What Doesn't Kill Us

"What doesn't kill us gives us something new to write about."

~Julie Wright

    Isn't that an awesome and true thing?
    Everybody has bad stuff happen to them. But writers can take those opportunities and use them. Get caught in the rain? Perfect--you can write a scene about that with authentic description. Is there a jerk at school who never gets caught or punished for their cruelty? Bam--inspiration for the behavior and antics of an antagonist. Have a less-than-pleasant evening because of a thunderstorm that literally shakes your house? There's a suspenseful scene that could be an opening to a story.
    Have you ever written a story or scene that was inspired by something like that?

Psalm 27:14

   

"Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!"

Psalm 27:14 (NKJ)

    These days, long waits are not common. People can get things in moments with the flick of a switch, the push of a button, even the snapping of fingers. If you want to know something, you Google it. If you want to see a certain movie, there's Netflix. If you have an idea that you want to jot down in seconds rather than minutes, you can type it on a computer or a phone.
    But in this case--getting strength from the Lord--it takes faithful patience. And patience can be difficult to hold when you have a serious problem. It can even be painful, frightening. With high stakes, waiting seems to take a very, very, very long time.
    The psalmist says to be of good courage because God will give us the strength we need. He will help us. And He knows when it's the best time to act. We need to be patient.
    The Lord will come through for us. Just have faith in Him.

Write! (Even When It Hurts)

    Have you ever just really, really, really, really not wanted to write to the point where it's somewhat painful and your mind feels so strained? That you'd rather do anything--even mow the lawn--than write?
    Well . . . my advice is: write anyway.
    Writing is kind of like swimming. When you jump into the pool, it's freezing. Makes you cringe and want to get out of the water. But after a few minutes, you get used to it. And you start to swim. And you realize that swimming is fun and awesome and you don't want to leave--like how when you're caught up in the momentum of writing, you don't want to stop.
    Write, even when it hurts. You might only manage to spit out a few hundred words or you might be swept into an awesome brainstorm. Either way, you get something accomplished. :)

Romans 8:15

"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'"

Romans 8:15 (NKJ)

 

    "Abba" in the English language, basically means "Daddy." An affectionate term for one's father.
    One of the great things about our relationship with the Lord is that we've been adopted into God's family.  He is our Father--our Abba, who loves us more than anyone else--and He sees us as His precious children. As our Father, God cares for us, helps us grow, defends us, and picks us up when we fall. He's always there when we need encouragement, and He gives us the strength and wisdom we need to get through life.
    Isn't it wonderful?

Chatting With God

    God wants a real relationship with us. A thriving relationship wherein there's genuine love and excitement and fun. Communication is a huge part of relationships like that.
    God talks to us through His Word, through situations, and sometimes through miraculous ways. We talk to Him through prayer.
    But sometimes, prayer can get really tough. You might not know what to say--or you might feel that you're supposed to say a certain phrase or request a certain thing every time you pray. And then prayer becomes hollow, boring, ritualistic. It doesn't seem heartfelt--it doesn't seem real.
    God doesn't want that. He doesn't want to hear a robotic recital. He wants us to like prayer, to be comfortable speaking with Him, and to have great conversations with Him. Kind of like how we'd talk to a dear friend or to a parent we're close to. He wants to hear us tell Him what's on our minds, how we feel, what we're thinking about. Casually chatting with God is a good thing (as long as there's due respect, of course) and it's a great part of our relationship with Him.
    Do you have those kind of conversations with the Lord?

Make Them Think They're Right

    Nobody believes that they're wrong about something they believe in--it's contradicting. A dog who chases cats doesn't think its evil to do so, nor does a cat believe that his/her playing with and eating birds is cruel and merciless (unless of course animals are all secretly evil maniacs. I doubt it).
    Likewise, I think a majority of villains/antagonists in fiction are like that. They don't think they're evil. In their minds, their actions are justified, they're doing what's best. The protagonist is the one doing evil things, and that they must be stopped.
    In essence, antagonists think that they're right, that they're the good guys.
    What's your antagonist's reasoning for their actions? Do they think they're right, or do they know they're being immoral but want to use that to their advantage?

Psalm 40:4

"Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust . . ."

Psalm 40:4 (NKJ)

    In some cases, the word "blessed" can mean "happy." I believe this is one of those situations.
    When someone trusts in God--completely believing that His promises are true and that He can and will protect us--then that person no longer has a reason to fear or worry or be sad. They fully realize God's love, grace, and strength, and they receive the joy that God gives so freely.
    Feeling stressed today? Worried? Disappointed? Trust in the Lord, remember His promises, and you're bound to feel a lot more blessed.

An Age Doesn't Last Forever

     Generally at this time, it's the end of the school year. For some, it's the end of high school. Others have a year or more to go before finishing up. Either way, this is a time of mixed emotions. Elation and a bit of melancholy.
    Where some people are thrilled to complete high school, others are sad that it's over.
    But you don't have to get depressed about the school year ending. It's not the end of happy days. There are many, many chapters in life, and this is just one of them. There will be more happy times--only those of the future will find you changed. Maybe taller. Smarter. More experienced. And with more memories to look back on from time to time.
    An age doesn't last forever. Things change--but with God in your life, they change for the better. When a chapter in your life ends, God wants to follow it up with an even greater one. Another adventure, a new story, more fun. :)
    Isn't it great? Doesn't it fill you with hope?

Change Their Lives

    Earlier, I was thinking about a particular series I like--thinking about what exactly makes it so awesome. And one of the things I thought made the story great is how the main character changes the lives of others around him.
    An inner change (also called character development) in the main character is important. But I think that it's also really great for a story when the main character changes other character's lives (or their day, depending on just how major or minor they are). It's a beautiful touch for a story, it can change the main character him/herself, and it can get the main character new allies--or new enemies. Having the main character's life collide with another character's creates a plot thread, and/or more conflict--which can be great for a story.
    Do your main characters change other character's lives?

1 Samuel 3:21

". . . For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD."

1 Samuel 3:21 (NKJ)

    He revealed Himself to Samuel--one of the greatest prophets in history--by His word.
    That's one of the ways God speaks to us as well--through His Word, the Bible. Seriously, you can be reading through the Word and suddenly--wham! You see a passage that speaks right to you, a passage that completely answers a question you've had on your mind, or a passage that gives you peace when you're having a rough time.
    God really does talk to us through the Bible--it's His love letter to us, His instructions on how to live life in the best possible way, a medium through which He speaks to us.
   It's definitely worth reading over and over again. :)

Seasons Of Silence

 

    I think every believer at some point comes to a time in their life where they can't feel anything or see God in their life at all. Nothing seems to be happening. Things aren't exciting anymore. You just feel absolutely dry and there's a long, seemingly never ending silence.
    But it won't last forever. No, this is only a season--a phase in life. Something that only happens for a little while, then passes. A season of silence, so to speak.
   And seasons of silence aren't necessarily bad. They're like breaks between bouts of battles, some calm time to get stronger in God's Word. It can also be taken as an opportunity to live by faith instead of by sight or by feeling. To show that we can draw near to the Lord and love Him even when we can't feel anything.
    Do you know what I mean? What do you do during seasons of silence? :)

Story Settings

    Think about your favorite book for a moment.
    Now think about it's setting, where and when the story takes place.

    Now think of that story and its characters taking place in a completely different setting--like a contemporary story/characters in a dystopia setting, or a dystopia story/characters in a normal, happy, Mayberry-like town without any disastrous qualities.
    It totally makes things different, right? Sometimes that can be a good thing. Mixing two different genres can sometimes make a story premise seem really interesting, but other times it makes the story just . . . weird . . . and not in a good way.

   That's why it's important to make sure the setting you choose for your story is the right one--and not only fitting, but well-written as well. A writer wants to make their story setting interesting, intriguing, and a fun place for the characters to do their thing. Not a boring, dull place that you don't care enough to visualize as you read.

    Fitting for the character and the setting, not like a cardboard cutout, and interesting. All good things one would want their setting to be.