What Makes a Story?

Telling a story in six words is not easy, but Ernest Hemingway did it once: "For Sale: Baby shoes. Never worn."

Proverbs 31 Ministries is sponsoring a contest. To enter, you have to write a six-word story. The winner gets a scholarship to attend the She Speaks Conference: http://shespeaksconference.com/.

Since this is a fabulous conference, and I love a challenge, I had to enter. I came up with several ideas:

Lost: female cobra. May be pregnant.
Don't go in. Snake is loose.
Found my snake. Please come home.
Survived earthquake. Can I come home?
Watching for lost son. He's coming!
Survived earthquake alone. Coming home.

This got me thinking about what makes a story. We know that a story needs a plot and, of course, characters. It also needs a crisis, a climax and a conclusion. The character needs to show change and, in the Christian market, positive growth. How do you put all that into six words? Hemingway's example does.

Plot: A woman gets pregnant and prepares for the baby.
Character: The mother, presumably, though it could have been the father placing the 'for sale' ad.
Crisis: Baby is born sick or is stillborn.
Climax: Baby dies.
Conclusion: Parents find the strength to move on, to sell the items prepared for the baby that were never used.
One could draw various scenarios from this story, but the basic elements would not change. And no matter how you interpret the story, there is an emotional connection.

So I analyzed my six-word story ideas and found that most of them were missing one or more of these elements. After further brainstorming, I came up with two more:

1. Home alone. Cold. Started fire. Homeless.
The unknown character, possibly a young person, is home, unsupervised. Wanting heat, he (or she) attempts to start a fire, which gets out of control and destroys the house. Now the person is homeless. Not a bad plot, certainly dramatic and emotional, but it doesn't show a character arc. The conclusion, that the person has no place to go, does not tell us that he learned anything (other than not to build a fire unless you know what you're doing!). This story ends with no satisfying conclusion. It leaves us wondering where he will go and what he will do.

2. Regret leaving. Survived earthquake. Coming home.
In this case, the person left home, perhaps out of anger or perhaps, like the biblical prodigal son, searching for something better. A crisis occurred--an earthquake, which he barely escaped with his life. Going through that situation changed him and caused him to realize his mistake. The resolution: he is coming home in hopes of reconciling with his family. Since I'm the author, I know these things. Did you read it the same way?

This is the "story" I submitted. Do you agree that it was the best choice of the nine ideas I've listed here? Or do you think I should have chosen a different one?

P.S. You can read other entries here: http://www.shereads.org/2011/04/she-speaks-scholarship-contest/

Cutting Down the Weeds

Spring has finally arrived in the South, which means it's time to start mowing the lawn.

Most of the time my hubby mows, but occasionally when he is really busy, like this week, he asks me to.

Sitting on a riding mower while cutting more than a half-acre gives you about an hour to think about weeds and life.

To start with, note that I said I mowed the lawn, not the grass, since weeds grow faster than the grass.

I observed that some weeds, such as wild onions, give off a strong odor when you cut them. The ones that are more difficult to get rid of, such as Creeping Charlie, actually have pretty flowers. Unless you know how damaging they can be to your lawn, you might be tempted to leave them alone and enjoy the color.

In the same way, some sins are obviously harmful and give off strong "odors" when you get near them. Other behaviors can appear attractive, and even if you know that God has warned us to avoid them, they seem harmless enough. Often we are tempted to continue in that sin, letting it take over our lives. Pride, gossip and unforgiveness are examples that keep "creeping" back into my own life.

We mow one large section of our yard--what we refer to as the "back forty"--but we don't spend money on fertilizer or weed killer, so it is mostly weeds. Often I can't tell where I've cut, since some of the weeds seem to be so resistant to the blade. I wind up going over the same patch of ground two or even three times. That's the way it is for me with critical speech and attitude. No matter how many times I confess to Jesus that I have not followed His example in these areas, and that I will do better, I find myself going back time and again with the same failures. Fortunately, He forgives me each time.

Our yard contains several pecan trees with low-hanging branches. If I become too intent on watching what I am trying to cut, instead of where I am going, I get hit in the head. That reminds me of how often I focus on my own efforts to change my behavior, which always results in failure. I know that, instead, I need to focus on where Jesus wants to lead me.

One other thing I've noticed--no matter how square a yard appears to be, you always wind up with a triangular section at the end of mowing. I haven't figured out the spiritual application for that.

"Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time" (Hebrews 12:14, The Message).

Do You Have a Team?

It’s football playoff time. Whether you watch the NFL or not, you are probably aware that the Super Bowl is approaching.

It occurs to me that no quarterback—even Brett Favre—goes to the Super Bowl without his whole team. He needs the offensive line to protect him, the running backs to hand the ball to, and the receivers to catch the long bombs. Of course, the coaches provide the overall strategy and training, “encourage” the conditioning and practice between games, and celebrate the successes along with the players. Then there are the trainers, the water boys, the people who get the uniforms ready, and on and on.

If you’re not into football, consider the challenge of climbing Mount Everest. Do you realize that, to climb to the top of the world’s highest mountain, you need a team of sherpas, guides, and other support people at least double the number of climbers? Many adventure trek companies will provide one Sherpa per climber just to carry your extra oxygen for the ascent to the summit.

So maybe you don’t care about football and have no intention of climbing Mount Everest. But whether you're a writer, a speaker, a stay-at-home mom, or working toward any other goal, some days those efforts can seem as daunting as climbing a 20,000-foot mountain.

That’s why you need a team. Surround yourself with friends who share your goal and your faith. They will cheer you on, encourage you in your “conditioning” and persistence, and celebrate your successes with you. And, in turn, you can do the same for them.

He encouraged them with these words: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged" (2 Chronicles 32:6-7, NIV).

Handprints

I read a true story recently about a "ghostly" image on a wall of a house that was being remodeled.

Seems the homeowner was using "mud" (joint compound) to smooth the old plaster walls so they could be painted or papered. When he got down from the ladder, he noticed a hand print in the wet compound, but was sure he had not placed his hand on the wall. He wondered if the house was haunted.

Over the next couple of hours, the image gradually faded. His ultimate theory: the original builder had put his hand in the wet plaster, leaving a very shallow indentation. It did not show up until the new owner covered over it. Because it was slightly deeper than the rest of the wall, the print showed up as a different color, eventually disappearing when the entire coating was dry.

That made me wonder: does my Builder's hand print reveal itself in my life? I pray that my Creator's image remains strong, no matter how old I get. As long as I rely on Him, maybe I won't cover up His mark.

"Relying on the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace" (2 Timothy 1:8-9, HCSB).

Truth and Fiction

My husband and I were discussing my writing efforts. He's an avid reader of nonfiction, and I love fiction. We talked about the difference.
"What you're writing is lies," he said. (Remember he is an incessant teaser.)
"It didn't actually happen," I retorted, "but I am writing Truth."
He mentioned my protagonist's name. "Have you ever met her?"
That was a tough question. It's not easy to explain an author's relationship with her characters. "I know her," I said.
"But you've never actually seen her, shook hands with her?"
"No, but--" I knew I would lose the "argument."
"And your other characters? Have you seen them?"
I conceded that I had not.
"So you are writing lies." He thought he had me, but I wasn't giving up that easily.
"What I write may not be real, but it is Truth. With a capital T," I countered.
That led to a discussion of capital letters. When I suggested it was lunch time, he asked, "Is that with a capital L?"
His teasing got me to thinking, though, about the significance of what I write. Telling a compelling story is an admirable objective. But as a Christian, my goal is to tell a meaningful story. To make my characters come to life in a way that the spiritual concepts will have meaning for the readers' own lives.
Unless I accomplish that, I may as well be telling lies.

The Dragon's Gone

A week ago, I wrote about the dragon that kept nagging me as I waited for the results of a medical test.

Thankfully, the dragon is gone now. Almost like Puff, that dragon has “ceased his fearless roar” and slipped into his cave.

In other words, the test was completely negative. There was, as my doctor said, “nothing there.”

It’s the second time in my life that God has answered prayers about a cancer scare in an unexpected way. Rather than the “expected” possibilities—a cyst, a benign tumor, or early-stage, treatable cancer—He has taken a possibility and turned it into a nonexistent situation.

At these times, I wonder why He has blessed me this way, when friends are even now struggling through chemotherapy. No matter what the outcome of my test, I know that it would have been an answer to prayer. God gave me that peace throughout the time of waiting.

The beauty of it is that God doesn’t have to explain Himself to us. Someday, we will be able to ask Him face-to-face—but by that time, it won’t even be important. So for now, I just want to praise Him. And rely on God’s presence to keep the dragon of fear, worry, and doubt hidden away in its cave, no matter what the future brings my way.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7, NLT)

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NLT)

Dragon in the Closet

There’s been a dragon in my closet this week.

As much as I’ve tried to hide it or ignore it, he’s been there. And every so often he sticks his ugly head out and makes sure I know he’s around.

I learned late last week that I needed a medical test for something that could be potentially devastating—or merely an inconvenience. The test is over now, but I won’t know the results for a few more days.

The question, in these situations, is always: who do I tell, and when? My first instinct is to ask for prayer from everyone I know. This would be my feeble effort to ward off the worst.

I believe in prayer power, of course. At the same time, I don’t want loved ones to be unnecessarily alarmed.

So I shared the concern with those closest to me physically—close friends at work and church. And held off telling most of those who live farther away. Once I have more information and know how they can help, I will tell them.

Most of the time, I have felt an uncommon peace. I know that my life is in God’s hands, and I think I’m ready for whatever His plan is.

But every now and then, the Worry Dragon breathes on me. He reminds me of the worst possible scenarios. He makes me feel alone. He threatens me with pain and uncertainty. He tells me that he is always there, no matter how hard I pretend that he’s not.

But God’s Word reminds me that God is always here, too, right beside me. With His help, I have tamed the dragon every time.

Both a devotional and a friend reminded me of Isaiah 41:10, and it’s become my new favorite verse. In the Message, it reads:

Don't panic. I'm with you.
There's no need to fear for I'm your God.
I'll give you strength. I'll help you.
I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.

So you can go away, Dragon. I’m not listening to you any more.