Hi folks! Erika here. My novella Fear Not Tomorrows has just been published in Wild Blue Wonder Press’s collection Springtime in Surrey along with novellas by seven other authors. (You can buy the book here.) Andrea’s story is one of them, and I’ve been honored to work with her on this collection over the past several months as well as in various other capacities over the years. Today she’s sharing about how she found joy in the story.
When I was first plotting The Cottage on the Hill, my novella in Wild Blue Wonder Press’s debut anthology, Springtime in Surrey, I knew I would need to find the joy in the story in order to find balance with the sorrow leading lady Moira Wood faced. She’d lost her balletic dreams when she suffered a tragic accident, and her struggle to come to terms with that was what this story was all about. If I wanted to keep Moira’s story from turning into a tragedy, I had to search for the joy.
I didn’t have far to look for inspiration. Certain events in my own life have felt tragic and melancholic. In fact, tragedy and heartache seem to be beckoning calls for me, and I enjoy writing about them. Yet, it’s in those very events that God has shown me that abundant joy is best found when my circumstances couldn’t look any bleaker. This was something I wanted to convey in Cottage, to hopefully give the characters (and, by extension, the readers) a glimpse of how they might also pursue God-given joy in the midst of their most difficult days.
One of the main goals for leading man Adrian Davis was to make Moira smile so she would stop crying into her tea every afternoon. This was a fun thing for me to explore, because it allowed me to get creative in the ways Adrian would attempt to accomplish the goal. Since Moira didn’t make it easy for him, he had to think outside the box and try some more exuberant things to turn his new neighbor’s frown upside down.
Rain has long been a favorite thing of mine, so I had to find a way to incorporate this into Cottage. When I was playing with potential plot ideas, there was one scene in particular that I thought could best use a little rain to enhance the vibe I was hoping to strike. The scene in question involved a Charlie Chaplin-inspired bit of entertainment, and I couldn’t help but put Adrian in costume and have him old-man-step to a jaunty Irish tune in a wild attempt to make Moira smile.
That scene also made use of a few props. Ever since I first saw Fred Astaire dance with a hat rack in Royal Wedding, I’ve been fascinated with how entertainers (Mr. Astaire in particular) made great use of props in their performances. In Cottage, Adrian used a top hat, an overcoat, and a broken umbrella to bring joy into Moira’s afternoon. His turn as the performer proved entertaining to me, but you’ll have to read the book to find out if Moira ended up feeling the same way.
The search for joy in the writing of this story took me in some fun directions, and I was glad to see that balance between melancholy and an upbeat joy was struck square on the head. It is my hope that readers will discover their own slice of joy in the midst of their hard times, just as Adrian tried to teach Moira throughout The Cottage on the Hill.
Video Clips for Inspiration
These video clips were ones I watched several times to make sure I was finding the right tone for that scene I mentioned, in which Adrian entertained Moira with props in the rain.
Charlie Chaplin
Fred Astaire
Born and raised in north Texas, Andrea Renee Cox is a born-again child of God who enjoys writing stories that inspire, copyediting fiction manuscripts, tutoring middle school students, and going on road trips with her family. Whether she’s writing historical or contemporary, women’s fiction or romance, she uses her skills in research and writing techniques—as well as prayer and guidance from God—along the journey to produce the best stories of her ability. Her books may be found on her website, and readers are welcome to follow her blog for the latest updates in her journey.
Website: https://andreareneecox.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/andreacox
Twitter: https://twitter.com/screenwriter87
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/andreareneecoxauthor/
Thanks for hosting me, Erika! It’s always a pleasure to chat about joy.