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Writing "For the Love of Triumph"
Brittany Kooi, Corinne Freedman, and Chalice Stories celebrate the launch of For the Love of Triumph: Seasons of Triumph Book 2. While Brittany coauthored the first book in the series, Corinne is a new contributor. Together, Brittany and Corinne share how writing captured their curiosity, a bit about the writing process, and what they hope readers will take away from their collaboration.
What was it like to bring a new writer in midstream and how did you do that? Brittany: This is a small world type of thing: when we started writing Book 1 together, Kendra and I talked about people we mutually knew who were in ministry. I mentioned Corinne: we're from the same town (Glen Ellyn, Illinois), went to the same schools since kindergarten, and grew up together. Corinne was a year ahead of me in school. I'd heard through our hometown updates that she'd been ordained as a pastor in the same denomination as Kendra. At that time, Kendra was a congregational pastor in my home town, the church Corinne grew up attending. It turns out Kendra and Corinne were good friends! They were roommates in seminary and are godparents of each other's kids! Kendra mentioned Corrine also liked to write creatively, and we immediately talked about getting her in on Book 1. The manuscript turnaround time didn't work out to include her, but we knew (or at least hoped) she'd be involved for Book 2. It felt very natural to write with her, since some of the unique Glen Ellyn holiday traditions were transplanted thousands of miles away into Triumph. Corinne and I having a shared history and re-connecting all these years later echoes the theme of community I hope these books bring.
For the Love of Triumph takes place at Christmas. What are you favorite Christmas traditions? Brittany: I grew up Roman Catholic, and my mom's family celebrated St. Nicholas' Day (December 6). This was like a mini-Christmas, a warm-up before the big event of Christmas. I liked the simplicity and weirdness of St. Nicholas' Day: we'd wake up early and have our Christmas stocking full of small presents and treats on a day no one else I knew growing up celebrated. It was unique and fun. Now, with my own kids, I'm appreciating the daily joy of a kid's Advent calendar.
Corinne: My siblings and I grew up receiving one gift on Christmas Eve: matching pajamas. We've carried this tradition forward and I'm looking forward to giving the kids their Bluey pajamas (shh, don't tell them!) this Christmas Eve.
This will be my eleventh Christmas in ordained ministry. Back in 2014, my now-husband and I started a tradition of a sushi dinner between services. We did this consistently for my seven years in congregational ministry and kept it going even during the three years I worked as an organizer and was a stay-at-home mom. This year, I am serving a congregation that puts on a community meal between services. While I'm sad to give up my sushi tradition, I love the shared community love and support that comes from a meal that is open to all!
What is the most inspiring feedback you've received from a reader Brittany: I've so appreciated hearing how readers have embraced the characters we created, and how they were eagerly awaiting the next book to find out what happens to the characters. I have loved seeing how the readers have related to and loved the believable and fully flawed characters we've made.
What do you hope readers will take away from your book?
Corinne: I was one of those teenagers who felt like I had to have it all figured out. I'm kind of one of those adults, too. I hope that the paths Johnny Tae, Morgan, and Nell take in this book will reassure people like me that it's okay to feel uncertain, to want to make a change, or to live life in a non-linear way. God is with us on our journeys no matter what shape they take.
What is your writing process? Brittany: Co-writing fiction has been collaborative and fun. Together, Corinne and I created a plot summary—a document that outlines the main points of what happens in each chapter. We picked which parts we wanted to write, sometimes divvying up chapters based on content, and then set dates on when we'd be done. We'd each read each other's work, edit and comment. The book was a living document, amendable at any time, until we turned in the manuscript. I write best when I intentionally set aside a good chunk of time. I went on overnight writing retreats (just me, myself, and my laptop) as worked with my family's schedule.
Corinne: Writing a book collaboratively was so much fun. As Brittany mentioned, we worked with a living document, always accessible and ready to open at any time for comments and changes. We came up with the major plot points on an overnight retreat where we each stayed at a hotel near home, video called to brainstorm, took time to write and reflect, and came back together to share. Brittany kept me on-task as I started a new call when we were about 3/4 of the way done, so life got pretty hectic. We each have two young kids, so finding time to connect was sometimes challenging but always worth it. I was lucky to have a retired clergy woman as a free babysitter one morning a week to help me get writing done while I was a stay-at-home mom, and a supportive husband and parents who took the kids for extended stretches to get the final manuscript over the finish line.
What are you most passionate about right now? Brittany: I find myself in a lot of conversations about the hardships of ministry. From the chaotic and divisive political climate to the isolation of the profession, a lot of pastors, deacons, chaplains, and other clergy are personally hurting right now. There's fear. There's anger. There's a lot of uncertainty. And yet, I am optimistic about the Christian faith. I credit that largely to the connections I have with people in a variety of ministry settings, across denominations and regions. I am passionate about fostering that same connection, in growing that large network, with others.