The Ameri Brit Mom

Archetypes: The Irresistible Novel

There is one more week left in The Irresistible Novel Giveaway and one more chapter after today to examine before the blog closes its 6 month journey through creating an irresistible novel.

What are some things you’ve learned from walking through the pages of this book with me? I’ll be summarizing some of my favorite lessons next week and would love to include some reader response. So comment and let me know your favorite chapter or an idea that has transformed your writing. Take a look at the details and enter the giveaway below if you are interested in a FREE copy of Gerke’s book for yourself.

Give Away Details

This give away is in response to a blog series that has received phenomenal feedback and readership throughout its course. If you are interested in writing, have written a novel in the past, or are simply curious about some of the finer points of writing please take the time to answer one simple question for a chance to win your very own FREE copy of The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke

1. Complete this short survey. Be sure to answer all fields in order to qualify for the random drawing: https://goo.gl/forms/s9cvqiiuElCPdIq43

2. The survey will be open from Saturday 9/3 until Saturday 9/24 at 11:59pm.

3. The winner will be contacted and announced on Sunday 9/25.

Archetypes

In the early 20th century, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung developed the idea of archetypes. An archetype is a type of person or character with which nearly every reader can identify. It doesn’t take much energy to produce and understand an archetype because these are all types of people that are familiar to us. In his theory about archetypes Jung came up with twelve titles with which a reader will easily identify. Some writers say there are more, but this is the original list:

The Innocent-The person who is a child at heart. This person is oftentimes friendly, naive, simple, and honest. Their downfall is that they may be too trusting, childish, or dependent.
The Orphan (or Every Man)-This character is the typical man or woman. Usually an archetype for a main character who comes from a life they believe to be mundane and unoriginal. They can play the “victim-of-circumstances” card, but also can become the hero of their story when they learn to live outside of the constraints of Every Man or Orphan.
The Hero-This is the strong and heroic figure who slays the dragon and defeats the enemy.
The Caregiver-The person who will sacrifice themselves for the good of the main character. These are people who put others first (usually for a living) through acts of service.
The Explorer-Motivated by the unknown this person sets out on challenges and conquers new lands or feats.
The Rebel-This is a revolutionary figure who stands in contrast to the society of your story. Their morals are often their driving force.
The Lover-This is the person driven by emotions and passion. The pitfall here could be jealousy and the tunnel vision created by romance.
The Creator-These are the innovative thinkers who spend their lives creating as a way of self expression. They search for the meaning of life and relationships through architecture, art, theater, and writing.
The Jester-These are the comical characters that your brain craves in the thick of the conflict of the story. Their purpose is to bring some relief to an otherwise tense situation. They live in the moment and oftentimes make witty remarks and poor decision all for the good of the plot.
The Sage-These are the scholarly characters who offer wisdom and advice to the main character in their quest to become a hero.
The Magician-They may seem mysterious, but these characters harness the visions of the author and use their abilities and secret knowledge for good or bad.
The Ruler-This person aspires to power through title, war, or many other means.

Your readers mind will readily identify with these twelve archetypes and many more. This is a good look at basic types, however, a simple Google search will bring up many many more.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Dressing and Educating: Days 16-19

Day 16: September 6, 2016

After a long, but eventful Labor Day weekend I came to work today ready and excited about the week ahead. I spent Labor Day at Kings Island Theme Park near Cincinnati, Ohio celebrating my daughter’s fourth birthday. I thought I would be much more tired today than I actually was. The first class periods were a bit rough, but once I got over the third period hump (or more accurately when my coffee kicked in) I had enough energy to get me through the remainder of the school day.

My English classes are wrapping up their first short story reading. By tomorrow they will be ready to review. We “popcorn read” today which students either love or hate. I don’t use this method all year, but it a good early gauge of their individual reading levels.

In Honors World History we cracked open our textbooks for the first time all year and learned about Philip II of Spain. They also prepared for an upcoming map quiz over European nations and their capitals.

Over the weekend I inherited a few new wardrobe pieces from my aunt who has made the transition from working in the business world to working from home. Her style is so cute, so I was beyond ecstatic when she told me she had some clothes for me to look through. The top in this picture was one of my scores from my aunt. She bought the top at Maggie and Me, a small but popular shop in my hometown. My pants are from The Limited. And I wore my lace overlay Toms.

Day 17: September 7, 2016

Most days I live a pretty even-keeled day in the classroom. I try not to let my emotions ebb and flow with the turning tides, but today was an example of one where my emotions got the best of me. A small issue threw me off a bit today. I let something that shouldn’t have bothered me become a much bigger issue than it really needed to be. I’ll admit it.

The silver lining for the day: At least I was wearing cute Lula Roe leggings, a white tank from Primark in England, and a navy cardigan from my first ever Stitch Fix, and red Toms.

Day 18: September 8, 2016

In English class we played a review game in English and discussed the reign of Philip II of Spain during my Honors World History class.

The height of my day was being the first on the scene of a pretty brutal fight in the hallway. Thank the Lord for male teachers who quickly came to help allowing me to just stand back and order the rest of the students (who were trying to film the encounter) to return to class while they took care of the situation. Turning the corner to my hallway after lunch I hardly expected to find one shirtless student choking another out in the middle of the hall. One thing I’ve learned working with high school students is not to get involved in their physical confrontations. Ever. I leave that to the more muscular and deal with the rest of the student population’s safety during a fight.

I’m so glad that is over and my adrenaline level is back to normal. No one was seriously hurt and for that I’m so thankful.

Above, I am wearing a top from Lula Roe, new olive jeggings I bought last night at Walmart ($12), and an older pair of charcoal Toms.

Day 19: September 9, 2016

I’m so glad the weekend is here. It’s been a great and enjoyable week of teaching, but with all of the birthday festivities for my daughter this weekend I’ve been spending much of my time at home working so that everything is ready for the big day.

My students took their first online English quiz today over “The Most Dangerous Game,” a short story by Richard Connell. Overall they did really well. I was impressed with their scores and written responses. In Honors World History we finished our first section as well and reviewed that section.

For my casual Friday I chose to wear jeans from The Limited, a black and white striped anchor shirt from Outback Red, and my favorite cargo vest from Stitch Fix (a staple for wardrobes this season.) I paired this relaxed look with my black and white Sperrys. You can never go wrong trying to go for the cute but comfortable look.

Now on to Birthday Party Marathon!

Looking back on my styles for the week, which was your favorite?

The Ameri Brit Mom

What’s the Struggle?

Finding time to read my Bible is a daily struggle.

For so long I felt like I was doing a disservice to God on days I neglected to spend time in the Word. Guilt would flood my thoughts and I would catch myself wondering if God was mad at me. I didn’t take the time to tick “read my Bible” off of my daily tasks and surely that angered the Lord.

It wasn’t until recently that I began to see the reality of this situation.

My mind was set on the wrong motives. I found myself cracking open my Bible out of a sense of duty and likewise leaving my encounters with God with the mentality of “Well, that’s done for today,” instead of having gleaned a morsel of truth from the experience. I had become so driven by my natural instinct to complete my daily to-dos that I had forgotten the very reason I read my Bible to begin with.

God didn’t provide us with the double-edged sword (the Bible) so that we could make Him happy. He didn’t supply us with his Word to complete anything about Himself. He doesn’t need completing. The real reason we have the Word is so that we can have daily opportunities to grow and learn. So neglecting to read my Bible is more a disservice to myself than it is to God.

The Bible should be something we approach with love every day. As Christians, we make it so easy on ourselves to develop the wrong mentality when we try to justify how reading the Bible just doesn’t fit into our schedule. We gripe and complain that there just aren’t enough hours in the day, but the only person losing when we choose not to read the Bible is ourselves. There’s no “Sorry, God, I’m just too busy today.” He doesn’t need us to continue in His glory, however, he has entrusted us with his valuable wisdom found in the book that we let collect dust on our shelves.

If we can change our view of reading God’s Word we will change our schedules to make time for it. When we drop the sense of duty we’ve attached to Bible Study and allow the wisdom and aid of scripture to permeate our hearts and minds we will find new motivation to set everything aside for the purpose of Christ. Our hearts should long for those moments in His presence. Our lives should feel a sense of desire to plug-in or communicate with God.

Reading the Bible shouldn’t be a daily struggle. When it becomes a game of making God happy it’s time to realign our motivation.

What have you learned or been motivated by lately?

The Ameri Brit Mom

My Baby is 4!

After a fun-filled weekend of celebrating Arianna’s birthday we are finally able to say that she is four! Over the weekend we hosted our first ever birthday party for Arianna at a local church. Inside of the commons of the church is a play place with a connecting party room. We rented the room, decked it out in Finding Dory decorations, and invited all of Arianna’s friends and family to join us. I was so blessed to see that nearly everyone we invited made a point to stop by the party. Arianna left her party on Saturday feeling loved and cherished by the people in her life.

Here’s a look at the festivities this weekend.

I’m so proud of the happy and kind little girl that Arianna is becoming. She made an effort to thank each person who came to the party and even gave out some hugs while opening gifts. She is my ray of sunshine. Even the hardest of days are made more bearable with her in them. Being her mother is one of the greatest joys in this life.

The Ameri Brit Mom

The Monomyth: The Irresistible Novel

Before I get started reviewing chapter 26 from The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke I wanted to give you another opportunity to enter my book giveaway. With permission from Jeff Gerke I am giving away a FREE copy of The Irresistible Novel to a lucky reader as a way of thanking you for sticking with me through my weekly reviews of the book’s contents. So if you love to write, have interest in writing, or if you are looking for some expert advice on writing follow the instructions below and enter to win The Irresistible Novel.

Give Away Details

1. Complete this short survey. Be sure to answer all fields in order to qualify for the random drawing: https://goo.gl/forms/s9cvqiiuElCPdIq43

2. The survey will be open from Saturday 9/3 until Saturday 9/24 at 11:59pm.

3. The winner will be contacted and announced on Sunday 9/25.

*I will be posting this survey link on my blog periodically during the time that the survey is live.

The Monomyth

In the last three chapters of Gerke’s book he investigates three formulas for fiction writing that have stood the test of time. The first he explores is Joseph Campbell’s theory of the Monomyth founded in 1949. The Monomyth is also sometimes called The Hero’s Journey.

“The hero’s journey is the classic coming-of-age story, which (most of us would attest) is the ultimate tale of struggle.” (Gerke 182)

The following are elements of the Monomyth: (*Not all are found in every Monomyth story)

The Call to Adventure-the main character is met with some type of call or realization of the greater world outside of the mundane where they are found in the exposition.
The Refusal of the Call– No matter how much they pined for something greater some characters will be reluctant to accept the call to adventure and may need some extra convincing.
Supernatural Aid-Once the character is ready a mentor appears to offer aid and assistance to the main character (example: Dumbledore in Harry Potter)
Crossing the First Threshold-In order for the character to move toward their adventure there is some type of literal or metaphoric boundary to be crossed that will cost something of themselves to be left behind.
Belly of the Whale-an unwelcome turn of events which prepares the main character for what lies ahead.
Road of Trials– A place of constant testing of the main character and where at some point your character will be met with failure. However, that character will be changed as a result of having failed and will emerge victorious.
Meeting with the Goddess-somewhere in the journey the character is awakened for their desire for romantic intimacy by finding their perfect match. True love doesn’t come easy though and just like Ariel struggled to win Prince Eric because of her loss of voice the character must go through trials before they are able to win the affection of the god or goddess of their journey.
Woman as the Temptress-The main character must fight to keep their main focus as their emotions and romance may tempt them to settle before the main battle is won.
Atonement with the Father-This is the hero’s moment of enlightenment. When they are face to face with the ultimate being or father figure in the story and they are initiated with anger, cruelty, or some other sobering force.
The Ultimate Boon-The climax of the external conflict, this moment is when the good guy wins. The hero is victorious.
Refusal of the Return-After achieving victory the hero must return home to his village and his people. This would complete the there-and-back-home-again arc. Sometimes characters initially refuse to return to the mundane after such a remarkable journey, but in the end they must return to share their experiences and strength with those left behind.
Magic Flight-Sometimes the journey home is quick and forcibly so. Even though the main action is concluded there may only be a few minutes til midnight and the character hasn’t much time to make his journey.
Rescue From Without– When divine intervention helps a hero return home. (Not to be confused with dues ex machina when the author solves all the problems and the character does nothing but accept good news.)
Crossing the Return Threshold-also known as “Returning with the Elixir” this portion of the story shows the character back in the setting where he was first found on page one but this time instead of being a worthless contributor to his community the hero is now equipped to save his homeland or people. Not everyone will welcome the hero with open arms, but he is home for those who will.
Master of Two Worlds-The character learns the mundane world and the supernatural are one in the same. They may even have access to travel back and forth in the future. This reminds me of the ending of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when the four children return again and again to Narnia.
Freedom to Live-The hero is free to live with confidence without fear of any kind because he has lived his fears and returned victorious.

This chapter is so insightful for the pacing and sequencing of a Monomyth. As I read each section I was reminded of exemplary stories or movies that so perfectly use the tactics outlined by Joseph Campbell. All of life is a Monomyth (or so we like to think) and ALL readers identify and lose themselves in a coming-of-age tale about a hero for we all long to be that hero.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Five Minute Friday: Heal

This week the topic for the Five Minute Friday link-up post is Heal. What is a link-up? Essentially a link-up is when you join other bloggers and write on a similar topic. You share your blog posts with one another and begin conversations via a host site. You can head over to Kate Motaung’s page to check out other entries from inspired bloggers. Here’s my five minutes of uninterrupted, unedited writing on this week’s topic:

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Dear Healing,

Fifteen years ago you were sought after. A sudden hope after such tragic loss. So many were searching for you when the dust cleared and the buildings fell, but there were those who never found you. Families were forever changed. Our nation was governed by loss. Nothing so widespread had occurred in our life times. We watched as our feelings of security melted away with the frames of the towers. Staring and trying to answer the question, “Why?”

Many of us accepted the new reality. We found our strength and we attempted to move on. Those terrible moments were but a collection of images forever emblazoned in our minds, but their power kept us from ever being at ease.

To remember life before evil stormed in to our world and to know how those men destroyed it all it’s hard to say that we are over you, Healing. We still seek after you. Day after day we pursue you as a country.

We look to reconcile and we strive to return to a life free from fear, but we still need you everyday. You keep us from forgetting those things that perished along with so many good men and women that day. And when we wanted to collapse and give up you gave us the power to rebuild. We are a stronger people today thanks to you. We will always remember and continue to chase after you.

The Ameri Brit Mom

Give Away Reminder

This month as I wrap up my Saturday reviews of The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke I am armed with a FREE copy to give to a random subscriber (with permission for its author.) In order to be on the list from which a winner is selected please read the details below and use the link to answer a couple of questions. I look forward to passing on the wisdom and humor of The Irresistible Novel to one lucky follower!

Give Away Details

1. Complete this short survey. Be sure to answer all fields in order to qualify for the random drawing: https://goo.gl/forms/s9cvqiiuElCPdIq43

2. The survey will be open from Saturday 9/3 until Saturday 9/24 and 11:59pm.

3. The winner will be contacted and announced on Sunday 9/25.

*I will be posting this survey link on my blog periodically during the time that the survey is live.

Dressing and Educating: Days 11-15

Day 11: August 29, 2016

Over the weekend some pretty heavy storms hit our area. Unfortunately one of those storms involved a lightning strike to my school building which caused the air conditioning units to shut down. I was thankful that I chose to wear a dress this Monday morning as the air conditioner played catch-up on a ninety degree day. It was a warm one. This dress from Francesca’s and my black lace Toms were a perfect fit for this broiler of a day.

My English class did a Close Read today of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber. This classic short story was turned into a movie directed by Ben Stiller a few years back and so I opened the lesson with showing the movie trailer. The movie is so action-packed and exciting that the trailer really drew the students in and sharpened their focus before reading. As we read the short story together the students were able to make connections to the movie and their own inferences to bring the story to life.

On Saturday I rented the movie to prepare for today’s lesson and let me tell you that it was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while. The writers took several liberties to make this 1940’s story more relevant to our culture today, but the main ideas stayed the same and I loved every scene from beginning to end.

Close reading also helped me get a feel for the reading levels of my students. They were each able to read and interact with the text which gave me an opportunity to assess their individual abilities. Overall, it was a fun and interactive lesson that I plan to implement in future years.

Day 12: August 30, 2016

This teacher was exhausted today. I might have pushed myself a little too hard at the gym last night and I was nursing a bit of low blood sugar all day as a result. I tried to cover it up with a few cups of caffeine, but for the first time all year I was truly dragging by the end of the day.

In my history class, my students were performing research about the English monarchy leading up to a unit on the Tudors and absolute monarchs of England. Although this is difficult material for this age group it is one of my personal favorites. A big part of the reason I love to teach Honors World History is because I get to go so in-depth about a country that means so much to me. As a wife to a native Englishman I am beyond fascinated to learn more about the history of his homeland. Although England isn’t part of my personal history it will be part of my daughter’s heritage. I took the opportunity today as the students conducted research to interact with them, finish scoring pre-assessments, and start working on the next unit.

In the above photo I am wearing printed pants and a tribal print kimono from H&M, a basic tee from Primark in England, and a pair of Sperrys. Comfy-cute was the theme.

Day 13: August 31, 2016

One word to describe my Wednesday: INSANE.

I was extremely busy from the moment I crossed the threshold of my building in the morning until the final bell at 2:32pm. During my lunch and prep periods I was even pulled to cover other classes for teachers experiencing some issues. It wasn’t just a busy day for me it was busy for everyone on my campus. Tis the life of a teacher, I suppose.

I was dressed rather comfortably for my day on the go. I wore my Stitch Fix top from Renee C and paired it with a pair of Pixie pants from Old Navy, a white cardigan from New York and Company’s outlet shop, and my red Toms.

Day 14: September 1, 2016

I’m starting to feel the desire for Friday. It’s been a really busy week and although I am starting to adjust to my daily routine I still find that by the end of the day I’m totally knackered (a British term for exhausted for my non-British readers.)

Today my students read “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell. It’s one of my favorite short stories all year and the students always really enjoy it. We talked about elements of narratives as we read and made predictions and inferences surrounding the plot of the story. The writing nerd in me was right in my element talking about the parts of a story.

In my Honors World History classes the students each presented an English monarch that they researched over the past couple of days. I was really impressed with the effort and energy placed in these first projects and enjoyed the opportunity to witness their presentation skills and abilities.

It was a fun day, but I left my classroom ready for a long nap!

Above I am wearing an olive knit top from Primark in England, a mint camisole from Target, khaki pants from Old Navy, and Sperrys. I sealed the deal with some gold jewelry from Premier.

Day 15: September 2, 2016

With the first home game for the football team happening tonight the school was all abuzz today as the anticipation for a great game under the stadium lights was on everyone’s minds. Students were well aware of the long Labor Day weekend ahead as well and talked much of the day about their plans. It was a fun day full of school spirit, learning, laughter, and I was able to even sneak a lunch date in with my husband. This was a special day and I represented my school mascot with my outfit choice today. Go Vikings!

Which look was your favorite?

The Ameri Brit Mom

Life Change: A Story of Healing, Restoration, and Family

The following is an article I wrote for my church magazine:

If you’ve ever found yourself greeted on your way to service, picking up a child from cKids, or approaching the First Time Guest Tent chances are that you have received a welcoming smile from Lauren Gombach or Paula Brown. Most weeks this mother and daughter duo serves Covenant in some capacity and they do so with hearts of joy. Their passion to serve the church comes from a story of God pursuing their family and bringing them closer together in the process.

During 2014, Lauren spent many months in and out of the hospital. She had become ill and the doctors were struggling to come up with a diagnosis. Without answers for the pain she was fighting everyday Lauren began to struggle emotionally. She wrestled with anxiety and she slipped into a depression. When Lauren was sixteen her friend reached out to her. That friend had been attending Covenant Church for a short time, and recognized that Lauren was struggling and that God might be the answer she was searching for.

Prior to her invitation to Covenant Lauren had no background in the church. It wasn’t something she felt was relevant to her life and her mother did not make it a priority in her upbringing. In her desperation, however, she took her friend up on the invitation and decided to give church a shot. At this point Lauren had a lot of questions for God. What was wrong with her? Why did God let this happen? She walked through the doors of Covenant for the first time carrying the weight of her illness, the worry of the unknown, and the pain of rejection. But when she encountered God he said, “This isn’t who I’ve called you to be. I’ve called you to a life of joy.” Lauren stopped focusing on the things in her life she couldn’t control. She let the anxiety go and gave God the reigns over her situation.

After the first service she attended Lauren immediately began to text her mother, Paula. She told her mother about the impact the service had on her and insisted that her mother join her the next week. Paula was a single mother who was struggling in her relationship with her daughter. They argued often, and it wasn’t until Paula visited the church that she began to see a difference in her relationship with Lauren. A few months after Paula’s first visit both women accepted Christ and were baptized. They began to see a shift in their relationship and parenting became easier as Paula sought Christ. “Being a single parent and raising children is hard. But now I draw my strength from praying and talking with God on a daily basis.” Paula would later share her faith with her mother who lives two hours away and she would accept Christ as well.

Over the next year, Lauren would find encouragement for her faith in volunteering, finding mentors, cStudents Ministry, and reading Scripture. She’s learned that we can’t base our faith on our feelings, but rather on the Word of God. The doctors were never able to give Lauren a reason for why she was so sick in 2014, but she believes that it was to lead her family to a relationship with Christ and she gives him the glory for that time in her life saying,“I needed the illness to realize God could bring me through anything.”

Accepting Christ can have an impact on families. From Lauren’s initial experience, to later months when she would see her 68 year old grandmother baptized, God was working out his plan through the obedience of one family. God bridged the broken relationship between mother and daughter with his Son. And he used their story and influence to impact Lauren’s grandmother. God is at work in the families who attend Covenant Church. He is changing lives and restoring all people to himself.

The Ameri Brit Mom

24 Book Challenge: A Book You’ve Been Wanting to Read For a While

The following is a book review by The Ameri Brit Mom. This is book #19 from The Ameri Brit Mom 24 Book Challenge in 2016. This post expresses the genuine opinion and experiences of The Ameri Brit Mom and is in no way endorsed by authors, publishers, or outside influences.

Title: The Crown

Author: Keira Cass

Publisher: Harper Teen

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(photo credit-theselection.wikia.com)

As I turned to the last page of The Crown a large part of my soul cringed. It’s the end of an era; A period of encapsulation by the world of Illea has come to a close. I have finished The Selection series.

Since April, I have been reading my way through these teen fantasy books by Kiera Cass and I have fallen head over heels with Prince Maxon, America Singer, Princess Eadlyn, and the rest of the royal cast and members of their selections. I’ve always found it difficult to stick with a series due to boredom with characters and plot, but I’ve been hooked since book 1 with Cass’ series.

In this final installment to The Selection, Princess Eadlyn is forced to make some of the biggest decisions yet. The book opens on the eve of a disastrous day for the royal family of Illea. As a young princess in the middle of the selection to find her husband Eadlyn is expected to govern her nation as regent and select a male amidst a herd that she vowed was only a temporary political move. In spite of all the publicity and responsibility during this time in her life Eadlyn finds it hard to remain callous. She begins to open up to some of her suitors and ultimately must trust her heart to make the right decision when it comes to finding her husband.

If you are as hooked into the series as I am and find yourself picking up this final book please know that you will not be disappointed. The ending of this novel cleanly seals up the series and leaves the reader feeling content with the life that Eadlyn has chosen for herself. In a world that relies on royalty for all of their decisions Eadlyn is pressured into desiring approval from her subjects. In the final pages of this absolute monarchy, Eadlyn learns to govern with her heart and not her insecurities. She chooses the life that plagues her mind instead of the one that society might have chosen for her. Eadlyn and the country of Illea emerge from this novel changed for the best.

All brokenness is mended. A happy ending is promised. Fairy tales can come true.

Check out my reviews on the rest of the series:

The Ameri Brit Mom