Change of Seasons

The biggest decision a writer has to make when they start a new story is how will our characters change? What issues do they have that need to be righted? How did they get to this point? How can the plot and the love interest make them recognize the need for change, and then help them accomplish that? If the characters in a book don’t grow, learn, and evolve then there’s no story.

Change is inevitable in all our lives. Sometimes it’s exciting, sometimes painful, sometimes sad, but without it we’d all be stuck in one mode our whole lives. The problem is no one is going to change unless they are forced too. Those huge upheavals in our lives are called “life-changing” for a reason. They are the events that shove us in a new direction. We have no choice but to go down a different path. My Dad was a heavy smoker with no thought to what it might be doing to him physically. Until he had a lung removed due to cancer. He never smoked again. A friend lost a job, their home, their car everything in one day and had to start over.

We read stories to see how the characters overcome the obstacles that many of us face each day and hopefully, we can see the characters learning to trust the Lord more, lean on Him more, and be reminded that God is in control and loves us.

That’s why we create obstacles for our characters to face. We place big old juicy roadblocks in their way. We plunk them down in the middle of the worse scenario possible. We take away something they cherish. A heroine jilted at the altar? Bring that guy back and have him try and convince her he’s changed. A woman who plays it safe and never takes risks? Give her a daredevil type that lives for adventure.

Do you want the heroine to overcome his fear of loving again, of flying, of being in charge? Do you want your loner hero to learn to trust, forgive and become a family man? Then they must be confronted with a major change in their comfortable world.

Change is inevitable. As much as we’d like to keep things the same in our lives or our relationships it’s just not possible. Friend’s come and goes. A fierce passion for a hobby, or group wanes. What caught our attention when we were twenty may hold little interest at age sixty.

Some change is scary. Losing a family member, a job, a home. We hate having to face that, but in our books that’s exactly what we have to develop to entertain the reader. I’ll have to admit, putting my characters in trouble, giving them big emotional problems to sort through wasn’t my strong suit. But the more I write the easier it becomes. (Hum, just how hard can I make it for these two before I let them find their happily ever after?)

A writer’s life is always changing too. Selling a few books doesn’t guarantee and secure future as an author. Neither does self-publishing. Some do well others not so much. Publishers come and go, merge, drop lines and changed direction.

Change is never easy. It’s often times bittersweet. Which is my issue today. This will be my last post for the Inspyromance blog. It was not an easy decision to make. Valerie Comer and I met many years ago when we shared an agent. We hit it off right away. I was thrilled to be included in this group when she contacted me. It’s been a wonderful journey and I’ve met many new friends and readers.

I’ve been given a new opportunity in my writing career and I feel it needs my full attention. There is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven Ecc 3:1. Sometimes we have to step back and check our priorities and our schedules. We can’t say yes to everything as much as we wish we could.

So this season of my writing life has come to a close. I’ll still be around and perhaps appear as a guest blogger sometime. (Hint, hint J) There are five more Home to Dover books coming and I hope you’ll come and visit. You can still find me at lorrainebeatty.com and on Facebook at Lorraine Beatty Author.

God bless.