Story

BJ Hoff had a couple of great posts recently on the topic of "story" over at her blog, Grace Notes. One thing she said was "that stories are not made up: they’re found. Stories are discovered." That one little thought has stuck with me for days. Go read her post for yourself; I couldn't begin to do it justice here. Make sure you check out "Part 2" as well. I immediately purchased the book she references by Stephen Koch: the Modern Library Writer’s Workshop. Already I've found my approach to writing revolutionized. Suddenly I'm enjoying the process of of watching this story unfold. I kind of feel like a news reporter, following my characters as I try to capture their feelings, and keep up with the ever changing events in their lives. It's there, it really is!

It makes sense, really, that stories are there to be discovered, like "bolts of material, layer by layer by layer" as BJ points out. After all, aren't we all stories created in the mind of God? I doubt God is sitting on His throne, inventing all kinds of plots with twists and turns to make our lives more interesting. Even if something surprises me or throws me for a loop, God is never caught off guard. How comforting to know He will complete the work He began in me, because He knows the story from beginning to end. And when I'm stuck, be it in my life or my writing, I can always turn to "the Greatest Story Ever Told" for guidance.