tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post3679528344557177654..comments2024-03-23T02:45:17.058-04:00Comments on Tales of Goldstone Wood: Unique and Universal: Part 3Anne Elisabeth Stenglhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09462605949792523331noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-63366560104270818232014-10-26T03:10:51.335-04:002014-10-26T03:10:51.335-04:00I've applied personal experience to my stories...I've applied personal experience to my stories several times, and I must say that those are the things that have brought life to my characters and made my fantasy world much more realistic.<br /><br />For example, I have a heroine whose life revolves around her faith in her gods, and it's tested several times in her adventures. Although my situations aren't as dramatic as hers, I too have had my faith in God tested. Like her and her patron deities, I have tasted of my Heavenly Father's goodness. <br /><br />I'm sorry you had such a bad experience in that church. I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I know that in the eyes of God men and women are equal partakers of salvation and exaltation through the Savior Jesus Christ :) :)<br /><br />Thanks for writing these articles!Sarah Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10534995329201730109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-28236470414634195152014-10-24T11:19:05.231-04:002014-10-24T11:19:05.231-04:00I've been utterly fascinated with this series ...I've been utterly fascinated with this series of posts! I will admit that I'm gleaning some advice as an aspiring novelist, but it's also intriguing to find out how you craft such wonderfully authentic characters. It's kind of an 'aha' moment, realizing THIS is why they're all so relatable. :)<br />I agree with Meredith; it's awesome how good has come out of a painful time in your life. What a great reminder that God works things together for our good!Tracey Dyckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03445222618456673198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102067376746188002.post-52856517058608323952014-10-24T10:59:05.697-04:002014-10-24T10:59:05.697-04:00These posts are absolutely fascinating! I loved ho...These posts are absolutely fascinating! I loved how you took such a horrendous event in your life and incorporated it into such a beautiful story. I remember upon first reading Starflower how truly engrossed I was by the vividness and brutality of the society in which she lived. Reading about the unbelievable ways women are still treated in many cultures is horrifying, and your story rang true. I myself am a member of a denomination that tends to view women in certain ways that, when I was younger, made me feel weak and unimportant to God. As I've grown older and studied more for myself, I've learned what a high regard God has for women. Just proves how we can take Scriptures out of context and use them to hurt others.<br /><br />In my own writing, I like to focus on characters who have little control over their situations. Even if a character doesn't deal with a specific handicap, I like to explore how isolation and the way that character is viewed by others will make him/her react. From my own personal experience, I have definitely felt inadequate and inferior many times. This stems from my own spirit but also from the harsh reality that people with blindness and other disabilities, (if that word must be used), are sometimes overlooked or regarded as limited in some way. Thankfully, this is not God's view.<br /><br />Thank you, thank you for this truly inspiring post. It means so much that you are willing to share such painful events from your past. God is phenomenally gracious, isn't He?Meredithnoreply@blogger.com