Expect the Unexpected

For ten weeks, I had been flat on my back, unable to get up for more than a few minutes each day. When I did stand, my legs ached, my back throbbed, and my knees wobbled. Then on St. Patrick’s Day, my husband and I rushed to the hospital. My mother, being a good Irish girl, came dressed in green with a four-leaf clover scarf! We were ready to meet these baby boys. The minutes ticked on; the hours crept by. After ten weeks of lying flat, all I wanted to do was take a walk. But St. Patrick’s Day came and went. No Irish twins. Instead, the boys chose March 18^th for their birthday. The entire process was not at all what I had expected.

My writing tip for today is Expect the Unexpected. We plot, we characterize, we create amazing characters with weaknesses that lead to conflict. But sometimes our story takes a different turn than we expect. We want the character to do this, but the character’s inclination leads them to do that. Our antagonist’s personality should make them respond this way, but the story would work much better if he responded that way. Sometimes our story lends itself better to an alternate plot line. Or perhaps God leads in a different direction, silently urging us to reconsider another story altogether.

Recently, I submitted an almost complete manuscript for a professional critique only to be told I needed to rewrite it in a different tense! After sulking for over a month, I began the daunting task of rewriting. It was the best rejection I’d ever been given! My story took on a different meaning, a deeper character motivation, and will be a more thoroughly written manuscript in the end.

Being flexible is the key to writing. Plan and plot, but never be afraid to change mid-course if it improves your story. Sometimes, the unexpected is exactly what we need. Sometimes it’s our opportunity to improve our writing, or better yet, create a better ending.