Discovering Imre

Write what you know. Haven't we heard that pronouncement since our first class assignment, "How I Spent My Summer Vacation?" Naturally, there are those who can flaunt exceptions to every rule, and plenty of great works have been written from a terrific imagination. But try to describe the taste of pistachio ice cream when you've only tasted chocolate or Tutti Frutti. Could you convey the misery of feeling seasick if you've never experienced it? Okay, it's a lot like carsick, and a little like vertigo. It's awful.

Long before I tapped out the first words on my keyboard, I knew I couldn't write Discovering Imre—my just-released novel—until I'd stepped aboard a cruise liner myself. Even with the entire story a rough outline in my mind, I needed to feel the vibration of the ship's motor and struggle with straps and buckles on the life jacket at lifeboat drill. And nothing but a hands-on encounter could have prepared me for the excitement of some great shore excursions. I'd love to see the world from a hot air balloon. (Well, maybe next time.)

The story simmered in the back of my mind for months, spilling over into family conversation and growing in intensity until it was almost begging to take shape in hard copy. A phone call early in December started the ball rolling—fast. "Mom, meet me for lunch," my oldest son, Matt, said.

Lunch turned out to be a gathering of my daughter, two sons, and both daughters-in-law. "We wanted you to have your gift early this year," Matt said. They handed over a cruise packet for a seven-day Holland America cruise to Alaska. Then, with my jaw quivering and my eyes tearing, he picked up his cell phone and dialed a number three time zones west. I heard my sister's voice. "Let's cruise," Martha said. My children had coordinated with my sister and arranged for us to share this vacation of a lifetime!

The following July we flew to Seattle, then boarded a ship that even my electrified imagination hadn't conjured up. Imre began to develop into a stronger (living, breathing?) protagonist who took on quirks and traits that I hadn't recognized before. She would evolve from an emotionally handicapped, insecure recluse to a woman who had hope. A woman forced out of her comfort zone, who found that she liked the view. Other characters developed more distinct personalities too. Then, after a week of fun, (and a thesaurus full of fun related words) Martha and I disembarked. She flew back to San Francisco, and I headed for Orlando.

In only days Discovering Imre lifted off my launching pad. I now had an active Work In Progress. The spiritual focus of Imre's search would be her reasonable service. What exactly is our reasonable service? I mean in today's world, and in practical understandable words. I'd struggled with my own search, and found the answer. Imre would eventually find a satisfying answer as well.

In the meantime, as paragraphs became scenes, and scenes turned into chapters, it was my goal to make sure the central theme of the story didn't sound preachy (okay, nothing wrong with preachy) and also that Imre's activities didn't come off sounding like a travelogue or a memoir of our own cruise. Well, at least no bodies were found on our cruise.

I envy Imre some of her experiences, but I enjoyed the vicarious thrill of her accomplishments while writing, and rewriting, and rewriting and...well, you get it.

Discovering Imre was fulfilling to research and write, and to some degree I think the effort is simply part of my reasonable service. The fun part!

Betty Gaard, the author of Discovering Imre (OakTara), has also written three novels for teens: The Ocher Flask (OakTara) and The Theft and Jericho Ride (JourneyForth, Bob Jones University Press). She's had numerous short stories and articles printed in The Young Salvationist, Boys' Quest, and Hopscotch and also biographical articles on church families, published in monthly newsletters. Betty graduated from the University of Montevallo (Alabama) with a BS in home economics and a minor in English and taught home economics in Georgia. She and her husband, Marshall, have three grown children and now live in Florida.