SOMETIMES, IT’S TIME TO TURN THE DAMN PAGE!
Turn the Page…
And just like that, it’s time to turn the page. With every relationship, decision, regret, character, plot twist, and, yes, book, there is always a time when you turn the page to see what happens next.
This week, I am reflecting on the characters I have created on paper, in my mind, and the ones I have encountered. We all have people we meet (characters) that play a part in our lives (plot) and are presented to teach us lessons (themes). Just like every good story, we are faced with adversity to help us grow and learn.
As I develop characters in my writing, I am posed with the question of what their purpose is and how the relevance of their attributes foster relationships with other characters. The same can be true in life.
Like any story, the pace is up to the author, and despite what the reader may think, the author has cultivated the characters, plot, and theme they wish to tell. All of this is part of the creative process in writing, but also how most of us conduct our lives.
We encounter situations that may have unexpected plot twists and endings, but after all, aren’t those the most captivating of stories?
Let’s face it: we have all encountered situations and people who have taught us lessons about humility, kindness, love, betrayal, selfishness, grief, and other human experiences. Often, it takes us time to process where the characters in our lives fall, but eventually, if you pay attention, you figure it out and decide where the characters proceed in your story.
Some characters flow through the pages of our lives, while others are there for a short time only to find a different book to explore. This week, I got engaged to a man I have known for over a decade (insert silent cheer). We met by chance at a conference and became friends but lost touch over the years. I had no idea then that a brief work obligation would eventually become a lifetime commitment. While we had an undeniable instant connection, that relationship played out as friendship for many years. As the years passed and life got in the way, we occasionally stayed in touch but had no real interaction. Again, by chance, our paths crossed, this time both of us at different points in our lives. The connection I felt with him was as profound as our first interaction. This time, both of us were available to pursue the possibility of something more than friendship.
I had a decision to make about how I wanted my story to unfold. I could stay stuck in bitterness from prior betrayals I had experienced or change the plot of my story to a happier ending. I could change the theme of my life from perfidy, neglect, and sadness and allow for love, respect, and loyalty. The character in my story could now be a man who celebrated my talents, valued my passions, and demonstrated a love I had never experienced. This new story enables me to live an authentic, meaningful life alongside a man who empowers me, chooses me, and encourages my tenacity. I changed my story by changing the characters, plot, and themes. The absence of my old story made my new life possible.
I wrote fictional stories for years, and now it is time I write my own life story on my terms. It had taken me being kept small for decades, adhering to the expectations of someone else’s demands, and having my purpose diminished to realize I had allowed my story to be written by someone else. How liberating to finally write the plot, theme, and characters that are most authentic to the story that best serves my goals.
Friends, the point here is that, like writing, we create our story, decide what characters are worth keeping, what plot we want to embark on, what themes are important to us, and how it all plays out.
Writing is hard, as is life, but if you are brave enough to embrace the narrative arcs, there are lessons to learn throughout our stories.
I encourage you to be brave. Explore your characters and ponder their place in your story.
A great story always has a rising action.
Write on.
With love and gratitude,
~dlm