Looking at the future

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:34

What is it like to look your future in the face?

Is it even possible? Yes, I firmly believe it is. There are just some moments in life when we can look ahead and know (to some extent) what is coming in our future. I'm not talking about foretelling the future but in just being able to see something coming and knowing it will change our life. The way an expectant mother knows her life will be forever altered with the birth of her baby, or the way a couple can know that their life is changing as they say their wedding vows.

But what is it like to stand and look at someone or something and have a good idea that your future will forever be changed because of that person or that moment? We've all had those times when we experienced something and knew as it was happening that we would be forever changed because of it.

Sometimes a person passes through our lives that changes who we are. Sometimes they change the course of our lives. A new friend. A new spouse. Even a stranger that makes a big impact on us.

All of those have the potential to change our future in a moment. They can effect who we thought we were, who we want to be, what we thought we wanted in life.

If those changes are good we give thanks for the changes that came, pray in gratitude for what we've been given. If they're bad we may complain and question 'why me?'

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Whether or not we like what comes our way it is part of a plan that is much bigger than we can ever imagine. Bigger than anything we can see. Our future stretches before us like an open book, one in which we cannot read the words. The lord is writing the story as we make our way through the pages. He's guiding our paths, directing our steps. Taking us to where he wants us to be.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[a] for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30

But what happens when we stand on page 200 and we catch a glimpse of what we think may be coming up on page 300? When we can see the plot twist coming but we can't tell exactly what it is?

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5


Conflict.

Plot twist.

As an author those words are what makes the story flow. It's what keeps things moving. But every so often when those things show up in real life I find myself feeling sorry for my characters. I don't like conflict and plot twists in my life. And I throw those things at my characters with just about every scene I write. It is the way manuscripts are written. It is the nature of books. Because who wants to read a book about characters that are plodding through life at a slow pace where nothing ever changes, where day after day everything goes without a hitch? Readers want barb wire fences thrown up in front of the heroes and heroines. They want outlaws, kidnappings, bank robberies, missing children, tornadoes, etc. They want conflict. They want plot twists. They want excitement.

And we give it to them.

Because we're writers. Because it's what we do.

But do we ever put ourselves in our characters boots? Do we ever strap on their spurs and wear them around the yard for a while? Not because we have to but because doing so just might make us a better writer. It just might make our scenes better, or our story seem more believable. 

When our heroine has something looming in her future that scares and worries her....who does she turn to? Does she turn to the hero? Tell him all her thoughts and fears? What if he's involved in that? What if she doesn't want to give him more to worry over than he already has? Then what?

Who does she turn to? 

Who hears those fears? Catches her tears?

Does your heroine have someone she can talk about all those things to? Is there someone in the story whose shoulder she can cry on? Does she call her closest friend? Send an email? Does she find peace and solace in prayer? Scripture? Listening to music? Where does she find her peace?

How does she pull herself together when she needs to fall apart? 

It is so easy to throw catastrophe after catastrophe in front of our characters. So easy to give them conflict even when we don't want to. After all if our story is going slow we can bring in outlaws to speed it up. We can make the wagon wheel break causing the wagon to tumble down a ravine into a fast flowing river. We can make anything happen because we are the writer but do we remember to put ourselves in our characters place, to make them react the way we would? 

When they're facing the hundredth conflict in six months, when their world is falling apart...

How do we feel and act and react in similar situations?

Conflict isn't fun. Plot twists are confusing. Facing things that we don't want to see happen have the potential to tear our world apart, to make us hurt even before it happens. They can make us dread something we know is coming, make us want to grab hold of today and never let go, grab hold of someone and never let go. They can make us hurt and be happy at the same time. Make us cry, or want to, because we can't do anything else.

Do we, as writers, remember to make our characters experience all those conflicting feelings when they go through their trials?