To listen or not to listen?

Recently, during a promotional visit to a bookstore in Melbourne, I received a wonderful surprise. A lady

with whom I had connected only via email in the past made a special effort to drop by and meet me in person. This lady works for an organisation that helps those with visual impairment or ‘print disability'--her role includes acquiring books for possible recording for the audio lending library this organisation runs. A few years ago, an elderly friend badly wanted to read my first two novels but the print was too small for her. She told this organisation about my books and asked if they could record them. After some time, they contacted me and the upshot was that, over the next little while, my first three novels were produced as audio books. I was sent a copy of each in their special DAISY mp3 format—and I thought that was the end of it all.

However, when this lady met me recently, she told me they had now completed my fourth and fifth novels and were about to start on my memoir Soul Friend. As well, she also wanted to purchase my latest novel The Inheritance, with a view to recording it. A few days later, she emailed to say she was forwarding the recordings of my fourth and fifth novels so I would have all my books they had produced so far.

But here is my dilemma. While I love having these copies, I have not as yet been able to bring myself to listen to any of them! I know they are  professionally produced—the person who narrated them is a well known and very gifted actor from stage and screen here in Australia and has a beautiful speaking voice. But I am certain that, because these were my first novels, I would want to change so much of what I would hear, which would definitely dampen my enjoyment of the whole experience. I imagine it is a little like artists might feel when viewing their early efforts at painting. Surely their fingers must itch to alter or touch up this or that!

Perhaps the best way to approach it all is for me to listen to those recordings with an accepting heart and mind, acknowledge the stylistic changes I would now make, and simply be thankful for how far I have come since those earlier writing efforts. We all learn as we go and we all have to begin somewhere. And, stylistic issues aside, the stories they contain still touch readers, I have discovered, who are often not as critical as those of us who write! Then again ... is it better not to listen and instead to keep moving forward, writing the best I can at this point?

What would you decide in this instance? Would you listen or not?

All questions aside, I am honoured and grateful that those recordings have been made—especially my third novel Laura, which is the story of a girl who becomes blind as a child. I love the idea that those for whom most books are inaccessible can choose to hear my books, if they so desire. God has ways of blessing us far beyond what we could ever imagine, don’t you agree?

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com or www.soulfriend.com.au.

Truth is stranger than fiction

Often I am asked how much actual ‘truth’ is included in one or other of my novels. Was Heléna, the heroine of my first two novels, a real person? Could Laura, the main character in my third novel really do the things I have her do, despite being blind? Might Jenna, the main character in my fourth novel, possibly be me, the author? And what about my fifth novel? Are the main characters people I knew or did I simply ‘make them up’?

Now it so happens my first two novels were inspired by the life of a Czech migrant woman I met years ago. Some things contained in those books are ‘true’ – and some aren’t. After all, they are novels. But I would say that the events I have been questioned about most often are ones that actually happened. Was Heléna’s husband a member of the Czech underground? Did he really give himself up for her when she was being held captive, as I describe? And what about Heléna’s son – did he really die the way I have written it? Yes, those events honestly did happen to our Czech friend and are indeed ‘true’. And when those questioning me still look a little incredulous, I assure them I am telling the truth. Even I, with my fertile imagination, could not have ‘thought up’ such things!

When it comes to my character Laura in my third novel, I explain how Laura could certainly have done the things I say she did because I modelled her on a friend of mine who is blind. And yes, my friend truly has done some amazing and courageous things, despite being unable to see at all – she was brought up to climb trees and walk along the tops of fences and jump into waterholes along with her sighted brothers and sisters, which made her extremely independent later in life. And yes, the story in the second last chapter really did happen – I was there when my friend asked what the words of a particular hymn were after hearing the melody on the radio. Without thinking, I immediately answered: ‘Oh, that’s Be Thou My Vision!’ We cried together as I read out each verse so that she could type them out using her Brailler – she had sensed God had wanted her to find out the words of this hymn, not knowing its title at all. I will never forget what a blessed, life-giving moment that was for her and how strong God’s presence was around us – and I describe that event in the book exactly as it happened.

No, Jenna, the main character of my fourth novel, isn’t me – but then again, is it? Yes, bits and pieces of things that happen to Jenna happened to me – or to friends of mine. Where does the ‘truth’ begin and end? I can’t honestly say in this case. And yes, I did ‘make up’ most of the characters in my fifth novel – but again, did I really? Even if I do not consciously describe people I have known, how much does my imagination feed on my subconscious memories?

It doesn’t matter in the end whether my readers believe certain people and events in my books are ‘true’ or not. But it does matter if they treat the underlying truths expressed in my novels as fiction. I want my readers to know the gracious love of God and to see it demonstrated in the lives of many of my characters. I want them to understand that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, truly did come to earth and die on the cross for us. This is not a fanciful tale made up centuries ago. Yes, this particular truth may seem stranger than fiction, it may be beyond our understanding, too good really to be true. Yet it is true nevertheless – every word of it. And I’m so glad of that!

Jo-Anne Berthelsen grew up in Brisbane and holds degrees in Arts and Theology and a diploma in Education. She has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of five published novels – ‘Heléna’, ‘All the Days of My Life’, ‘Laura’, ‘Jenna’ and ‘Heléna’s Legacy’. She is married to a retired minister and lives in Sydney. For more information about Jo-Anne and her novels, please visit her website, www.jo-anneberthelsen.com.

A note of encouragement

I’m wondering if there are any authors reading this blog who feel they could do with a little extra encouragement right now. Some of you might be riding high on a wave of writing success – perhaps you have a book due for release this year and other exciting speaking and writing opportunities happening. But perhaps some of you are still waiting for that elusive publishing contract or struggling to finish that work that is there in your head but just doesn’t seem to want to take shape on the page. Still others of you might have that publishing contract but are hard-pressed to know how best to promote your book and achieve better sales figures. There is no doubt that, alongside the joy and fulfilment of being an author, the challenges and frustrations abound.

Yes, we need encouragement – but I have found I often need to ask God to open my eyes and ears to see and hear it! It might be my strange personality, but sometimes I find myself so ready to hear the negative comments and allow the difficulties inherent in the whole writing journey to drag me down. I can even miss completely the encouraging word someone is trying to say to me by listening instead to that cynical voice in my head that says, ‘They can’t mean that! That can’t possibly be true about your writing!’ Do you, like me, need to choose to focus on God and receive his encouragement more often, both directly and through others?

I love reading God’s word each day. I keep reading until I believe I have found that particular message of challenge or encouragement or comfort God has for me at that point and I try to meditate on and interact with that word as my day unfolds. For example, recently I read the following words from Isaiah 51:16 that are particularly apt for those of us who speak and write:

I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand – I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’

As God’s people in 2011, how encouraging it is to know God will put his words in our mouths as we listen to him and that we can then allow them to flow out to others!

But I believe God also delights to use friends and family – even strangers – to bring unexpected snippets of encouragement our way. In one day recently, I received a phone call and two emails that had all the hallmarks of a loving, understanding God about them! First off, the phone call was from a ninety-seven year old lady I have met only once who had finished reading my third novel ‘Laura’ and, in her words, ‘just had to phone me’ and say how much she had enjoyed it. Then an email arrived from another lady I have met only once who had just read my first two novels, ‘Heléna’ and ‘All the Days of My Life’ straight through in a couple of days and couldn’t put them down. This email was followed soon after by one from a lady in New Zealand, who had gone to endless trouble to try to get hold of my second novel, having enjoyed my first so much, and finally was contacting me here in Australia to send it to her. I was touched by her keenness and perseverance and greatly encouraged yet again.

So as I write this, I am praying God will open your eyes and ears too to receive the encouragement you need for your journey. May 2011 be a year of great joy and fulfilment as you write what God has laid on your heart and gifted you to write!

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney, Australia, and has four published novels, ‘Heléna’, ‘All the Days of My Life’, ‘Laura’ and ‘Jenna’. For more information, please visit her website, http://www.jo-anneberthelsen.com/.