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It’s true. Songs are basically just compact stories, or at least sometimes. Other times they are a heart crying out their feelings to the world. That’s more often what my songs are.
Wow, I can’t even imagine not having snow! Well that’s not true. I can, but I don’t like the idea of it. 😛 Haha. My extended family is mostly in Ohio, so when we go there for Christmas it hardly ever snows as well and is rather depressing in my opinion. We have sleet a few times in the winter as well, but not usually so bad as to be a couple inches thick.
Gotcha. Well that’s cool too! I sing for fun all the time as well and I love it. 🙂 Yes, it is definitely a confidence boost! xD The first few times I helped the youth team I was super nervous, but then I got used to it. And then I was basically pushed into the worship leader position, so then I had to talk in front of the congregation! That’s way worse than singing, because you have to think of some way to greet everyone and it’s not super fun. xP But I’m used to that now as well, though I still don’t like it. But yes, it’s certainly made me grow in confidence over the years.
It’s so true! Half of making a song go to it’s full potential is putting emotion in it. My teacher tells me that all the time, but it really is sometimes hard to “put” yourself into the song. It takes practice to be able to do it and do it well. Music is indeed a mystery, but that’s why it’s so amazing and beautiful. 🙂
Thanks! It’s been hard to write because I’m not super great at writing, but it’s been satisfying getting the story written down.
Haha, I think I got the gist. xD You really do write in all sorts of categories! I’ve basically written short stories, stories, poems, and songs. And only medieval fiction and speculative fiction for my stories.
Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. -JRR Tolkien
Oh, by the way, I love your profile picture. 😀 My family and I just finished watching the Lord of the Rings, so it’s now on my mind more than usual. Memes are the best, so it’s a nice combination.
Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. -JRR Tolkien
So, to answer your question more directly, yes, it can work. Romances are difficult to write but oh so rewarding when done well, and a worthwhile challenge to undertake. I have a lot of thoughts and they are connected somewhere between loosely and strongly, so bear with me if this gets a bit ramble-y XD Also forgive me if some of what I say is redundant because you are already aware of it… also because this is another long post of mine, lol, I really don’t do things halfway…
Thank you for writing this all out! It’s super helpful and I’m very happy with what you wrote, I don’t think it’s rambling at all. Your advice is amazingly good, thanks you so much, my intentions are much clearer now 🙂
Romances are fantastic, and they speak most clearly of the unfallen world we were all intended to be a part of. Where many romances fall short is the depiction of our true human ugliness and mess, and that is before combining arcs (such as romance and redemption). The more I think about it, the more I feel that all romances, fictionalized or real, are all also tragedies and redemption arcs. Because it is in the nature of romance to bring to light our greatest flaws, and where there is the greatest hope there is the greatest struggles. In or efforts to love or be loved our most fundamental brokenness is exposed and gives us the choice to either succumb to that pain or heal from it. In this way, true Love has much more to do with choice than attraction, and every good love story is a battle – always internal and sometimes external – to achieve that prize that comes from the union of two that are greater than the two separate. I guess one of my points here is to remember that this romance (no matter how it goes) will first and foremost be a redemption arc for her first; if the struggle is one-sided, then so is the character growth, and she is your main character (we will get into more of this later).
That’s a beautiful way to put it Fitz 🙂 Couldn’t have said it better myself. And thats rather strange to think that its more about choice than attraction. I need to remember that 🙂
The first question that comes to my mind is whether or not you want this romance to be true love or not. It sounds like his attraction to her is earnest and not a deception, but we will all experience many attractions throughout our lives while very few of them qualify for a lasting relationship. Even if it isn’t meant to be lead into a permanent relationship, there is still a lot of (mostly untapped) room for character growth in a romance that isn’t true love. I will get more into that later, but one benefit that a story of temporary romance can bring is a sense of raw realism, since we have all been there before and growing from that experience alone is worthwhile.
So it definitely isn’t temporary, it is a true love thing XD. I have planned this love story for far too long for it to just to be reduced to a temporary relationship lol
Next (and this isn’t meant to be patronizing), there is a pretty big difference between attraction and chemistry. Initial attraction is an easy thing, but true chemistry comes from the nature of our characters. Many books and big budget movies fall into this trap where because the pretty main characters are in proximity of one another they must fall in love, without ever giving a thought as to why they would in the first place. People often have chemistry with those that are complimentary with one another in ways that are both similar and challenging. In my own life, I have found that those I have had the most chemistry with are not only those who “click” with me, but also hold traits that I admire that I might not have myself and who challenge me in some way. If you first create two characters who are yin/yang in that way, then a romance between them will happen naturally.
Right! Gotta know the difference between attraction and chemistry, thanks for the reminder! Generally, they fall in love because they enjoy being around one another, even though they don’t really want to admit it. They just ‘click’. They love and appreciate the same music, culture and arts. He loves listening to her sing, she loves listening to him tell stories. Most of all they have a great respect towards one another.
One very important consideration with a redemption arc of this nature is to be very honest about how bad are the bad guys. The more evil they are, the less likely their redemption will be, the harder they will need to struggle, and the more difficult it will be to write. I am not sure if the romantic interest is one of the dark druids, but if he is, I would have a very hard time believing a fully fledged member trying to bring back literal Satan would have a change of heart outside of miraculous intervention. There are also serious practical limitations regarding someone in that state of emotional, mental, and spiritual health that can’t be ignored, even if they are making honest efforts to heal. If he is new, and the degree of ignorance is high for initiates, this can give some wiggle room. This does, however, bring up another point regarding the use of powers in this world. The difference between the two magic systems, as you have described, seems pretty black and white. If he is trying to help her then he will use the tool he has at his disposal, if that tool is evil he runs into a ‘fruit of the poisonous tree’ problem where the use of evil, even in an attempt for good, will come at a cost. Costs of this nature will always infect and corrupt his good intentions until he is willing to give them up: to choose honest powerlessness over self-deceptive belief in his own empowerment. Those moments of course make fantastic scenes of real redemption; I just want to be honest about the pitfalls I see in the undertaking. But the greater the challenge the greater the reward.
Yeah that’s definitely true. At the beginning my character was definitely a more fully-fledged villain but I realised at some point that I couldn’t make him, like say, Kylo Ren from Star wars. I mean at the end of the day, Kylo Ren is a mass murderer and while he does redeem himself and get the girl (sort of), none of that changes what he did. Without revealing anything, my ‘villain’ is more of an anti-hero. He focuses on whether or not something will benefit him or his goals. And yeah I think at this point, those Dark Druids can’t be saved, because of how far they have gone to the dark side. So I will definitely keep that in mind. And I also think the ‘fruit of the poisonous tree’ has real potential. I already have a scene in mind hehe XD
Another thought that comes to mind is something that is so often overlooked in romantic redemption arcs, yet we see it fairly commonly in Christian circles: changing for someone else. The need for acceptance and love within humans is a terrible and strong force, and we are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get it. It is all too common for someone to try and change themselves for someone else; especially when what is on the line is romantic love. This need is a double-edged sword as it can be the catalyst for change, but any change we make for someone else and not ourselves is temporary at best. This means, practically speaking for your character, that there is going to have to be some point where he is going to have to make that decision for himself: that he wants to be a better man because he wants it, not because she will love him if he does. This sorting of different emotions and desires is predictably and wonderfully messy. If the relationship isn’t meant to be permanent, then this moment can be both more dramatic and clear: if he is never going to be with her, does he still want to change? If the relationship is supposed to be permanent, this moment still needs to happen, but sorting it out will be more nuanced and will still probably come after a fight and at the risk of losing the relationship. Further, even if he solidly decides to change for himself at the start, interconnection with someone else on a romantic level will still add some human mess to that equation, even if they are overall a very positive reinforcement.
Yeah that’s true. Thanks for reminding me about that. Initially I had this idea that he wants to be a better man for her and become worthy for her, and that’s why he mends his ways, but now I think she should only be a large stepping stone in his path of redemption. Their relationship is going to be permanent I think, but you’re correct in that would he want to change at all if it ended? It does end on a few occasions because of complications within the relationship, so above all, he changes because he wants to change and reject his darkness.
But like I said earlier, she is your main character, not him, and her character arc is the most important one of the story. So what does this all mean for her? Simply to have her character flaws manifest during some of the stages of the unfolding story. When she initially meets this (masked?) man, does she resent his assistance past the point of worthy suspicion? Or does she trust him way to fast, through either naivety or budding attraction to his mysterious nature? Once his old (or current) allegiances come to light, does she turn on him with a hatred and vengeance that surpasses his actual betrayal? Does she isolate herself from others, either unwilling to trust anyone anymore or from his betrayal triggering an older and deeper wound she has yet to confront? How long does it take her to trust that his intentions are sincere, and what does it take to convince her? How is trust rebuilt? Does the question of him changing for her enter her mind, and if so, does that play into fantasy of hers or does she realize he needs to change for himself? If the relationship is temporary, do they manage to rebuild a friendship along the way or leave with hurt feelings remaining even if they are no longer enemies? These are all just a bunch of ideas to play with, and seeing what you (or other creators) do with them are the parts of stories that get me the most excited.
That’s true, I’ll need focus on why it matters to my heroine. Sadly I don’t ask myself simple questions enough lol.
As for the mechanics, such as the plot twist element, I would honestly worry about it too much. The actual surprise/shock value is the easiest to rewrite or modify in the editing phase, and the least important aspect of it. The two big pointers regarding it is A) Do not lie to the reader: it is easy to get a surprise out of the audience if you pull the rug out from under them, but those surprises are cheap and break any expectation of honesty between you and them. It is ok to mislead the audience, so long as you are misleading them with either truth or the lack of a complete picture. B) Keep everything else around the plot twist authentic: the true impact of a plot twist doesn’t come with the surprise, but the impact on the story and the characters therein. I have enjoyed plot twists that were spoiled because they were so important to the story, and important plot twists are enjoyable even rereads.
Hmm – mislead the reader. Thanks! I’ll remember that for sure! And I’ll make sure the plot twists are important to the story 🙂 Thank you so much for all this advice, this is fantastic XD
Dear Neasa and Fitz,
I have very much enjoyed this conversation. Fitz, you have provided some excellent advice. Too often real people mistake this simple truth between humans:
“Love is in the earning, not in the yearning.”We are too often attracted to people and things that are the most harmful to us.
I think the Florence Nightingale illusion has too often blinded young women, in that they believe they can rescue the poor misguided boy by their love. To me, that is a false saviour complex that is a formula for disaster.
Christ loved us in our ugliness, but He never compromised His values in His pursuit of us. The temptation and the lure are to think we can, by human effort hold fast to our values and virtue and “redeem” the rogue, by our compromise.
That is why we are told to love our Saviour in the most supreme way, making it seem like we hate all other relationships by comparison. (See Luke 14:26)2 Corinthians 6:14 tells us not to “yoke” together with non-believers, meaning enter into a relationship of joined purposes that so bind us with the other, that we cannot easily separate. Yielding our heart, our romantic feelings, to one who serves darkness is not in keeping with God’s command:
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. [Proverbs 4:23 NIV]
It too often grieves me that Christian girls run after the bad boys, but it tells me something about them when they do:
They don’t put their love for Jesus in the primary seat in their own heart.
I know these statements are not going to win me any points and are difficult to hear for some, but I cannot keep silent when I see yet another precious child fall into this entrapment even in stories. Hollywood has so brutalized the hearts of women with its false messaging in myriad “romantic” stories.
To me, I want to see a story of romance in that the heroine seeks reflections of her most cherished lover (Jesus) in the tarnished mirror of her purported love interest. She is not to be his savior. She may give kindness to an enemy or a deceived person, but if she is to be the one that readers empathize with, let us not give a false picture of where an attraction to darkness leads. If she follows that path she will need “divine intervention” to get her out of its ensnared morass.More often, and more realistic is what you said Fitz, the change and redemption arc needs to be personal for the “villain” or anti-hero, without the lure of “the prize”. God doesn’t bribe us into His Kingdom. He invites, but will ultimately give one their choice. To be with Him or to be separated from Him. The fact that true separation from Him results in Hell is beside the point. The god (Satan) of this age has blinded the eyes to that most certain reality. (2 Cor. 4:4)
A woman’s love is insufficient to make a man good. It takes a sincere faith and connection to The Vine to do that. Once an evil man receives and secures the love of a “good woman” he knows she is “yoked” to him and he will revert back to what he naturally knows and that is the patterns of his prior self, and like it or not she will be drawn into his patterns by the chains of her desire for him.
My dad is a pastor and we have seen this tragic pattern play out over and over again with “good girls” raised in the faith.
James 1:17 says: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”Young women need to think about this and internalize it in their “romantic notions”.
The thing they need to asks themselves about any suitor they are considering for a romantic relationship is this:
If God is the source of all good gifts, is this the kind of man God would choose to give me as a mate that would lead me into a life seeking God’s kingdom?
If the answer is no. She needs to consider well if she is seeking to define “good” by her own definitions or by God’s, and realize only He knows what a future with this person might bring.
I do love you both and I pray that God’s wisdom will lead you and enlighten you in all the gifts that He has given you. Pray for wisdom. Don’t take my words, seek Him in all things, and especially in matters of the heart.
Brian Stansell (aka O'Brian of the Surface World)
I was born in war.
Fighting from my first breath.It’s true. Songs are basically just compact stories, or at least sometimes. Other times they are a heart crying out their feelings to the world. That’s more often what my songs are.Isn’t that what stories are, just with a lot more context? XD
Wow, I can’t even imagine not having snow! Well that’s not true. I can, but I don’t like the idea of it. Haha. My extended family is mostly in Ohio, so when we go there for Christmas it hardly ever snows as well and is rather depressing in my opinion. We have sleet a few times in the winter as well, but not usually so bad as to be a couple inches thick.It may sound weird, but I kinda get it. Sun for so long gets boring. I had a teacher in highschool who was originally from New York, and she couldn’t understand how excited and energized her students got when there was rain, lol.
That’s way worse than singing, because you have to think of some way to greet everyone and it’s not super fun. xP But I’m used to that now as well, though I still don’t like it. But yes, it’s certainly made me grow in confidence over the years.That’s good! Honestly, I am much better at speaking in front of crowds than I am singing in front of even one person. I know how to project my voice when talking, but when trying to sing I get nervous and my throat gets all tight and it is hard to ‘go for it’ in the way that singing requires.
It’s so true! Half of making a song go to it’s full potential is putting emotion in it. My teacher tells me that all the time, but it really is sometimes hard to “put” yourself into the song. It takes practice to be able to do it and do it well. Music is indeed a mystery, but that’s why it’s so amazing and beautiful.I often times find myself singing a song differently than the way it was originally arranged because the words don’t match the tempo/sound, or because I find my heart singing it more as a heart cry. I listen to a lot of metal, so I often turn songs more into a rock ballad than a true metal vocals (even if I can sorta sing them), lol. Do you even find yourself doing that? Just kinda letting loose and singing a song however you feel like?
Thanks! It’s been hard to write because I’m not super great at writing, but it’s been satisfying getting the story written down.That is what practice and editing is for! How far along are you in the story?
Haha, I think I got the gist. xD You really do write in all sorts of categories! I’ve basically written short stories, stories, poems, and songs. And only medieval fiction and speculative fiction for my stories.I would say I have tried many categories, I am far from prolific, however, lol.
I started with poems, I like how they are songs that can be as long or short as you want (and you don’t have to sing XD). So what were your short stories/fiction about?
Oh, by the way, I love your profile picture. My family and I just finished watching the Lord of the Rings, so it’s now on my mind more than usual. Memes are the best, so it’s a nice combination.haha, I’m glad you enjoy it! I was looking through the pictures on my computer to try and find one I liked and I saw this one and knew it was perfect XD
Thank you for writing this all out! It’s super helpful and I’m very happy with what you wrote, I don’t think it’s rambling at all. Your advice is amazingly good, thanks you so much, my intentions are much clearer nowYou are very welcome ^_^ I am glad you found it helpful.
So it definitely isn’t temporary, it is a true love thing XD. I have planned this love story for far too long for it to just to be reduced to a temporary relationship lolhaha, fair enough!
Yeah that’s definitely true. At the beginning my character was definitely a more fully-fledged villain but I realised at some point that I couldn’t make him, like say, Kylo Ren from Star wars. I mean at the end of the day, Kylo Ren is a mass murderer and while he does redeem himself and get the girl (sort of), none of that changes what he did. Without revealing anything, my ‘villain’ is more of an anti-hero. He focuses on whether or not something will benefit him or his goals. And yeah I think at this point, those Dark Druids can’t be saved, because of how far they have gone to the dark side. So I will definitely keep that in mind. And I also think the ‘fruit of the poisonous tree’ has real potential. I already have a scene in mind hehe XDKylo Ren is a good example of how not to write a redemption arc, lol. And I love it when I give people ideas XD
That’s true, I’ll need focus on why it matters to my heroine. Sadly I don’t ask myself simple questions enough lol.You know, that’s ok. That is what this forum and the editing process are for. We are all human, with our own gifting’s and blind spots, and we all could support now and then ^_^ I am very glad my advice has been helpful.
On that note, I did finish up the last bit of my critique on the previous page, if you are interested.
While I appreciate your concern, your energy here is misplaced. This is a forum for Christian writers to write about characters – characters that can encompass the entire scope of humanity. This is not a forum dedicated to Christian relationship advice, nor was such advice asked, do not turn this into something it isn’t.
Hi Fitz,
Per your quote…
This is not a forum dedicated to Christian relationship advice, nor was such advice asked, do not turn this into something it isn’t.
…this is not what I intended, however, since we are Christian writers here, we do want to consider the messages we are sending even in our fiction. It is time we stopped flirting with the world’s ideas of romance and took a good look at the real thing. I have been married for twenty-one years. I do think we need to take a look at what makes lasting relationships work from people who live it rather than just pontificate on the subject. I know we need to reframe the lenses that have brought us to the point where more people shack up than are married in this country. I think it has damaged a lot of people trying to follow the notions of romance that popular movies offer, instead of getting back to a relationship that puts God in the center.
We do need to get those things straight if we are ever to hope to offer something different and positive to the world, we are accountable to reach. Many young people in the churches of our country do not seem to know what the model of a God-honoring courtship is. Look at the level of compromise out there that ends in infidelity, divorce, and so many other problems.
If we are going to include romance, let’s look at it from God’s point of view. Not opinion. Look at the love story in the Song of Solomon. Do you think that was included as an afterthought? Why does Jesus compare His relationship with the Church (the Bride of Christ) and courtship and marriage, if we are not to learn from that model? Romance can no longer be compartmentalized into the secular model if it is to endure. Husbands are charged to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it.
One cannot woo and esteem another as more important than themselves if they do not first honor the One who gives them the capability to love that way sacrificially. You want to know why so many marriages fail? Selfishness. Plain and simple. In courtship, the two lovers seek the good of the other, in marriage, too often the spouses forget that and figure that they each “have” the other to serve their needs and passion. This is what leads to dissatisfaction in so many marriages. The two no longer feel wanted, cherished, and appreciated by the other, as they did before making the vows. The attitudes change to reveal the selfishness, they no longer have to hide. This is what is so frustrating about romance writers, even well-meaning ones. They are caught up in the idea that “human love conquers all”. It doesn’t. It fails miserably. If a man, however, loves the Lord first, He becomes empowered to love his mate in such a way that honors her, raises her, and leads her in love by his example, rather than waiting for her to services his desires. When she feels cherished, you will find that her love blossoms as beautifully as any rose, and she can trust the man who loves her and keeps her secrets, and endeavors to bring her good through his labors of love.
We can no longer compartmentalize our secular life from our spiritual life and remain consistent in either or even sane.
God wants unity and consistency. Word and deed should match. God didn’t make a secular world and a spiritual world to be mutually exclusive. He wants it to unify in Him. The tragedy of the Garden of Eden was man’s separation from God. Let bring romance back into His model again. He created the wonders and beauty of it.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. [Ephesians 5:25-27 NKJV]
Brian Stansell (aka O'Brian of the Surface World)
I was born in war.
Fighting from my first breath.Hi Fitz,
I wanted to point out some of your very fine statements:
Because it is in the nature of romance to bring to light our greatest flaws, and where there is the greatest hope there is the greatest struggles. In or efforts to love or be loved our most fundamental brokenness is exposed and gives us the choice to either succumb to that pain or heal from it. In this way, true Love has much more to do with choice than attraction, and every good love story is a battle – always internal and sometimes external – to achieve that prize that comes from the union of two that are greater than the two separate.
Those particular words “true Love has much more to do with choice than attraction” are very insightful and needed.
Another very insightful statement:
It sounds like his attraction to her is earnest and not a deception, but we will all experience many attractions throughout our lives while very few of them qualify for a lasting relationship.
I know you are talking about a fictional character here, but all fiction must be grounded in a deeper understanding of truth and the honest pitfalls of human nature. This statement shows you do acknowledge that, and I applaud you for making it.
Here is another powerful and insightful quote from the conversation:
It is all too common for someone to try and change themselves for someone else; especially when what is on the line is romantic love. This need is a double-edged sword as it can be the catalyst for change, but any change we make for someone else and not ourselves is temporary at best. This means, practically speaking for your character, that there is going to have to be some point where he is going to have to make that decision for himself: that he wants to be a better man because he wants it, not because she will love him if he does. This sorting of different emotions and desires is predictably and wonderfully messy. If the relationship isn’t meant to be permanent, then this moment can be both more dramatic and clear: if he is never going to be with her, does he still want to change? If the relationship is supposed to be permanent, this moment still needs to happen, but sorting it out will be more nuanced and will still probably come after a fight and at the risk of losing the relationship. Further, even if he solidly decides to change for himself at the start, interconnection with someone else on a romantic level will still add some human mess to that equation, even if they are overall a very positive reinforcement.
It is all too common for someone to try and change themselves for someone else; especially when what is on the line is romantic love. This need is a double-edged sword as it can be the catalyst for change, but any change we make for someone else and not ourselves is temporary at best. This means, practically speaking for your character, that there is going to have to be some point where he is going to have to make that decision for himself: that he wants to be a better man because he wants it, not because she will love him if he does. This sorting of different emotions and desires is predictably and wonderfully messy. If the relationship isn’t meant to be permanent, then this moment can be both more dramatic and clear: if he is never going to be with her, does he still want to change? If the relationship is supposed to be permanent, this moment still needs to happen, but sorting it out will be more nuanced and will still probably come after a fight and at the risk of losing the relationship. Further, even if he solidly decides to change for himself at the start, interconnection with someone else on a romantic level will still add some human mess to that equation, even if they are overall a very positive reinforcement.
It is all too common for someone to try and change themselves for someone else; especially when what is on the line is romantic love. This need is a double-edged sword as it can be the catalyst for change, but any change we make for someone else and not ourselves is temporary at best. This means, practically speaking for your character, that there is going to have to be some point where he is going to have to make that decision for himself: that he wants to be a better man because he wants it, not because she will love him if he does. This sorting of different emotions and desires is predictably and wonderfully messy. If the relationship isn’t meant to be permanent, then this moment can be both more dramatic and clear: if he is never going to be with her, does he still want to change? If the relationship is supposed to be permanent, this moment still needs to happen, but sorting it out will be more nuanced and will still probably come after a fight and at the risk of losing the relationship. Further, even if he solidly decides to change for himself at the start, interconnection with someone else on a romantic level will still add some human mess to that equation, even if they are overall a very positive reinforcement.
You have struck the chord, my friend. This is a vital point, but too often it gets cluttered by the compromising female character. The male interest MUST make a genuine decision to choose the path of virtue for himself, even if it means losing his female love-interest.
We are talking about characters here, but there is a very real subtext of comparative to real-life people. That is my point. We do have to acknowledge a worldview and perspective on romance, ESPECIALLY because we are called to depict God’s viewpoint somewhere in our works as Co-Creators with Him. Otherwise, our writing ceases to be redemptive and is yet another offering of compromise with the prevailing “popular” standards of the world at large.
When I see these things, I cannot help but seek to align them with God’s revealed truth, gained by the study of scripture.
Who gave men and women their bodies, and their psychological differences, but God? Isn’t it necessary to seek His intention for how He wants those differences, expressions, desires, and needs to be complementary and mutually beneficial under His guidance?
God defines Love by His example, not by our assumptions of what Love is.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. [Matthew 16:25 KJV]
Love is becoming a sacrificial servant to the one you desire.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. [John 15:13 KJV]
This is what is lost in so many “romances”. It has become orphaned from this concept and that is why we Christian writers must get it right even in our own works.
You have made some great points, but they need to be coupled with the larger concepts too.
Brian Stansell (aka O'Brian of the Surface World)
I was born in war.
Fighting from my first breath.Haha, ya, I guess that’s exactly what stories are too. xD So I suppose the only differences between songs and stories are that songs have music and are shorter.
xD That’s hilarious! We don’t get much rain in the summer, which makes so the forest gets really dry. There are often forest fires in the summer because of it, and last summer, my whole town and the ones surrounding it got evacuated because of one that was out of control for a while.
So we’re opposite! I find it much harder public speaking than singing, or at least now that I’ve been singing in front of people for years. Though it’s always singing with other people, so I’m backed up. So it’s not quite the same as public speaking for me, since with public speaking, I don’t have backups.
Sometimes I change up songs a bit, but mostly just by sliding into the notes or adding little trills here and there. Nothing major. But I guess that’s my way of changing them, versus changing them a lot when I sing them. It’s cool that you do that though. I don’t listen to metal at all, though my brother listens to some, along with rock, so I hear it sometimes. But I generally like listening to Christian worship music, some pop, and a bunch of other types that I’m not sure what you’d call. 😛
It is indeed! I’ve definitely gotten better since I started writing a few years ago, so even though I don’t feel amazing or anything, it’s nice looking back and seeing the progress. I’m actually considering starting a blog soon. Or as soon as I sit down and take the time to set it up and everything. xP I’ve been really busy lately. I’m actually on the very last scene in my story! I have been for a while, since I haven’t taken much time for writing lately, but I’m hoping to finish it in the next week.
Haha, okay. I guess it would be hard to be prolific in that many genres! xD
I’ve really only just begun in the past year to start writing quite a bit, so I haven’t written many stories or anything. My short stories are most the time about funny things that have happened in my life, which I like sharing with my friends and family. And as for my longer stories, there have really only been… *counts* …three, I think. One was medieval that I was writing with a friend, where two princesses get kidnapped by this evil prince from another country and there was a war where the evil prince was trying to take over the continent. He didn’t succeed, and in the end the princesses escape, but there really wasn’t much point to the story (as far as my princess was concerned), so we ended up dropping it. Another was a medieval story about a young man, a boy, and a little girl who get entangled in a war without even realizing it at first, and end up getting separated in the middle of the war. Then at the end, they find each other and the good guys overthrow the evil king ruling the kingdom. (Seeing a theme of war here? xP I don’t even like writing about war, but it just sort of happened.) I ended up ditching this story at the beginning because I was never really into it. And the last and current one I’m writing is a speculative fiction that I believe I already told you about. xD
Cool! I love memes in general, but especially memes from movies like Lord of the Rings. xD
Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. -JRR Tolkien
Haha, ya, I guess that’s exactly what stories are too. xD So I suppose the only differences between songs and stories are that songs have music and are shorter.Pretty much, unless you are Tolkein, then half of your story is song anyway XD.
xD That’s hilarious! We don’t get much rain in the summer, which makes so the forest gets really dry. There are often forest fires in the summer because of it, and last summer, my whole town and the ones surrounding it got evacuated because of one that was out of control for a while.Yeah, every few years California decides to spontaneously combust. Never had to evac myself, but I was right below the line that did, and I have seen the fires crawl across the mountains right next to us.
So we’re opposite! I find it much harder public speaking than singing, or at least now that I’ve been singing in front of people for years. Though it’s always singing with other people, so I’m backed up. So it’s not quite the same as public speaking for me, since with public speaking, I don’t have backups.I have a really hard time projecting/hearing my own voice with a group, in top of being nervous, so singing with other other people is the worst of both worlds for me XD To be clear, if I am speaking like in a presentation, I can get nervous and my voice will speed up. But between my large family and being raised by a marine, general interactions with a crowd come naturally to me.
Sometimes I change up songs a bit, but mostly just by sliding into the notes or adding little trills here and there. Nothing major. But I guess that’s my way of changing them, versus changing them a lot when I sing them. It’s cool that you do that though. I don’t listen to metal at all, though my brother listens to some, along with rock, so I hear it sometimes. But I generally like listening to Christian worship music, some pop, and a bunch of other types that I’m not sure what you’d call.It’s kinda fun to play with the sounds and style’s that way, you should try it XD I listen to a lot of different music, EDM, hip-hop/rap, metal (heavy, symphonic, power…), rock (classic, soft, hard, alternative…) classical, jazz, swing/big-band, oldies, folk/world (which includes sea shanties)… Honestly, the only kind of music I don’t like is anything that is too discordant (such as death metal or some of the harder dubstep) or that is simply too crass (which, unfortunately includes a lot of rap). If you give me an example of what song you listen to, I can <i>probably</i> tell you its genre, lol.
It is indeed! I’ve definitely gotten better since I started writing a few years ago, so even though I don’t feel amazing or anything, it’s nice looking back and seeing the progress. I’m actually considering starting a blog soon. Or as soon as I sit down and take the time to set it up and everything. xP I’ve been really busy lately. I’m actually on the very last scene in my story! I have been for a while, since I haven’t taken much time for writing lately, but I’m hoping to finish it in the next week.Hey, that is super exciting! Congratulations! And it is ok to take your time, especially in this stage.
I ended up ditching this story at the beginning because I was never really into it. And the last and current one I’m writing is a speculative fiction that I believe I already told you about. xDThere have been a lot of projects I have dropped and haven’t finished, but they all still improved and developed my own skill along the way.
No kidding! He does have a lot of songs in his stories, but I sorta like it. If they’re too long then it gets sorta boring, but I like the uniqueness of it.
Wow, that would be so weird to actually see the fires! I saw the place that is only about ten minutes out of town where the fire went through and burned just about everything, and it looks so barren. Everything is black, though the undergrowth is starting to come up slowly.
I can get that. When I sing at church, I have an ear bud in my left ear, so I can hear myself singing and hear the piano to make sure I’m getting the right chords. Haha. Okay, gotcha. I’m okay in big groups as well, but more because I’m very extroverted and am often one to instigate things in group settings, so I’ve learned (some at least) how to get everyone’s attention in big groups. Mostly of my friends.
Wow, you really are a guy of many genres, both in music and writing. xD Do you read as many different genres as you listen to? I guess I listen to some Christian pop, a bit of country, some folk/alternative, and worship music, for the most part. And I also love listening to soundtracks from movies with really awesome music while I do stuff. Have you ever heard of Hans Zimmer? He has some of my favourite music ever! And a bunch of other people too. xP
Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. -JRR Tolkien
Accidentally posted the other one before I was done answering your previous post. xP
Ya, I’m excited, even though I haven’t done much for it yet. I have a friend who’s been blogging for a few years now and I love her blog, so I’ll definitely get her to help me a lot. I agree. It would be better for me to take my time and have everything set up and ready to roll than rush myself and not know what I’m doing next. Haha
It’s true. If I think of my abandoned stories as still helping me improve my skills versus stories that I left in the dust, that’s a lot more positive. xD Haha
Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. -JRR Tolkien
Hey, sorry for the long wait for the reply, life has been nuts for me lately.
No kidding! He does have a lot of songs in his stories, but I sorta like it. If they’re too long then it gets sorta boring, but I like the uniqueness of it.Yep, it should also be noted (though it rarely is from what I have seen) that he also makes special note of food at times. Both food and song are such a large part of a culture that we are blind to it until we go into another culture see how they are different. And, as a man who loved language (that is also inextricably linked to culture), I think he loved song and poetry for both the linguistical aspects and how they informed the culture and world he loved building.
Wow, that would be so weird to actually see the fires! I saw the place that is only about ten minutes out of town where the fire went through and burned just about everything, and it looks so barren. Everything is black, though the undergrowth is starting to come up slowly.Yeah, it isn’t uncommon to be driving along the freeway and see swathes of charred plant husks from the brush and wild fires. I do love how green it gets when it starts growing back (as long as the fire wasn’t too bad)
Wow, you really are a guy of many genres, both in music and writing. xD Do you read as many different genres as you listen to? I guess I listen to some Christian pop, a bit of country, some folk/alternative, and worship music, for the most part. And I also love listening to soundtracks from movies with really awesome music while I do stuff. Have you ever heard of Hans Zimmer? He has some of my favourite music ever! And a bunch of other people too. xPFunny enough, I am not much of a reader. Reading takes energy for me to do, I think it is because I grew up with dyslexia so that part of my brain didn’t get as strong as some other people. Instead I tend to take in a lot of movies or shows, (as long as they are decent), and in that regard I will enjoy pretty much anything that isn’t horror.
Oh, I forgot about country! I am not into much of the contemporary country, but I gew up listening to Cash, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Marty Robins etc… and today I tend to like ‘dark’ country, which is country with a bit of blues-y rock and bluegrass thrown in. Soundtracks can be amazing, if a bit up and down in tempo (since they are needed during all the emotional scenes of a movie). Hans Zimmer is great, but John Williams will always be my favorite XD You can also check out video game soundtracks, I would highly recommend any of the latest three elder scrolls games (skyrim, oblivion, or morrowind), as well as he original halo. Oh, and if you like epic trailer music for movies, check out Two Steps from Hell, they have some truly amazing stuff.
Ya, I’m excited, even though I haven’t done much for it yet. I have a friend who’s been blogging for a few years now and I love her blog, so I’ll definitely get her to help me a lot. I agree. It would be better for me to take my time and have everything set up and ready to roll than rush myself and not know what I’m doing next. HahaI am glad you have a friend to help during the process. I would love to read the story btw, if you are interested in sharing!
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