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Here I Write

I can do no other.

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My conscience is held captive by the Word of God, the good of my neighbor, and the Oxford comma.

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Ordering time through chapters …

Of course, an author can simply order chapters chronologically, and this, perhaps, is the most effective method for telling most stories.

But when it came to telling the story of The Saints of Whistle Grove, I knew in my gut that the chapters should not appear in chronological order. If they did, the plot thread of the church’s closing would overpower the threads of fidelity, forgiveness, belonging, and hope. It is a story about a cemetery, after all, and loss upon loss does not make for a very pleasant read.

Therefore, in an effort to tease the theme of eternal joy to the forefront and better serve (preserve!) the reader’s heart, I chose to order the chapters in such a way as to train the reader to answer the immediate question, “What is happening?” rather than the farsighted question, “What will happen?” This approach encourages the reader to greet each new saint expectantly, trusting that no word is wasted, no time period without merit, but that what is happening on the current page is just as important as what happens on the final page. In shifting the reader’s focus from the chronological to the topical, I prepare the reader to discover — to recognize and ultimately to rejoice in — the story’s primary theme: namely, that every saint baptized into Christ Jesus is living a story that never ends, no matter the closing of a church’s doors.

I liken the reading of this book to the experience of lifting old photographs out of a dusty box in a grandparent’s attic, one image at a time. The photos are not stacked in any particular order, but we know they belong together. And we are stirred in the viewing of each picture, though we do not always understand how they relate to each other. But the more pictures we study, the better we recognize the faces and places before us as well as their importance to our own existence.

Still, I would be underserving the reader if I ordered my chapters haphazardly like that stack of old photos. The unveiling of a plot should be thoughtful, intentional, or the reader is frustrated unnecessarily. For this reason, I labored carefully over many years to ensure that the unveiling of Saints‘ plot had a purpose, and a discoverable purpose at that. I wanted the astute reader to be greatly rewarded in the reading of my book.

So, how did I do it? What is the key to the ordering of my chapters?

Each chapter in Saints posits a question in need of answering, and each subsequent chapter answers the question and in a way that satisfies. I make the reading experience even more cushy by nestling every chapter in between relatable chapters, linking them all together by characters, places, experiences, dialogues, relationships, objects, and so much more. Even the last chapter circles directly back to the opening of the story, lest any chapter live apart and alone.

Or, put another way, the breadcrumbs dropped are in abundance and out in the open to be gathered and consumed.

To quote my editor, “This book has a high re-read value.” If anyone feels up to climbing the stairs to the attic and dipping his hand again and again in that box of photos, he will be rewarded every time.

I’ll break down the specific questions and reveals of every chapter in the next issue of this newsletter.

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Whistle Grove sightings …

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Write with me …

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Are you interested in writing and publishing fiction? Join me through the Institute for Classical Lutheran Education for a 3-session webinar on how to create, write, and publish excellent stories, all to the glory of God and in service to our neighbor.

Session 1: Excellence as a means of managing ambition.
Session 2: Editing as a means of managing pride.
Session 3: Publishing as a means of serving the reader.

Registration opens June 1.

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Katie Schuermann is a baptized child of God, pastor’s wife, and author of The Saints of Whistle Grove; The Creed series, including The Big Father and His Little Boy and The Beloved Son and His Brother; the acclaimed Anthems of Zion fiction series, House of Living Stones, The Choir Immortal, and The Harvest Raise; and nonfiction favorites such as He Remembers the Barren, He Restores My Soul, and Pew Sisters. When not writing, Katie can be found making music, reading, cooking, gardening, holding babies, or trying to climb the nearest tree.

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

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Here I Write, Issue 41

Copyright © 2026 Katie Schuermann, All rights reserved.