The Story In Life

Life Is A Story

And each of us can be the hero in our story of life — through all the incidents and obstacles, and how we overcome them. Or not.

We’re wired for story because that’s what our lives are.

And writers create stories with the same journey points we face in our lives.

Character Or Plot — Which Comes First?

Some stories begin with the writer forming a character. A character whose life experiences have left him with some hard knocks that need to be healed. From there, the writer dreams of the external events (plot) that would bring the character to launch on a path that hopefully heals the character in some way.

Other stories begin when the writer creates some event (or a series of events) that they feel is a viable plot. Then, they formulate a character who would logically be in that situation, and develop how that character can heal and change.

As I mentioned in How Do Writers Get Ideas?, the elements of character, plot, and setting, are essential for a rich, compelling story.

After initial brainstorming, creating the story arc is the next step.

Just as in real life, some events are more difficult than others. And the goal of the writer is to keep throwing “What’s the worst thing that could happen right now?” at the character until all seems lost, and then have the character decide to fight, instead of giving up or giving in.

Story Arc

In every compelling story, external troubles (plot) trigger the point-of-view (POV) character’s internal struggles (character journey).

Here’s the structure of the story in life — and in stories about a POV’s life:

— Normal World: What is the POV character like when the story begins?

— Inciting Incident: Something happens that disrupts the POV’s world in a way that pokes at hurts from past events.

— Great Debate: The character debates what he has to do to restore his normal world.

— Obstacles and Escalating Events: Once on the quest, the POV faces hurdles he has to overcome to succeed.

— Climax: Things get worse until the POV realizes he has to either fight to win, or quit and lose.

— Final Battle: As the POV faces his enemy, a compelling story has points where it seems as if he’s winning, and then losing, but then the POV rallies and wins.

— Resolution and New World: Even though the POV may lose something, insight and healing of some kind are gained, and he is in his new normal world.

Our Story In Life

At any moment, each of us is at some journey point of the story in life. And while there may be big events, there are small blips in the road, too. From illness to flat tires, the elements of the story arc seem to repeat in our lives.

My prayer for all of us is that we are the hero in our life story. That we keep moving on the journey and keep fighting for what is right. And that win or lose, some insight and healing are gained with every new normal.

What helps you be the hero in your story arc?

The Story In Life – What helps you be the hero in your story arc? Share on X

Joni Vance is an award-winning author of fiction, essay, and poetry. She loves mystery, history, and how God reveals Himself every day.

May God reveal the mystery of His love in your life story.