… God has been good.”
This was part of the facebook status of my good good fren (friend) last night.
The 1st four words stood out to me,
My story is long
We can sometimes feel, or be made to feel, like our story is done. Maybe because something terrible has happened. Maybe because the same storyline seems to be on continuous repeat. Maybe because someone’s summary of our story was, it won’t ‘sell’. No market for it.
A story, according to my school English lessons with Ms Acorn, has a beginning, middle, and an end. This is the basic structure of every story. – Song and poetry too actually.
The number of chapters in each section can vary in length and quantity. The time that elapses between them can also vary.
The time span for finishing an entire story can be years. Just ask some writers.
Some stories turn into a series or collection…
Our stories -‘if life spare‘- our long.
So let’s not draw our conclusions based solely on the introduction, or the excerpt on the back cover. Also, maybe don’t be in a rush to see what’s at the end. I know people who just like to jump to the last chapter when they read a book.
Give time to the character development of the main person or persons in your story. Note of the nuances. Journey with them through the narrative. So much can change from one chapter to the next. Giving context, understanding etc. to the rest of the story.
A story still unfolding, that’s our story. That’s our lives..