Composing Amelia
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3. Tell us about the writing process. Did you have a favorite spot to go to or certain music you listened to as you wrote?
In an ideal world I’d spend my writing time in a café or the library. But my reality is that I’m a work-at-home mom, and because of my girls’ ages—my youngest one, especially—it’s difficult for me to be away from home for the four to five hours I work every afternoon. So my writing spot is my home office, which I can’t complain about too much, since the view of the Rockies is downright gorgeous. (I have to situate my computer away from the window or else I spend way too much time daydreaming as I stare at the view!)
Because I was writing a character with a classical-music background, I spent some time listening to piano-driven classical “hits” to give me some ideas for songs Amelia could play in certain situations. I can’t write and listen to music (or anything, really) at the same time, so I’d set aside blocks of time to just sit and listen to the CDs I found with piano compositions. It was so nice to have an excuse to just chill and listen to this beautiful music! I thought readers might enjoy hearing those pieces too, so I’ve posted a playlist on my website of all the songs mentioned in the book. Check out http://www.alisonstrobel.com/coam for this and other “backstage” content.
4. Amelia and Marcus travel to some pretty dark places emotionally. How did it feel to enter into that?
God has blessed me with a weird ability to shield myself from getting too involved in my characters’ emotional tumult. I don’t have the luxury of hiding away to process difficult emotions because I go straight from writing to taking care of my family. If I got wrapped up in the darkness of my characters’ lives, I wouldn’t be able to function! And it probably helps that I’m not a person who is prone to dark thoughts—which is odd, in a way, because I write them all the time!
5. What do you hope readers learn from Amelia and Marcus’s relationship?
Marriage isn’t easy, and society’s cavalier attitude toward marriage and divorce has eroded the expectation that spouses fulfill the “for better or for worse” part of their vows. Obviously there are times when divorce is necessary—in matters of abuse or abandonment, for example—but too often people think a marriage can’t be saved when, in fact, God is fully capable of restoring even the most broken of relationships.* Amelia assumed there was no way she’d ever be happy in her marriage again, given the resentment she felt toward Marcus for moving them to Wheatridge and how uneven their faiths were. But God grew both her and Marcus, and was able to bring healing to a marriage that could easily have dissolved. If both parties of a struggling relationship are willing to turn to the Lord for help, I do believe He will answer those prayers.
*However, just because He can doesn’t mean He will, and I am not advocating that anyone remain in a marriage with a toxic person who is unwilling to change.
6. Amelia obviously loves her piano. Are you a musician?
My two favorite things to do have always been writing and singing. I was a choir geek through high school and helped lead worship in all the various churches I was involved with through college and after graduation. I took piano for a few years but it never seemed to stick—but I’m going to give it a shot again soon so I can at least play Christmas carols and hymns for family worship and teach my girls the basics.
7. What role do you think art—music, writing, or something else—should have in a Christian’s life, especially as a wife and mom? How do you find that balance?
I think interacting with art is a vital part of a Christian’s walk. God is the ultimate artist, the source of all creativity, and we’re missing out on a major facet of who He is when we neglect it. But, that being said, it doesn’t have to be some formal, complicated, or time-consuming thing. Just taking time to really look at the flowers in your garden or switching over to the classical station in the car for a while can give you a new connection to God. And, as a mom, those little moments are a great way to teach my girls about how God is involved in our world on that level—how the sunsets, the harmonies, the tints and shades of a Renaissance master’s painting all find their start in Him.
www.alisonstrobel.com
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alison strobel writes novels that explore life, love, and faith. She lives in Colorado with her husband and two daughters. Visit her at www.AlisonStrobel.com.
Photo by Pauline Fortuna