Where the Past Meets the Present: The Voyage

Who doesn't love an adventure?

What fun The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis was to read! There were so many twists and turns in the plot - so many challenges that the characters had to face, and so many surprises along the way.

Now, stories are all about adventures and journeys. Sometimes it's more internal than external. The characters can stay in one general location but still face challenges that test their faith, their loyalty, etc. But it can also be quite enjoyable to read about a character(s) going on a real journey - battling dragons (or becoming them), facing the storms, meeting new creatures, and traveling to the end of the world.

So what can you imagine? As you're writing your story, where can you take the characters, and what can you throw in their way? One of "the 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar" says,

"#12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th - get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself."

No matter where you're setting your story, it might help to consider the journey (in whatever form) your characters are taking - and then have fun letting your imagination take flight. Should your character turn into something? Instead of a dragon, perhaps your hero can turn into the villain for a time, or into the favored one, or into someone he/she had never wanted to be. Consider Kenai's transformation in Brother Bear, or the prince's transformation in The Beauty and the Beast, or Cora's transformation into a wealthy socialite in Glamorous Illusions by Lisa Bergren. Or maybe your heroine needs to save the day, like Lucy Pevensie with the Magician's Book. Or maybe your hero needs to see unexplored lands, new constellations, etc.

It really can be fun to ponder the possibilities, can't it? I'm so grateful God gave us language - the ability to read and write and share stories with one another! So have fun on the writing journey, and have fun taking your characters on their journeys/voyages!

If you need some inspiration, I highly recommend reading "the 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar" - and then writing some notes about your own work-in-progress using some of those rules.

(Movie cover image from IMDb.com.)