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| Photo Credit: Public Domain |
Recently I discussed how a story can have a serendipitous origin. In this post, I hope to shed some light on what each of us can, and must, do to create extraordinary stories. It's not about character development. It's not about a fast-paced plot. It's not about beautiful writing, or sensational settings, or any number of other much-needed elements to create a viable novel. While a story MUST include those items mentioned above, they alone will not make a story extraordinary.
I believe the special element to make your story extraordinary is YOU.
Your heart. Your experiences. Your wounds. Your successes.
Why do I believe this so strongly?
It's because our authentic selves speak a specific truth into our work that no amount of education or effort could ever create. Our personal stories make our fictional stories extraordinary. While our lives might share similarities, no one has a story exactly like yours, or mine.
That being said, this type of "magic" comes at a cost. We must be vulnerable. That is a decision of the heart, not the brain. We must bring our whole selves to our work in a way that most of us never dreamed would be necessary. If we do so, our stories will do more than just entertain our readers: They will inspire and strengthen our youth.
While writing this post I kept thinking of the quote below:
