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.