Friday, June 12, 2009

Changes

Life is always changing. And if we're writers that's a good thing because stories are about changes. A story begins when something changes in the lives of our major characters.

My daughter moved in briefly with me and has now moved out again. (That's part of why I haven't had a chance to post in a while.) It was great to have her here and good to know she's moving on to the next step. Sophy, my dog, is moping, of course, and spending a lot of time with her stuffed squeaky bear to cope.

Change is opportunity as well as challenge. It's growth as well as stress. It's a chance to move in new directions. That's true in life and it's true in our writing. If you're a writer and stuck in your story, it can be very useful to ask how you want or need your character to grow and what change would push them in the right direction. How will they resist the change or will they go with it willingly? One of the joys of being a writer is that we get to play with all the possibilities!