The Plot

On Sunday, Pastor Brown exhorted us to keep our eyes on God's story and not on our individual stories. That takes on a new meaning now that I have written a short story. It's the advice every how-to book on writing will ever give. First of all, they say, establish a logline. Whose story is it? What is the goal? How does the main character get from point A to point B? After establishing the logline ("It's the story of a _____ who starts out _____ and finally ends up ________), you must paste it on your computer where you can always see it, because keeping in mind the main story is one of the hardest thing for a writer.

My friend Dianna is writing a movie script where four friends embark on a short but adventurous journey to reach an immediate goal. All four need to grow through this journey, but the story is really about one of them, Daniel. Dianna and I meet weekly. She helps me to make some progress on at least one of my innumerable projects, and I give her some feedback on her script. "Is it Daniel's story?" she asks repeatedly.

The focus on the main character and the main plot is ever-present in a writer's mind. I hope my writing experience will make it easier for me to keep my eyes on the ultimate, over-arching plot of humanity: God choosing and preserving a people for Himself and for His glory.