Lillian Warner | Updates

The Prologue Dilemma... Solved?

Lillian Warner — Fri, 6 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The answer for my current WIP is NOT to prologue.

If you've been following me on Facebook you'll know I've been agonizing over how best to present my main characters' backstory without clogging up the narrative flow. I finally decided on a prologue.

At first it seemed like a good solution. Then it didn't. And I felt like I'd just wasted a few days writing something I couldn't use.

I was wrong!

What hammering out a prologue DID do for me was to give me a very clear, dramatic view of "what happened" to make these two close friends fall apart. As I worked at making the prologue short and punchy, I realized that NOW it would be easy to sprinkle in backstory rather than making a huge exposition dump at the beginning.

So I'm going back through the first three chapters to replace info dumps with vivid memories from both characters.

And I'm a happy author again!

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"I Wish I Had Your Faith"

Lillian Warner — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Sometimes people say to me that they wish they had my faith, kind of as if it were something I could hand over to them, like a sweater or a book. And I really wish I could do that!

But my faith isn't something I just accepted at face value and went on my merry way. It is something I have worked at, something that never stops challenging me and that I've learned from long experience is the only thing worth having.

Honestly, when I had my conversion experience at age 21 I was shocked, dismayed even! I didn't want God and did my best to discourage myself from pursuing Him. I would run from Him, hide from Him, but He never gave up on me... until at last I saw how much He loved me.

This probably sounds insane to a non-believer. I can understand that. And I really, truly wish there was some way for me to show you how incredible a life given to God is.

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Relapse and Revision

Lillian Warner — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I've been off for a bit because -- yay!!! -- my second book has been accepted and I need to integrate editor suggestions. It won't be out until next Christmas but I need to get it ready long before that.

At the same time I'm still battling this Lyme disease relapse. Trust me, that makes things a lot harder because I wear out so quickly. But bit by bit I'm making progress.

Getting revisions can be daunting, as suddenly someone else's ideas need to be integrated into your story. You need to find a way to make the changes yours so your voice remains consistent. You need to find the best way for you to revise your work. I send a copy of the edited Word doc to my Kindle, make notes as I read along in a paper notebook, then work with my editor's notes and my own on my laptop using "track changes." It can get confusing -- especially with "Lyme brain" -- but eventually everything comes together!

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From the Lyme Pit

Lillian Warner — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A veritable tsunami of Lyme symptoms has been trying to drag me under. I'm doing my best to fight the good fight but I'm at the stage where it actually hurts to wear clothes (known as "allodynia")! The alternative doesn't appeal so I just wear the loosest-fitting things I can find.

But hurray, my brain still works! I'm making good notes on my current WIP, which is growing closer and closer to my heart. I'm also catching up on my reading. And I spend time in the morning and evening reading from the Liturgy of the Hours.

I firmly believe that reading the Liturgy is not restricted by denomination. Much of it is selections from the Psalms; the rest is scripture from both testaments and readings from the early Church fathers.

All I know is it gives me encouragement even in the most difficult times, and reassures me that God is always with me.

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Keeping at it...

Lillian Warner — Mon, 8 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

... although lately things have been rough. I try to make the best of it but at times the pain, fatigue and just plain stupid get the better of me.

Today's not great. I need that to be okay, and not feel like I somehow have to "fix" it. My internal monolog tends to be "come on, get up off your lazy bum and write something!" If you have a chronic illness you know that doesn't work. It just adds more frustration and depression to an already non-wonderful situation.

Why can't I just "be"? Even when I'm in bed feeling awful my brain is prodding me to work on my book, to the point that I lie there thinking in feverish circles instead of resting.

Then I remember... God is with me, always, and it's not HIM pushing at me. It's old voices that come back to haunt me. All He wants of me is to rest in Him, trust Him, put Him before all the busy-ness and need to be productive.

Instead of worrying/obsessing/beating yourself up: PRAY!

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Going Deeper

Lillian Warner — Wed, 3 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I realize my last post was more than a little incoherent. Why? Because I was forcing myself to write in the blog when my heart wasn't in it... and when I didn't feel God's prompting.

Today I put in a long writing session and feel that writing more would be a mistake. It's exciting to "go deeper" with the characters and see how they interact. I'm still in the process of learning about these people but every day they give me more to work with.

I'm at the point where their pain becomes mine, in a sense. I feel their worries and griefs and joys. For me that's the best time to write, when the characters have truly come alive for me and I want to spend as much time as possible with them.

Why? Because I want my writing to be as true and real and compelling as possible. Because I'm working for God, not for myself.

" And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. " -- Colossians 3:17

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He Will Give You Rest

Lillian Warner — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Sometimes stress kicks in and I feel like I HAVE to do a million things if I want to get my writing career on track.

Sometimes I go with that feeling and let the stress poison my system. There's nothing like stress to kick off a big Lyme/fibromyalgia flare. And that's when I remember... nothing is life-or-death.

If I don't get that synopsis written today, if I haven't fixed chapters to reflect new changes... really, so what? I'll do it as soon as I'm not crippled with pain.

Obviously, sometimes there are real emergencies, like a submission deadline. If you learn to pace yourself and not stress out, you can manage those.

God doesn't ask us to wear ourselves out and make ourselves ill. He invites to find rest in Him. There is nothing more important than spending time with God.

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

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Trusting in God

Lillian Warner — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When I finally turned back to writing after 20+ years in a demanding career, I prayed that God would show me where he wanted me.

A Love Inspired blitz popped up and I submitted a synopsis and three chapters. Shortly after that I was asked to submit a full manuscript. After several revisions my book was accepted for publication. I took that as a sign that God wanted me to write Christian fiction!

Recently a Christian literary agent came to my attention and I queried her. Again, I prayed for God to let me know if this was where he wanted me. Although the website said it would take at least 12 weeks to get a response, I heard back from her in less than a week, met with her yesterday and now I have a Christian agent!

Suddenly my writing world has become much larger. I definitely want to keep writing for Love Inspired, but I would love to write longer books that allow me to develop characters and situations more deeply. With my agent that is now a possibility, as she has ties to other Christian publishers.

My heart is full of gratitude for these answered prayers. I now know absolutely where God wants me and what my ministry is.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. -- Matthew 7:8

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Love Healed Me

Lillian Warner — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

"One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” -- John 9:25b

Despite a fairly dramatic conversion experience, I fought God for a long time. In my family any sort of faith is considered stupid. Then, years after He called me, He healed me of a mental illness and depression that dominated my life well into my thirties.

It was literally an overnight change. One day I self-harming and lost; the next day it was as if a light had gone on inside me. I'd been seeing a psychologist and he was amazed at the transformation and declared that somehow my brain chemistry had changed.

At times I stop and marvel at what God has done for me. He took a miserable, messy life and filled it with love and light and purpose.

I want this for EVERYONE. I know that even the worst person in the world can be transformed by God's love if they open their heart to Him. No one is beyond His reach. No hurt is too deep for Him to heal and redeem.

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My Hope as an Author

Lillian Warner — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When I work on a story, I often have to check myself to make sure I'm being true to my goals as an author.

My overriding goal is that readers will find faith-full encouragement or consolation that they can apply to their lives. This sounds very lofty, but I've found that just a word or a quote from Scripture can touch people deeply.

One reviewer of His Neighbor's Secret quoted Enid Mullin, the pastor's wife: "He's always with us, child... We turn our backs on Him at times, but He never turns away from us. All we have to do is listen for His voice."

This is something I've learned over and over in my life, and am sure others need the reminder as well. "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it / Prone to leave the God I love" has been an unfortunate refrain for me. But years ago I prayed for Him never to let me wander far away again, and He has been true to his promise.

"... I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." -- Matthew 28:20b

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Finding Joy Again

Lillian Warner — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When I was a child I wrote stories out of sheer love. Filling endless notebooks with my ideas was my absolute favorite thing in the world, and how I spent my time when I wasn't reading.

What happened? How did I manage to turn such a joyful activity into an exhausting slog?

Sometimes I have to turn myself around and go back to being the child who loved nothing better than writing.

Today I'm writing in a notebook instead of on the laptop (although my handwriting is nearly illegible). So far it's just character blurbs but I hope it becomes more soon.

I need to find that joyful abandon again, to fall in love with my characters and their issues and their story instead of constantly chewing them over in my brain. I need to sit with them and let them talk instead of cramming them into a box that fits the series.

"Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly, as if you were doing it for the Lord and not for others..." -- Colossians 3:23

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Faith Reboot

Lillian Warner — Sat, 9 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Taking a few days of sick leave seems to have cleared my head. I was getting WAY too in-the-weeds with my current book. Backing off has shown me why I was stuck in an endless loop, and when I start work again on Monday I know what I need to do.

The break has also reminded me that FAITH comes first, then health, then writing. If I'm not paying attention to God's prompting I get hopelessly lost. When I realign my priorities and spend time in prayer and reading, everything falls back into place.

A long time ago, after a lengthy and disastrous wander from my faith, I begged God to NEVER let me get so far from Him again. Although there have been wanderings since then, I return much more quickly now.

And I remind myself that God never turns away from me. I turn away from Him. And when I recollect myself and turn back to Him, there is no sweeter reunion.

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Sometimes You Have to Stop

Lillian Warner — Wed, 6 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This is a hard one for me, being a driven person who constantly feels the need to be "doing something" -- but the truth is, sometimes you need to give yourself a break.

If you're like me, the characters and plots in your head can wear you out. If you're an insomniac they can seem like a pleasant distraction until you start to crumble. That kind of stress is not good for anyone. With a chronic illness like late-stage Lyme disease, not being able to rest/sleep is a HUGE trigger for setting off a flare-up.

This week I've had to tell myself I'm on "sick leave" before things get worse. I have a book currently in review by the senior editor of my line. I don't need to kill myself cranking out another story right this minute. I need to let my head clear and my body rest.

Because sometimes that's the only choice.

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After a Bad Night...

Lillian Warner — Sun, 3 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Pain and migraine kept me from sleeping, but also from reading, writing, watching TV, doing just about anything other than lie there. I let myself become distracted with worry and despair. What if I never feel better again? What if the Lyme leads to something worse? How can I prevent becoming a burden to my husband?

Eventually I thought: Imagine feeling like this and having nowhere to live, no medications to ease the pain., no one at all to care for you.

At times like these it's so important to remember that God is RIGHT HERE. Last night I didn't reach out to him despite my "count your blessings" moment..

Today I'm utterly depleted but I'm blessed with a comfortable place to collapse. I read my morning Liturgy of the Hours and found comfort there as well. Next time hopefully I'll remember what I learned years ago:

Instead of worrying -- PRAY!

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Write Till You Drop?

Lillian Warner — Fri, 1 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Maybe not... but that's precisely what I did this morning.

I was bound and determined to finish the chapter I'm currently working on. I set a Word Count Goal and by jingo I achieved it... despite the fact that I was pretty much sliding down in my seat from exhaustion and barely able to see the screen by the time I was done.

Was it smart to push myself like that? Probably not. Was it even good writing? Very definitely not! But to my mind it makes sense to get words on the page--because you KNOW you're going back there later on to fix all the errors and not-so-great writing.

Even if you don't have a chronic illness, a "meh" writing day gives you something to work with when you're better equipped. My advice is WRITE when you can, even if all that comes out is... let's just say something you're not proud of. I think you'll find that revision is when the "real" writing happens!

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Planning Is Not Without Its Dangers

Lillian Warner — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I had a really good handle on the whole shape of my current Work-In-Progress. I had outlined the whole thing and broken it down into chapters.

In the digital version, that is.

Then the Great Lyme Flare crashed down on me and the only writing I could do for a while was in my head, with scribbled notes here and there. When I came back to my wonderful, complete outline, I discovered just how much I had change in my head and not on the page.

So now I'm digging myself out from under a pile of brain-only revisions.

Note to self: Learn how to use dictation software.

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Write When You Can't!

Lillian Warner — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

When I'm developing a story, I spend long periods in my head improvising dialogue and scenes. This is especially true when I'm too sick to sit up with the laptop.

Sometimes the characters come into my brain and "take over." This is common phenomenon for writers, when their characters seem to take on a life of their own and your job is to watch and take notes. Other times I push them around and see how they react. This is often how I stumble across breakthroughs or important background details.

At any rate, even when I'm flattened I can usually get some "writing" done in the form of scrawled notes to look at when I'm up again.

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Write When You Can!

Lillian Warner — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I'm blessed in that with my particular illness (chronic late-stage Lyme disease) I still somehow have good days. Yesterday I woke up with no significant pain, good energy and--somewhat unfortunately--a crazy urge to DO STUFF while I could!

So I got on the elliptical (I'm pretty slow but at least it's something), made a salad, baked a quiche, and did some work on my WIP. By 5:30 PM I was exhausted and ready to go to bed, but I forced myself to stay up until (gasp) 6:30! Then it was Off to Bedfordshire for reading, prayer and collapse.

Today I woke up feeling as if I'd run a marathon.

As unpleasant as the pain, cognitive issues and fatigue are, I realize how fortunate I am to have a good day now and then. Many Lyme sufferers never have a good day and are unable to do much of anything for themselves.

On my good days I find myself thanking God over and over for giving me a break. He has taught me a lot through 40+ years of illness, and gratitude is one of the most important lessons.

Today I may not be able to cook or exercise or do much of anything, but I feel that writing is in my grasp. So I've blogged, and now I'm going to dive back into my WIP.

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Writing with Chronic Illness

Lillian Warner — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I hope to encourage writers who struggle to write because of an underlying condition.

Because that's what I am.

Most days I have to fight against physical pain, headaches and brain fog just to function at the most basic level. Some days I lose. But if I can do even one small thing to keep my writer life moving forward, I count that as an accomplishment.

My brain never stops writing, coming up with stories and characters or developing ones that I'm actively working on. I can't always get these things on "the page" because looking at a computer screen is exhausting (also my handwriting has become illegible). I'm happy if I'm able to jot ideas in my notebook (I always have one next to me!) or go into my Word file long enough to move a work-in-progress forward a few inches.

Here's what keeps me going: I know God is with me at all times. During a period of years when this illness (Lyme disease) was at its worst and I was in so much pain I could barely move, I learned to hold on to God and let him calm me. He made the most difficult time of my life not only bearable, but deeply inspirational.

I'm better now. I still get angry or frustrated or depressed about how hard some days are, but when I remember life at its most challenging I also remember how close I felt to God. And that gives me hope to persevere.

Love,
Lillian

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