Saturday, June 8, 2013

The Big Bang and Other New Starts





The Big Bang and Other New Starts

®Susan Marlene Kinney

Pens of Praise Devotion–June 8, 2013

Hebrews Chapter 1: 3 and 10

 

Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.  And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the works of thy hands.

If anyone knows about new beginnings it is our Lord. Stretch that imagination of yours and consider the Big Bang. New beginnings that showered fireworks like none the world has ever witnessed since. Creation beat with a heart filled with purpose and a plan designed by the Masters hand. Why would God, who is so powerful and amazing, want to create life as we know it? The answer is relationship. The answer lies with the affectionate heart of the Almighty King who first loved us, delighted in us, and desires for us to have a future and hope. So it is with novel land.

Writing novels and poems provides opportunity for characters to thrive within their setting and plot. Authors pull all the strings, hopefully beginning with a hook. Multidimensional characters must peek out from the pages of our manuscripts looking for the desire of their hearts. But as it turns out that desire is not quite big enough. We, the authors of their fate, require a higher purpose to be fulfilled. We rock our character’s world with disasters, outside conflict, and inner conflict. Each disaster builds in power and cleverness all the while strengthening our character’s noble bearing and shaping his/her focus regarding what really matters. That is unless we are writing a tragedy and making a statement. Normally our characters will grow and overcome, conquering that bit of natural self which had inhibited their joy. Oh the tears we shed as our characters step off the pages of our wondrous tale, sporting a stronger character, which has been strengthened by a new epiphany, after they thwarted the efforts of a worthy antagonist of course.

To our Father, time has no measure. He knows the beginning and end. We authors should know this too. The beginning is the foundation, and setup for the whole novel. The attitude and word choice must lead our readers into the world we desire them to experience. What does the beginning require you may ask? Beginnings must hook the reader by introducing a well-rounded character who is interesting and has a perfectly good need or lack in their life to fill. Story has movement, pushing forward into uncomfortable places, which causes our characters to resist or challenge the obstacles that are laid out before him/her. There are lessons to be learned and an emotional ride to be experienced for the character and reader.

Isaiah 43:19

Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

There you go author, create a new thing, but don’t forget to start at the beginning. A beginning that is worthy of the happy ending you intend for your character to win. A beginning which moves the reader’s heart because they know just where your character has been. Curiosity about what will happen next is the spice that keeps those pages turning….