Today on the Brave Blog we have an interview with author Lynne Tagawa. Welcome, Lynne! She writes historical fiction with strong faith themes. Welcome, Lynne! Let’s jump in with our standard Brave Blog question.
Sarah: How would you define bravery? What is it? Where does it come from?
Lynne: This is a wonderful question. One of my characters addresses it in The Heart of
Courage: A Novel of the French and Indian War.
“I am not sure why you should preach to the Shawnee, especially now,
during wartime. But the Lord’s ways are not our own. And ye must follow your
conscience.”
“There are moments when I lose my courage. I know what Preston has
suffered. What you have suffered. “
“My father once said that duty is the foundation of all good choices.” He took
a deep breath. “Your conscience, enlightened by the Word of God, reveals your
duty, the path you are meant to take. And a clear conscience is the heart of godly
courage.”
Sarah: I love how you answered with quotes from your book. Why do you write in the genre you do? When did you know you wanted to be an author?
Lynne: I’m a schoolteacher originally. Our small Christian school was looking for a Texas
History curriculum, and long story short, I ended up writing one. But I composed it
with a lot of nonfiction narrative, in an effort not to be boring. Then I thought, could I
write fiction?
Writing The Shenandoah Road answered the genre question for me like nothing else
could. It was like the phonograph needle settling into a record’s grooves perfectly
and harmoniously.
Sarah: Beautifully stated. What is your author tagline? Why did you choose it?
Lynne: Faith-filled fiction. It’s an adjective rather than a trademark. I want people to know
that this is what I do, this is what you will find if you read my books. My stories
are stuffed with faith and theology and things uniquely Christian. One story
discusses imputation (The Widow’s Cloak). My characters may not start out
Christian, but many go through a spiritual journey, and it’s rarely an easy one.
Sarah: I love it. Now, what is your brainstorming process like? Where do your ideas come from?
Lynne: Much of my brainstorming is a slow process of circling the grindstone. I manage
to compose a few hundred words at the computer—or capture glimpses of a
scene while lying awake at night. Some I ask myself logical questions—what has
to happen in this story or chapter? Or, how can I make this more exciting? Raise
the stakes? Once in a while whole scenes come to me at once. A new character
or a situation, ready-made. It helps. When I get stuck, I go back to my synopsis.
I hate synopses, as I write more organically. But writing a page-length synopsis
helps me think through the story structure and tweak problem spots.
Sarah: How interesting. Where did you get the inspiration for your most recent book?
Lynne: Years ago, when my children were still in diapers, I happened upon bits of John
Winthrop’s diary. Those were pre-internet days, and I remember copying it on a
copy machine.
I couldn’t believe it. This Puritan Founding Father was a human being. He
grieved and felt and prayed. His official “Journal” is a drier document; it’s simply a
log. But after I had written a seventeenth-century series I remembered Winthrop’s
heart and decided to go back a century.
I hope The Root of the Matter does him justice.
Sarah: What are you working on now?
Lynne: I am currently working on the second in my American Puritans series. John
Cotton escapes Archbishop Laud by fleeing to New England, and William and
Anne Hutchinson follow a year later. Cotton’s preaching brings revival, and Anne
Hutchinson’s influence brings division. Tough stuff to study and analyze!
I really hope I can break it open—certainly, those themes are pertinent today!
Sarah: That sounds fascinating. Okay, last question: What is the biggest piece of advice you’d give to someone who wants to write their first book?
Lynne: Read, read, read. And when the urge strikes you, write. If it is “not good enough,” stick it
in a drawer. And read some more. There are several things that make us good writers.
One is reading good writing. Another is getting feedback on what we’ve written—and
don’t be too hard on yourself! A lot of time and hard work goes into good writing. It
doesn’t happen right away.
Sarah: Thanks so much for joining us on the Brave Blog. Many blessings on all your writing endeavors.
Readers, you can purchase Lynne’s latest book, The Root of the Matter, here.
Lynne B. Tagawa is married, the mother of four sons, and grandma to six. The Tagawas live in Texas where she writes fiction and mentors homeschool moms.
She is especially inspired by the lives of great men and women of faith, and her historical fiction is filled with theological themes.
