Alfred Hitchcock: "Only in the Anticipation"

"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it."

~Alfred Hitchcock

    This is a pretty good point. Although having unforeseen surprises suddenly happen isn't bad, a lot of scenes are better off with the action being something the reader already knows is coming. It adds extra layers of emotion and suspense to a scene, and it also adds one of the unique things a person can only experience while reading: foresight.
    Lots of Alfred Hitchcock's films apply this method pretty well; one in particular. I don't want to give anything away since the scene is very important for the plot, but there's a part of a story where we see a "bang" coming, and there's a whole countdown scene in which we see a sympathetic minor character (who has absolutely no idea of the imminent disaster) in peril, and we watch him going along his way, taking his sweet time to get in a position where he'd be safe from the danger, and by the time the countdown finally reaches its end, the viewer's heart is pounding (well, mine was, at least).
    Dramatic irony has a lot to do with this kind of thing, with the reader/viewer knowing about the oncoming disaster without the character being aware of it. That makes any hesitation or dawdling on a character's part a cause for anxiety to the reader, and when a character actually comes close to discovering the threat, it's exciting (and sometimes frustrating, when the character almost gets the big picture but then loses it). The dramatic irony is key for prompting these emotions, stirring up anticipation of what's about to happen.
    Personally I think it also helps a lot to make the scene unpredictable, so that the situation could go either way. Because predictability is something we try to avoid at all times in writing, right? And if the main character is being threatened with death in the middle of the story, and it's not a genre where they could be brought back to life or something, it's kind of obvious that the hero is going to get out of their situation. But if it's a minor character being threatened with something that would take them out of the picture, or if the main character just risks losing something important but not absolutely vital, then there's a cause to be concerned because the loss can actually happen. An unpredictable situation like this is something that a reader wouldn't be able to guess on; a scene they would have to keep reading in order to find out if the "bang" really occurs.
    So this concept that Alfred Hitchcock (who's been called "the master of suspense") is talking about is really an interesting one to use in writing. Has anyone here watched any of Hitchcock's films before?

Psalm 59:17

 

"To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, the God of my mercy."

Psalm 59:17 (NKJ)

    It's cool how the psalmist refers to the Lord as his strength here--especially with a capital S. The Lord is a sure and reliable Protector, and He gives us enough strength to accomplish anything and everything that needs to be done. God's mercy itself is also something that He strengthens us with. Remembering how great His mercy is gives confidence and assurance that God cares, that He has great grace, and that He is (and always will be) with us. So the title of Strength definitely seems appropriate to give to the Lord, right? :)

Praying with Persistence

    In 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22, there's a list of things that Paul, the writer of the epistle, is encouraging believers to do, and one of those things is to "pray without ceasing" (verse 17, NKJ). This verse is incredibly short and therefore incredibly easy to memorize, though the exhortation itself isn't exactly a cakewalk. Praying without ceasing doesn't mean praying the same thing over and over again in one go, but at different times during the day, or for multiple days--and also, I think, praying for the same things a good number of times. Praying persistently like that is said to be a very effective way to make supplications.
    For one, praying with persistence is in and of itself an indication of importance and commitment. It shows that the matter being prayed about isn't something trivial or forgettable after one mentioning, but that it's a situation that really matters. Praying for a solution or answer to the matter on many occasions shows that it's important, and that it's worth giving attention and energy to.
    Secondly, persistent prayer can also help a person become even more committed to the cause of the prayer. Spending a lot of time with anything can make the person/activity/object more familiar and more valued. Putting a lot of work into something also stirs up more care for it. And on top of those things, prayer is something we do with God, and so spending time working on something with Him makes the situation and the act of prayer far more precious and memorable.
    Lastly, since prayer is also a way to give God control of things, praying more gives Him more of an influence in the matter. Continually giving the situation over to Him and asking for His guidance, His strength, and for His will to be done continually opens doors to having those things accomplished in the best way, His way.
    So on a final note, as long as the prayers being said are genuine and heartfelt (not long-winded and "for a pretense," as Christ criticized some for in Matthew 23:14, NKJ), and as long as it's prayed that the Lord's will is done, prayers are even more powerful when it's done many times, with diligent persistence.
    Isn't it a great blessing to be able to pray to the Lord on a matter multiple times? :)

"Micro Managing" While Writing is Like Sculpting

    You know how when a person is writing (usually a first draft or a rewrite) they can stop, go back a couple sentences, edit a paragraph slightly, and then go back to where they paused and start writing again? It's like having little bouts of micro management, making small revisions to the manuscript before it's even completed.
    That kind of resembles the process of sculpting with modeling clay, doesn't it? It could also be likened to sculpting with rock, of course, but personally I think the modeling clay kind of sculpting is more accurate. Because with  something hard like rock, the sculpting involves chipping things away with great care to form an image, and you can't add more rock onto it without some inconvenience, so major changes can't really be done over and over again. However, with something soft like modeling clay, you're using your hands to mold, remold, and sometimes carve in order to create something, and you can make additions and big adjustments without needing a new block.
    Which is more like what micro managing while writing a piece is usually like. Adding more sentences to make the scene more thorough, removing fluff that just clutters up space, replacing words with better-sounding ones, making little improvements. The gradual revisions that happen before the piece is actually done might not be as in-depth and complete as the actual revision stage, but they definitely improve the writing piece, especially over time.
    For one, it makes the manuscript look a little nicer; which is awesome not only because that makes it more fun to reread, but it can also make it less frustrating to edit later. Also, going back to rewrite portions of text also makes things a little more balanced; it keeps the manuscript from being full of paragraphs with identical lengths, and it ensures that an action which should take five sentences isn't condensed into one, or vice versa. The details get smoothed over a bit with this kind of writing, and consistency is kept up. Plus, writing like this is also something of a breather; it gives a short break from planning and jotting down new paragraphs one after another, without stopping up the creative juices.
    So overall, like sculpting, micro managing during the writing process brings small improvements that can do a lot of good in a manuscript.
    Do you agree? Do you micro manage while you write? Or do you wait until a set time to get to adjusting and reshaping the writing?

Psalm 57:10

 

"For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the clouds."

Psalm 57:10 (NKJ)

    I really like the imagery of this verse. Because sometimes when a person just stops and looks up, when there's nothing else obstructing the view, the sheer massiveness of the sky and the tremendous distance between the ground and the clouds is mind-boggling.
    The loving mercy of the Lord is just the same way; it's amazing, wonderful, and it's so plenteous and vast that it could fill up the space between the ground and the heavens. Don't you agree? :)

Oswald Chambers: "Worry is Caused by Calculating without God"

Trying to map out a situation while one is worried
can seem a bit like this, right?

"All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God."

~Oswald Chambers

 

    This is a really accurate way to think of it. Worrying about something involves a whole lot of thinking (or at least, a whole lot of thoughts); considering the bad things that can happen, and predicting what will possibly happen if things don't start changing. Meditations like this, unfortunately, can bring up a lot of negative conclusions, can't they? It's almost like plotting out a story, or multiple versions of a story, only doing it isn't satisfying or pleasant at all; it's depressing. Worrying is not fun, and it does indeed involve a lot of calculating that doesn't factor in God.
    The Lord doesn't want us stressing out like this. In Matthew 6:25 and Luke 12:2 (NKJ), Christ tells His disciples, "do not worry about your life." A couple verses later in Luke 12:25, He says that worrying doesn't accomplish anything (it can't add "one cubit" to a person's height); and as stated in numerous Psalms like Psalm 27:1, the Lord's reliability as one's light, salvation, and strength makes worrying unnecessary. 1 John 4:18 states that "perfect love" (like God's love for us) "casts out fear" (NKJ); and one of Christ's titles is "the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6). Without the Prince of Peace, without the Lord in our lives and His assurances given to us, there would undoubtedly be reason to worry about dilemmas.
    But we do have the Lord leading us in life; we do have a Savior. Trying to think out a serious problem without Him can only bring on stress and fear; but by exercising the gift of being able to factor in His promises and trust in Him, the need to worry dissolves. He preserves the faithful (Psalm 31:23), and with that kind of promise, we can be calm!
    This quote by Oswald Chambers summarizes that truth very neatly, don't you think? :) Do you also think of worrying as the result of incomplete calculation?

Writing Games: What Would They Take?

If an unforeseen disaster struck, what items would a certain character
take before running for the hills?

    There's a very classic writing prompt that basically goes like this: The house is on fire and you have five minutes to grab some important items before fleeing, so describe what you would take and why. It's good for describing objects and for prioritizing what's really important to a person, and with a little spin on this writing prompt, it could also be great for developing characters in a story-in-progress.
    If there was a sudden emergency at a character's home (it could be something like a fire or a tornado, or a need to go on the run before the hour is up), and they had five minutes to grab some items, what would they take? How long would it take them to get these things, and would they have any difficulty getting to items? If the house is on fire, going up into the attic or down into the basement would be highly dangerous, and if one item is locked in a combination safe, it might be better to leave that item and take four others instead.
    The prompt could be even more interesting if the character doesn't have a house though, like if they live at a campsite or if they're staying in a hotel room temporarily. This could make their ability to reach items easier and quicker, but it could also make leaving the area more difficult, and change their priorities. For example, someone staying at a hotel wouldn't have the space in a suitcase to fit a blanket or more than one spare set of clothes, and someone living on a mountain might need a lot more time for getting away from the area.
    So which character would you pick; the protagonist, antagonist, or a minor character? Which items would they choose? Would they actually pick the most important ones, or forget vital items they'll need? What are the character's priorities, and how prepared are they for the unexpected?