WIP Wednesday: longhand

I found myself chasing word counts. So I started writing pen to paper. All of a sudden, I’m writing instead of worrying about writing. I love what I’m getting. Here are some updates.

Decision in Favor is a retelling of Deborah in the Hebrew Bible book of Judges. According to the Jewish Women’s Archive, “She is the only female judge, the only one to be called a prophet, and the only one described as performing a judicial function.”

I have struggled with what kind of judge I want my female main character to be. Is she a night court judge like Abby Stone on the new sitcom? Is she a small town judge who knows everyone’s business like on the aughts drama Judging Amy? Maybe she’s a JAG officer. Or maybe she’s a judge on a TV competition show like The Voice or America’s Got Talent. I’ve investigated all of the choices.

What I think I’ve finally decided on is an early career as a Judge Advocate General who uses that experience as a counselor or administrator at an urban high school now.

וְ֠הִ֠יא יוֹשֶׁ֨בֶת תַּחַת־תֹּ֜מֶר דְּבוֹרָ֗ה בֵּ֧ין הָרָמָ֛ה וּבֵ֥ין בֵּֽית־אֵ֖ל בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם וַיַּעֲל֥וּ אֵלֶ֛יהָ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לַמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

She used to sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would come to her for decisions.

When I read this passage, I keep picturing a high school principal in her power suit and high heels sitting at a poured concrete lunch table under a palm tree meeting with students and teachers to help solve problems, give advice, dole out punishments.

So, that’s what I’m working on in my notebooks right now. Stay tuned for more info coming soon.