One thing we have discovered about our writing style, is that we have a hard time knowing how to start a story. Those starting words, that beginning paragraph seems so difficult We seem to be able to come up with filler and guide our characters through the story, coming up with ideas to throw in, but where and/or when do those characters actually start? What drives them? Coming up with our initial idea for our story came quite easily and from there, as we tossed ideas back and forth between each other, it began to grow. Then we got to a point when we needed to have a beginning before we could take our characters any further. There didn't seem to be anywhere to go unless we knew where we were coming from. So, we had to think back, to get to know our characters and find out where they came from and why they are who they are.
As we went back and began to deveolp our characters, we noticed a lot of our main story content change. It wasn't just about events any more, it was about people, feelings, desires. While our ultimate ourcome for the story did not change, the road we began to take to get there took some different turns.
In Relief Society last Sunday the lesson was "The Immortality of the Soul." It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the eternal perspective we can have as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. There was some discussion on what made our church different from others in our beliefs of the progression of the soul.
"Our comprehension of this life is that it is eternal life -- that we are living in eternity today as much as we ever will live in eternity." Teachings of Presidents of the Church - George Albert Smith
As members of the church we are blessed with a knowledge that this life is eternal. We know where we came from, we know why we are here, and we know where we can go. We understand our divine potential. It is amazing to think of what our lives might be like without this knowledge. There are so many others who don't have this knowledge. They don't know where they came from, why they are here. They don't know that there is more to come. This life is merely part of the story and it continues beyond death.
"Oh, how sad we would be if we thought that death terminated our career. If, when our life's labor on earth was finished, we had no opportunity to go on developing, there would be little to inspire us to live as we should here." Teachings of Presidents of the Church - George Albert Smith
Our eternal perspective has the ability to change our path in this life. We, like our characters, can change our path in this life based on this knowledge of where we came from and where we are going. We didn't just appear out of thin air into this life. We were lovingly created and placed in our own little story. We create our characters with love, and create a world for them to live in. We form them and guide them. Sometimes we discover they are not going where we originally wanted them to go and it changes their path and where they might finish up in the end.
Our stories doesn't have any purpose without this knowledge of who our characters are, of what they are and what drives them. Our own story, like we said in the beginning, could not continue on until we knew about our characters and where they came from. We are so grateful for the knowledge of where we came from. We know that there is so much more beyond this life. It can give us great comfort, and give us an outline of how to live our lives, so that we can maximize this Divine potential.
Great insight. While looking back doesn't get us to where we're are going it is paramount in knowing who we are and what we want to be. I find it the same in story telling. Knowing the back story can make all the difference in writing realistic characters.
ReplyDeleteWow! I completely love this post! You both are so insightful! Thank you!
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