Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Strong Current


This week just hasn't been my week. I'm not one to wallow in self-pity, but I just feel like things are working against me. Sometimes I feel like I'm swimming really hard against a current. Today a particularly strong wave knocked me backward, and I just gave in. I stopped struggling against the current and let the water flush me away.

I try really hard to not make my blog turn into a journal. I have plenty of notebooks to fill up with my emotions and feelings. However, I realize that as long as I stay on topic of writing, then I'm okay.

I know that life is supposed to have its ups and downs. It's what makes us appreciate the wonderful, blissful, amazing things in life. When I write my characters, I have absolutely no problem making them go through trials and hardships. They endure battles, evil villains, and brutal love triangles. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with making them go through difficult tasks, because we know that they are learning something. Each battle makes them stronger. Every time they fight the villain, they learn more and become smarter.

Of course the character doesn't want any conflicts. Frodo does't want to go to Mordor. Harry doesn't want to meet Voldemort over and over again. Katniss doesn't want to go to the Hunger Games. But that's their story, and that's what they must endure. It's what makes us care about them. They had conflicts, but because of the hardships they figured out who they were and what they stood for.

I wish that I didn't get so down every time I face something hard. I wish that I could remember that it's all a part of the hero's journey, that my story would be boring if there wasn't conflict. I know that even though right now I'm hitting a low, everything could change tomorrow. Perhaps it will be great with little resistance. Whatever does happen, I must remember to learn, grow, and become a better person because of the conflict. The current is strong, but if I use the resistance to become stronger, then I can handle it.

4 comments:

  1. This reminded me of a passage I read in a book last night. One very embittered character is saying to another, a romance novelist, that her books are a crock of you-know-what because they're... tied-up stories, and that's not real life. And the novelist replies this:

    "In romance novels people are tested, but they are only tested once. Twice, max. Then the woman gets the man the book is over. In life, even if you get the man, the book is just beginning. And if you don't get him, then another sort of book is beginning. Real people are tested time and again. To get through one test successfully doesn't mean you can endure another. Each time you have to regain your balance, and that becomes increasingly difficult, the older you grow."

    It's okay to give yourself time to re-balance. **hugs**

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    1. Joanne,

      Thanks so much sharing that passage. You're right, in real people people are tested everyday, and sometimes we need to take time and re-balance. Great Advice.

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  2. Heather, I'm sorry you're going through a rough time. That's never fun, but you are right, going through the hard things is what gives characters (and us) depth. I really like this post and the one before, as well as the person's comment above. All are good reminders. And even though it's probably hard now, I, from the outside can see a new depth just in your writing of the last two posts. You are awesome, hang in there.

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    1. Thanks so much for reading and commenting Krystal. I'm always trying to improve my writing, so I can't tell you how much that means to me. You always have insightful and positive comments!

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