When Writing Takes you into the Deep Waters

As many of you know, I’m in the process of writing my second Viking historical novel, Forest Child. As a select few of you also know, I have deliberately tried to back-burner it for several months (years?), simply because I knew my main character’s real life story (Freydis Eiriksdottir) and I knew it was going to be hard to write.

Now that I’m writing it, while things are rolling along nicely, I am painfully aware I don’t control this story. Yes, I do the research, I try to plot, and I capture the words in my Word document. But the way the story comes together, sometimes right in front of me, is not something I can explain. I have gone from the shallow waters of my plots and plans into the deep waters of story. It’s exhilarating, but at the same time it’s completely daunting, because as an author, you know you can’t touch the sandy floor anymore, and you have to write the story as it should be to stay afloat.

I realize that Forest Child, like God’s Daughter, does not fit neatly into a box. It is historical fiction, but written from a Christian worldview. It will be more violent than God’s Daughter, because I have to be honest and show all sides of the Viking culture, and fighting was integral to Freydis’ life, just as surely as healing was integral to Gudrid’s. If you want to check out some pictures of inspiration for this one, you can find them here on my Pinterest board.

The thing is, I am aware I could water this down, change the facts. I could choose to see only the best in Freydis and make her a wonderful heroine we’d all like emulate.

But the thing is that Freydis, like all humans (except Jesus Christ), is not wholly admirable. She has weaknesses, and sometimes she is controlled by them.

Will people like Freydis? I have no idea. Sometimes I love her. Sometimes I want to stop her. I have never written a character quite like her, and I doubt I ever will again.

So I’m finally embracing this opportunity to take those Icelandic saga accounts and bring her to life, in vivid color, for readers. When I finish this book, I will feel a burden has been lifted–the burden of telling Freydis’ story. It is one of the few things in life I know I have to do.

I just wanted to update you readers, because I know some of you are eagerly anticipating this novel. Here is hoping I can bring this story to you intact, and then I can swim back to shore.

–Heather

***On another note, this is the FINAL week Fatal 5 will be available, and it’s only 99c/Kindle, #Free for Kindle Unlimited. This has been such a fun boxed set and I hope you were able to pick it up and read these talented authors–Christy Barritt, Karin Kaufman, Don & Stephanie Prichard, and Dan Walsh (and me).