Don't Change Your Character Please

by Terri Wagner

If your character is supposed to be moral, please keep his moral compass true. I got involved in a series (14 books long) where nearly all the major characters (there were actually several) changed their moral compasses often. In Dragons and Dungeons lingo, if you are neutral good, then you stay neutral good. Unless you evolve.

In this series, the characters did not evolve as much circumstances "caused" them to alter their morals for that situation. Then later confronted with a different circumstance, a character would go back to a high moral compass. Drove me nuts. So much so that I actually found a online blog that summarized each chapter of each book with comments. That's how I found out what happened without actually reading the books. Most of the comments offered up the exact same problems I had with the book. Kinda surprised me that I was not alone since the series is extremely popular in its genre. Best not to name names, LOL.

As an editor, I find myself telling an author, you have changed this character, they can't change back, are you sure you want to go down this road? I realize you want your character to evolve, and a good one was Harry Potter. He grew up, became a teenager, things got grayer until he found his own moral compass. I like stories where the hero/heroine find their moral compass. Starting out good, and turning bad is acceptable, because some people lose their way due to circumstances and become caught up in their shall we say evil ways. And turning from bad to good is fine. But going back and forth brings a dimension to the book that simply does not work, especially in certain genres.

Always keep in mind your end user...the reader. Make sure they are going to be happy with your characters' journey. Nothing makes or breaks a piece of fiction when the main character changes moral compasses the way some people change hair color, or clothes, or eye color, or...well I will not belabor the point.

Have you read a book where the moral compass changed too often to make it even believable?

Mormon Women and Creativity

As I listened to more of John Cleese's ideas on creativity, I have developed a theory of my own about how women authors, even Mormon women authors, can and do expand on his theory.

He believes that creativity is a way of operating. We must take time away from daily activities and get ourselves in an open, playful, childlike mood without pressure in order to be creative. I'm sure many of you are chuckling right now. There is no way you can take time out of your busy day for this.

He uses the word 'open' to describe the creative mood. So how come many of you are successful authors when you have lots of small children, multigenerational family responsibilities, church obligations, and the myriad of other daily activities?

How many times to you hear your author friends say they were peeling potatoes and got such wonderful inspiration? That is an oft-told story in our community. (Maybe we just peel more potatoes than other people.)

Reasons why I thing we are creative amidst our busy lives:

1.         Women in general are open to new ideas. We have to be or we wouldn't know how to handle the crazy things our kids do every day.

2.         Women can multitask. Because we keep a lot of balls in the air every day, we are good at doing several things at once.

3.         Women are great listeners. Since we have developed the ability to listen to those around us, we are also able to hear what our subconscious has to say to us when it speaks.

4.         Women—especially Mormon women—have the gift of the Spirit. We know that the Spirit will teach us the truth of all things, call all things to our remembrance, and guide us in all we do. 

So, when it comes to creativity, there are many ways to receive inspiration. We can sequester ourselves away to augment our creativity, but we also find that ideas—even great ideas—come while we are peeling potatoes and wiping runny noses.

Your thoughts on this process:                      

Letting Go of Broken Cisterns

by Kari Diane Pike

I had a magnificent experience because of last week's Sunday school lesson about the woman at the well (John 4:3 - 30). In one verse, the woman of Samaria questions why the Savior would take notice of her. Not only was she a woman, but her people were looked down on by the Jews. And yet, Jesus not only showed  her compassion, He shared with her "living water" - the doctrines of the gospel and the love of God. He testified of Himself as the Messiah. And then,

...The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? (John 4:28 - 30)

She left behind her water pot - a symbol of worldly things that, like a broken cistern, can't hold the things I truly need. Another significant point that stood out is the way the woman of Samaria went to the city and shared her news of the Messiah with the very people she seemed to be avoiding by going to the well later in the day.

During my study time, I thought about my own struggles. What things in my life - what broken cisterns - am I willing to give up in order to follow the Savior and share His news with others? I had decided to make that question a point of fasting. I had no idea that the answer to my prayer would come so quickly.

As the ward choir director, I am frequently asked to lead the hymns during Sacrament meeting. Such was the case last week,  and the music chairman sent me a text to let me know that she had asked my niece Megan to play the organ. I couldn't remember ever having seen Megan play the organ. She played the piano beautifully and often accompanied the choir, but playing the piano is the not the same as playing the organ. No worries. I knew other people would be there who would be able and willing to play, if needed.

When I walked into the chapel, Megan already sat at the organ playing a prelude hymn. At the end of the song, she walked over to the display board for the hymns the congregation would be singing during Sacrament meeting. I stood next to her to help and expressed my appreciation for her musical talents.

"Megan! I don't think I've ever seen you play the organ before. Thank you for always being so willing to help."

"I've never done it before. I can play the notes, but I don't know what stops to use. I just try to hold the notes a little extra long so that they sound smoother. I'm kind of nervous, but it's okay."

And she was right. It was more than okay. During the passing of the Sacrament, I thought about the courage it took for Megan to accept the opportunity to serve the Lord. And I smiled.

The woman at the well gave up her broken cistern of fear of what other people thought of her and spread the word that she had seen the Messiah. Many people followed Christ because of her testimony. Megan's willingness to play the organ gave her the opportunity to learn and serve and blessed her with stronger faith, confidence, and an increase in talent. Her example of courage blessed me with a desire to leave behind my own fears and insecurities so that I can better serve my Savior.

Fear of what others think of me, feelings of inadequacy, fear of giving offense, fear of ridicule - all these empty cisterns only serve to hold me back from my full potential. Sacrificing fear in order to partake of greater blessings and help others find the same joy sounds like a pretty good deal.

hugs~

Pain and Patience Redux

by Marsha Ward

Two weeks ago, I mentioned the journey I've been going through with an arm injury. Since then, I had reached a measure of wellness that I thought was going to be great! Then I did too much again...

I'm back to square seventeen.

One thing I've noticed is that if I take it easy and let the arm heal, I'm fine. Then I'll feel better and get a burst of "Yes! This is over!" enthusiasm, and suddenly I've taken my healing back a step or two. How will I know when I've finally achieved a complete wellness?

I don't know. In the meantime, I can only wait for some kind of whisper that all is now complete, and that I may resume all the previous activities I enjoyed, without being overly cautious. I plod away with my voice-to-text software, trying to keep up headway in my writing career. I'm paying a steep price for this lesson: I won't be participating in as many outside activities as I had hoped, but perhaps the time I've had to spend in reading mode will be instructive and rewarding in the end.

Have you struggled with an injury or a health issue that made you cut back and attempt to become more patient and introspective? Tell us how this has impacted your life.