When a younger writer, I hesitated to plunge my characters into perilous events. Like a doting mother, I dressed everyone in clean clothing and admonished them to stay out of the mud. Scandalous outings, unscrupulous friends, and disgusting habits were a taboo.
A writing coach asked me, “Where is the excitement or conflict in your story if your characters can’t get dirty, risk scandal, or suffer pain?”
Right. I then noticed all great people throughout history struggled with issues. King David in Psalm 142:5-7 declares, “I cried out to You, O Lord; I said, ‘You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. Give heed to my cry. For I am brought low; Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring my soul out of prison. I will give credit to your name. The righteous surround me, for You will deal bountifully with me.”
King David committed adultery, as a youth killed a giant, battled family turmoil, and witnessed the acts of murder and rebellion amongst his children. Yet he is celebrated as one of the great heroes of Christian history. He lived a full life, but he also made mistakes. A lot of mistakes.
Anguish is another subject I am uncomfortable writing about. Like everyone else, I don’t do pain well. Before my husband retired, he suffered a nasty industrial accident which put him in the hospital for three weeks and rehab for six months.
I traveled to the hospital, seventy miles away, every other day, spending one night with my husband, and then returning to spend a night at home. During this period of turmoil, a deranged neighbor shot and killed my dog in our yard. He took her body and disposed of it. Six months passed before I uncovered the truth. This person had a long history of abuse and violence.
My dog, a gift from our son as he departed for college––the last of our children to leave home––––instantly became a replacement child for my empty nest. The situation doesn’t need much more explanation. I suffered harsh and devastating pain.
My husband recovered and returned to a normal life. His doctors had warned me he might not. He did, and I praise the Lord for it. Though I prayed daily and searched for hundreds of miles, I never found my dog.
Through the pain, as I cried on the shoulder of my heavenly father, I found a wonderful, precious fellowship with Him which cannot be shared without the presence of suffering. This discovery grew beautiful and priceless.
Why not allow the characters I create to walk through this type of pain? Why not give this type of discovery to them? I’ve experienced it firsthand. After all, if willing, we walk out of the storm and into a lovely field of sunshine and flowers.
The lesson I learned? Throw dirt on those beautiful characters. Drag him through scandal. Strip her of dignity and rights for a period of time. Let them both walk through the pits of despair. Challenge them to a breaking point, and then crank up the pain one more notch. Make that wonderful character suffer. When she finds her way out of the Valley of the Shadow of Death, what a beautiful day awaits her. You’ll also have a story which fans will pay money to read.
As a side note––The man who killed by sweet dog died of kidney failure two years to the date he took her from me. Although I look at this as retribution from the Lord, I take no delight in revenge. What comforts me is the scripture I located during this time of struggle which reassures me I WILL see my fur-baby again in heaven.
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