Many of my stories
are based on events in my life. My stories aren’t driven by these experiences,
but by the emotions they elicit. Writing about these memories from the heart
means my feelings will form the heart of the story. If I can tap into these
emotions, then my tales will touch my readers. They may not have experienced a
similar event, but I know they will
have experienced the same emotions.
My readers
want to be immersed in my fictional world. They want to identify with my
protagonist—or perhaps, they favour the antagonist. Therefore, I need to create
characters my readers can become emotionally invested in. Then what touches my
characters’ hearts will also move the hearts of my readers. They will see the
world through her eyes; feel what she feels. For instance, they may never have
experienced skydiving, but they want to feel the adrenaline rush, the emotional
high, the heart-pounding fear my character feels as she steps out of the plane
into the void of space, putting her faith in a skimpy piece of nylon.
Whether my
readers will be drawn into and emotionally satisfied by this scene depends
solely on my skill as a writer. You see, I’ve never actually parachuted from a
plane, but that needn’t stop me from creating a spellbinding scene. Remember,
it’s not the events but the feelings that are at the heart of the story. So to
make it believable, I’ll need to mine memorable events in my life for those strong
feelings of excitement, fear, and faith. I can’t be afraid to relive and reveal
my personal memories and heartfelt emotions. They’re vital to my success as a
writer.
Therefore, I’m
pleased to share “the story behind the story” of “Isabella’s Green Shamrock
Sweater” (Canadian Messenger, March
2010, pp. 24-5). The inspiration for this story was my memory of being bullied by
classmates for wearing green to school the Friday before St. Patrick’s Day. Managing
to free my heart from the pain of hurt feelings through forgiveness is what forms
the heart of the story. Here is an excerpt:
“Why are you wearing that sweater with
green shamrocks?” Jenna demanded to know in a haughty tone as she came up
behind Isabella.
“My grandmother knit this sweater for
me to wear on St. Patrick’s Day,” Isabella replied proudly.
“Today isn’t St. Patrick’s Day,
stupid!” Robin sneered.
“Yeah, St. Patrick’s Day isn’t until
Saturday,” Jenna added with her usual air of superiority.
“And you’re not Irish, anyway! So why
are you even celebrating St. Patrick’s Day?” Robin taunted Isabella as she
shoved her into a corner of the cloakroom. Isabella recovered her balance just
in time to feel Jenna shove her from the other side.
A crowd of students began to gather
around the threesome. Isabella felt her face flush and tears welled up in her
eyes as she turned to see that some were merely staring, while several others
were laughing at her.
When Miss
Fran, Isabella’s history teacher, learns of her classmates’ bullying, she uses
it as an opportunity to teach her class the story of St. Patrick. They learn
how he was captured by Irish marauders as a teenager and sold into slavery.
Relying on prayer and a vision from the Holy Spirit, he escapes after six
years. He eventually forgives his captors for the hardship and hurt they caused
him and returns to Ireland as a Christian missionary and bishop. Miss Fran urges
her class to honour him on St. Patrick’s Day by following his example of forgiveness.
Unfortunately,
it’s the traumatic events in our lives that form our most indelible memories
and trigger our most intense emotions. That’s the reason I chose this childhood
incident of bullying as “the story behind the story.”
Photo
Credits: Pixabay
