by Mazzy Adams.
I like a plan that comes together, don’t you? We all have
them. Nicely thought out, supported by research, relevant consultation and wise
advice, organised and actioned consecutively in a timely manner, success
celebrated with circumspect consideration for all the answered prayers, amazing
people that came alongside to help, all those wonderful coincidences whereby
everything fell into place in the nick of time, followed by moments of
thankfulness and modest recognition for your own personal diligence in achieving
such a positive outcome. Does that describe your usual experience? Yes? No? Sometimes?
If you answered ‘Yes’, please, oh please, tell me do, how
do you do it? I am keen to know because, after a year (at the least) of having
one plan after another hijacked by circumstances beyond my control, I think I
have lost that plot! Unexpected obstacles thwarted my every move; nothing happened ‘in a timely manner’,
wise advice eluded me when I needed it most, my prayers appeared to ricochet. I
thank God I was able to enjoy some precious moments with some amazing people in
Katoomba and Sydney during the 2016 Omega Writers Conference. Without them, I’d
be a mouldering heap of blithering self-pity right now (as opposed to the
tongue-in-cheek purveyor of philosophical rhetoric on how life really works that
I’m trying to pull off here).
I have felt like the protagonist in an experimental first
draft; the arc of my character development pushed to and fro by an unruly
pendulum. Who on earth is writing me into such a frustrating story? I mean, just because a good writer drives their
precious, bookish creations to the brink of insanity if not destruction so that
truth will be revealed and meaning or purpose discovered, it doesn’t mean … It
doesn’t mean … Oh. Yeah. It does. I get it. Now.
I get it because I know the Author:
‘Your eyes saw my
unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before
one of them came to be.’ Psalm 139:16 (NIV)
I get it because I know He knows the plot:
‘“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the
LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future.’ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
I get it because I know He has a purpose:
‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’ Romans 8:28
(NIV)
Thankfully, His story ends well:
‘He has given us new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can
never perish, spoil or fade … you believe in him and are filled with an
inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of
your faith, the salvation of your souls.’ 1 Peter 1:3-4, 8-9 (NIV)
Are you frustrated by a similar period of thwarted
plans and a confusing life script? I encourage you to hang in there (that’s
what I’m trying to do) and trust that God has both the process and the outcome
covered. After all, given the longevity
and ongoing sales record of His written word, He is clearly an excellent author
with a proven track record.
So here’s the thing: Although my plans may go awry, my
life still has purpose and meaning because God created me with His purpose in mind.
Here’s another thing: Discovering His purpose, then
walking in it, is proving to be a very grand adventure, with high stakes and unexpected
twists and turns, but it promises an awesome outcome. Bring it on!
And here's another thing: I’d like to share a concept I learned while
attending a recent Queensland Writers Centre Express Year of the Novel Course led by
Veny Armanno. I found the concept useful for analysing plot and simplifying or
distilling a story into a synopsis. The theory, posited by Tony Earley, says
stories need two pieces: The Thing and The Other Thing.
As I understand it, ‘The Thing’ is your story’s central
idea or premise which, on its own, may be interesting or relatively mundane, even
familiar. For example: Girl meets boy and falls for him.
‘The Other Thing’ is the approach, the twist, the extraordinary
thing that gives your story zing, and takes it to another level. For example: The boy is a righteous alien from Krypton and way too busy saving the world from evil to court a brash, female journalist who is forever
getting into trouble, but court her, he does. (Yeah, I'm a fan of Superman. And feel free to jump in on the allegory.)
Not wishing to trample any copyright toes, I tried (unsuccessfully)
to find a link to the originator, Tony Earley. What I found instead was a post by Sharon Pelletier of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC. Sharon explains Earley’s premise in words more-or-less
identical to those in the course notes I received. So I’ve included her link here for
anyone who would like to read more about ‘The Thing and The Other Thing’.
Have any interesting things (or 'Other Things') rocked your world recently?
Mazzy
Adams is an Australian wife, mother, grandmother, creative and academic writing
tutor and published author with a passion for words, pictures and the positive
potential in people.
Website:
www.mazzyadams.com
Email: maz@mazzyadams.com
