Typical ~ Maressa Mortimer

I enjoy chaos and mad days, crazy challenges and lots of noise and mayhem. There are a few exceptions where I like things straight.

One thing I like is stereotypes. I was gratified to see the grey clouds lower themselves, drizzling down on us, as soon as we crossed into Scotland just a few weeks ago. Just the way I expected it. Of course, most of the two weeks we had in St Andrews and Dundee were lovely and sunny, but cool enough to not upset my ideas of Scotland’s weather. People we met discussed the weather at length, again, just the way it should be.

When Storm Arwen started playing up on Friday, we went to the Old Golf Course in St Andrews to have a look around. The kids loved the wind, and whilst we struggled to stop the car doors from flying off the hinges, my husband talked to another guy unloading his car. Of course he was going to play golf; it was just a bit of wind after all. Of course. I smiled, feeling the storm pass me by.

St Andrew' Old Golf Course, which I only remembered from Chariots of Fire.

I managed to overcome my love for stereotypes by eating ice cream at a special Ice Cream Parlour in St Andrews. Apparently, they sell the best ice cream in Scotland. I can well believe it, it was amazing. It was dark outside, cold and windy, it was Scotland, and we were eating ice cream. I know, it was all wrong, but delicious.

It also makes it easier to tell people the price of your book with a smile. Naturally, they’ll want to know the price of your book before even looking at the blurb. It’s Scotland after all, and like the Dutch, who cares what the book is about if you’re not going to spend your hard-earned money on it?

It made me think about writing. When you have typical things in your book, do people roll their eyes at you? Of course, it’s all about chocolate if your book is set in Belgium. Dutch characters all hang around cafes where they serve mushrooms and dodgy cigarettes to their relaxed customers. The English characters seem to have shares in tea, the way they sip away all day. I get that there is something to be said for no stereotypes in your book. But does that sometimes make characters seem less real or believable?

I love the order that typical characters bring to stories, as it feels familiar. But there is something special about unique characters as well. It’s harder to write about people the way God sees us, I think. It’s more about the heart and people’s character than about their favourite drinks or the weather. I realised that it’s the small details that can help us to connect more with the characters. When they love coffee, it warms my heart and makes me like the person already. What if there is a character trait that draws us in, a kindness that warms our hearts? A view of God that stirs our souls?

So, what’s your favourite stereotype you enjoy seeing in books, or do you cringe whenever something is too typical to be true?

Maressa Mortimer is Dutch but lives in the beautiful Cotswolds, England with her husband and four (adopted) children. Maressa is a homeschool mum as well as a pastor’s wife, so her writing has to be done in the evening when peace and quiet descend on the house once more. She loves writing Christian fiction, as it’s a great way to explore faith in daily life. Because of her interest in writing, Maressa is part of Creativity Matters: Find Your Passion For Writing, an anthology encouraging people to write.

Her debut novel, Sapphire Beach, was published in December 2019, and her first self published novel, Walled City, came out in December 2020, followed by Viking Ferry, a novella. Beyond the Hills is the second book in the Elabi Chronicles, and was released on June 18^th 2021. All of Maressa’s books are available from her website, www.vicarioushome.com, Amazon or local bookshops.