by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan
I love the movie, Chasing Liberty, with Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode. Even though it’s about fifteen years old, the movie is a great example of making the Grand Gesture for the ones you love.
In Chasing Liberty, Mandy Moore plays Anna Foster, who is the First Daughter. Having a dad (played by the fabulous Mark Harmon, might I add) who is President of the United States makes it hard to have an ordinary life…and that’s all Anna wants. While in Europe with her family, Anna gets into a fight with her dad, who backs out of a promise, and ditches her Secret Service detail to attend the Love Parade in Berlin. She manages to get away on the back of Ben Calder’s motorcycle–an ordinary photographer, or so she thinks. Anna doesn’t tell Ben who she really is and enjoys her freedom through Europe while falling in love with him. Ben tells her he wants someone to make the Grand Gesture for him. Later, Anna realizes Ben isn’t who he says either and feels angry, betrayed, and heartbroken. She runs from him, only to be put in a dangerous situation. Ben rescues her from the unsafe encounter, and that’s the last time she sees him. A few months later, her heart is still broken, and she learns new information about Ben. She makes the Grand Gesture to show her love for him. The movie ends with their kiss, and my heart sighs happily.
So, what’s the big deal about having your characters make a Grand Gesture?
The Grand Gesture offers your characters the opportunity to show their growth and change. They step out of their comfort zones, risking vulnerability, to show someone else how they feel. The gesture usually comes after the Black Moment and their Overhaul/Epiphany (if you use My Book Therapy’s LINDY HOP plotting roadmap). It can be grand, such as a flash mob marriage proposal or uprooting to move closer to the hero or heroine. Or even something as simple as writing a letter, sharing their feelings. Jesus displayed the Grand Gesture for us when He died on the cross for our sins.
In my latest release, Season of Hope, my hero Jake had to learn the real meaning of legacy and what that meant for his future. Then, he made a significant change to win the heart of the woman he loved.
Grand Gestures aren’t limited to one character in your story. If you’re writing a romance, both the hero and heroine should have a Grand Gesture.
Grand Gestures can happen in everyday life, too. Recently, I received a very upsetting phone call and cried on Hubby’s shoulder about how I was feeling so frustrated about the situation. I laid out a couple of scenarios about how to fix it, each carving out a deeper pit in my stomach. He comforted me, kissed my forehead, and told me not to worry. The next day, he said he’d made a few phone calls and had a plan to take care of the problem. What I thought was my problem became our problem, and he offered a solution by making a sacrifice.
Whether you’re writing a story or living out life, think about the Grand Gestures you can write or do to show love for someone else.
His dreams can all come true…but only if his ex-wife will agree!
Jake Holland’s peaceful dairy farm is a sanctuary—one he wants to share with other worn and weary veterans. He just needs one more piece of land to start his program…and it belongs to Tori Lerner, his ex-wife. A collaboration could benefit them both, but with a past full of secrets between them, is there any hope for renewed love?
Heart, home, and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. Represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Management, Lisa is an award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing contemporary Christian romances that promise hope and happily ever after. Her latest book, Season of Hope, released in March 2019. She is the Operations Manager for Novel.Academy, powered by My Book Therapy. Happily married to her own real-life hero for thirty years, Lisa and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys family time, kayaking, good books, and being creative. Visit her at lisajordanbooks.com.