I
loved the story of the Three Little Pigs when I was a child. I had several
versions of the book ranging from a small paperback to an A4 hard cover in full
colour. The large version was by far my favourite with its vibrant illustrations
and easy to read text. I was happy to read it over and over, and committed the
story to memory.
When I started writing years later, I didn’t want to rehash the story of
the pigs - or any other book. I spent hours pondering plots and trying to come
up with something fresh and original. It took me a few years to realise the
truth in what Solomon pointed out in Ecclesiastes 1:9. "What has
been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is
nothing new under the sun.”
As writers, we must accept that there are a limited number of plots out
there. We want our work to be original, fresh, and exciting but must realise
that our story will be one that has been told before in many ways and many
places. The way we put our words across is what will make the difference.
Going back to the Three Little Pigs, I liked the A4 book as it held the
most appeal to my six-year old mind. I loved the full-page artwork, the cute
cartoon pigs, and colours that drew me in. The text was crisp and clear and the
story flowed well, leading me from page to page until the big bad wolf ended up
in a pot of boiling water.
As we work on our books, no matter what the genre, let’s ask God to
breathe freshness into the story. Allow Him to inspire us with
nuances of emotion, threads of colour and characters that stand out. Ask Him for stories that will prompt change, healing and restoration. This is
normally a process rather than an overnight transformation but keep on writing
and creating. One day you'll look down at your work and instead of a basic
story that lacks colour and movement, you'll see a book bursting with life.
