Memorable Characters

Day 34 of 40 days of Lenten Posts

Writers are constantly striving to create memorable characters.

We want to read about interesting
people who overcome impossible obstacles.

Some characters are the good guys; they are the ones wearing white hats in case you forgot. The bad guys are sporting the black hats.

Okay, I just showed my age, I of course got this from watching westerns in black and white.

Creating interesting characters is serious business for writers.

There are two definitions for character:

1. A person, man, woman, soul, creature, individual.

2. Personality, nature, disposition, temperament, mentality, essence, integrity, honor, moral strength

When a writer is creating her protagonist and antagonist a decision has to be made concerning their moral fiber, what are they made of? This will determine what they are capable of doing, or not doing, in the story.

As a novelist I have the freedom to play with my characters but in my own life I don’t have that liberty. My belief in Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord carries with it restrictions. Restrictions I don’t mind having, they are not barriers but guardrails. My integrity, or lack of it, will keep me out of trouble, or get me into it. With my moral compass set it is easier to stand against temptation when it arises and it will arise.

I have determined to develop a character worthy of the title, Child of Christ.
I want to become a memorable character.
How about you?

Every story needs a turkey.



Do...or Not

Day 26 of 40 days of Lenten Posts

“When I am writing I am doing the thing I was meant to do.” Anne Sexton

How about you?

Are you doing the thing you were meant to do?

If not, why not?

Quick Moves

Day 8 of 40 days of Lenten Posts

How quick are your moves?   

Would you run to put a stop to the sin that angers God?

In my daily bible reading in the book of Numbers 25:1-13 I came across the story of God’s anger against the Israelites for having sexual relationships with Moabite women and then worshipping the gods of Moab.

All those who participated were to be executed.

In the midst of this showing of God’s wrath one of the Israelite men took a Midianite woman into his tent, right in front of Moses and all the people who were mourning the loss of the 24,000 who were destroyed. A stupid act, but arrogant people can be a mite stupid.

One man, Phinehas, was so grieved by what was grieving God that he picked up his spear and RAN to the man’s tent and put a spear through the man and the woman. This act turned God’s anger from the people.

One man who took up the cause for God was able to stop death.

That man had a heart that hurt with what hurt God’s heart and he moved quickly.

I want to be like that.

I want the things that grieve God’s heart to grieve mine.
But for me, and you, it must go one step further, we must be willing to do something about it. I am not suggesting that we go around killing people who are sinning; if that were the case we would have to kill ourselves because we are all sinners.
I do suggest that we can take up causes that are dear to God’s heart, the poor, the helpless, the widow, justice, the unborn, etc.

How do you choose what to get involved with?

What are you passionate about?

If your heart is for the poor look into programs your community has and get involved.

If your heart grieves for those who find themselves in the position of an unwanted pregnancy go to your local crisis pregnancy center and find out how you can help.

Are you fed up with how things are run in your community; get involved in the government locally. Something as simple as being on your homeowner's association board is a start.

Does your blood boil when you hear of someone being killed by a drunk driver? Get involved with MADD.

I am a writer of fiction and I see this as a vast and wide open field to be used for bringing righteousness back into the world. No preaching please, it only turns people off. A well written story, dealing with the issues of life in a God fearing way, that is believable, will reach people that a preacher in a pulpit will never touch.

What tugs at your heart strings, look there first.

If the madness of the world is to be brought back into order it begins with us.

Yes or No?

“What would have happened to Mary (and to all the rest of us) if she had said No to the angel? She was free to do so. But she said, Yes. She was obedient, and the artist, too, must be obedient to the command of the work, knowing that this involves long hours of research, of throwing out a month’s work, of going back to the beginning, or, sometimes, scrapping the whole thing. The artist, like Mary, is free to say No. When a shoddy novel is published the writer is rejecting the obedient response, taking the easy way out. But when the words mean even more than the writer knew they meant, then the writer has been listening. And sometimes when we listen, we are led into places we do not expect, into adventures we do not always understand.” Madeline L’Engle

Whatever we write, when we are writing for the Kingdom, fiction or non-fiction, God has a purpose for that article, book or even a blog. That purpose may be to bring light to one person who has been in darkness, hope to someone who has been feeling hopeless. If a person is crying out to God He will answer that plea and you may be the one He has chosen to use, but if you say No, I’m too busy right now, what is lost?

At times our desperate cries to God seem to go unanswered, it is not because God did not hear, it’s because someone did not listen to His summons or they refused to respond with a Yes. Even though we are free to say No, we will be held responsible for our missed moments.

There have been many times in my life, and there will be many more, when I was the one calling out to God and He answered with words that someone was obedient to pen. I am indebted to those who said Yes.

Will you say Yes when He summons you?

Photos: Yahoo Images