty easy, so I like to put them in challenging situations instead. My heart is to create realistic characters who are flawed and, yes, complicated but eventually figure out what it is God wants to work out in their lives.

So there you have it. Probably should have narrowed it down and maybe dug a little deeper into each character, but I’m a more-is-better kind of girl. Ha ha!

For the last part of my post, I’d like to reveal the cover to my newest book out this week, which just so happens to be FREE to all subscribers to my email newsletter. It’s a bit different from my usual contemporary Christian romance fare, as it’s a dual-POV in first person with two heroines. Each has her own story line with her own love interest/romance, but their friendship takes center stage in this novelette. Lauren’s a steady presence for Kimbrye, who just might be one of the most hurting of all the heroines I’ve written so far.

I can’t wait to read in your comments below any recommendations YOU have for favorite complicated characters. I’m always on the lookout for my newest book bestie! Take care and enjoy the rest of your week, especially with our upcoming BIRTHDAY BASH!!