Grace, the incredible quality of unearned mercy

Grace as a concept has always astounded me. When mercy is given without any good reason, it boggles the mind. I think it's even more powerful than forgiveness, which isn't really earned either but many times is expected. But, grace is given without earning it. Grace is more than simple kindness, it is mercy extended because the giver wants to do it and not because of saying "I'm sorry." Grace is a golden present.

Many stories have redemption as a core part of the plot. We like seeing characters redeem themselves, especially when it is a huge swing from bad to good. Such stories usually take advantage of our desire to forgive and see people humble themselves and repent. Lots of superhero stories are like that. But, what happens when a character is given mercy they don't deserve? Like a priest forgiving the murderer who just shot him in cold blood?

In my opinion, stories that utilize grace as a central plot are very difficult to handle. I think we are hard-wired to reject mercy, because we haven't earned it and we desperately want to earn any forgiveness we get. Audiences also are like that, wanting to know why and how. Grace isn't a reward, it's a gift, and so is tough to explain. But, when it's used well it's magnificent. One triumphant example is from Les Miserables (where a convict is given grace by a priest, and the entire story changes immediately).

Grace is powerful, unearned, and yet so welcome when accepted. It can rock the world.

- M

Setting the Tone, and making sure you stick with it.

I've been learning a great deal about a concept in stories called "Tone." It's not a new concept, and certainly understood without even being aware of it. Basically, what "Tone" is all about is keeping things similar throughout the story--like a comedy "Tone" shouldn't include extensive horror scenes, at least without reason, because the shift in "Tone" confuses the audience. Mainly, by keeping the story consistent, the audience keeps up and doesn't get lost in twists and turns that come from nowhere.

This sort of thing is really apparent in movies, because the "Tone" is very visual. Imagine how jarring it would be to watch the "10 Commandments" and see Moses suddenly break into dance and song as he comes down the mountain with the tablets. It just doesn't fit. Being aware of the "Tone" makes authors keep a restraint on things going out of control. Sure, it would be fun to see Professor Xavier from X-Men throw out some one liner jokes, but it wouldn't fit the "Tone" of his character at all.

What has been very illuminating to me is how often the creative process falls away from the "Tone" that's already been set. I find myself going over my own works and slicing out stuff that just doesn't fit because of it--I can't say I was aware of why before, but in the last few years I sure have learned. It is so easy to go off the rails and interject humor where it shouldn't be.

It's wonderful to learn new things, and keep improving. I pray it never stops.

- M

History of the world, or a world, or at least a neat place to live.

History creates depth within a story, even when the history is entire fictional and set in a fictional world. When an author knows the history of their story, the feeling of depth comes through and inspires the audience. And, with a solid background in mind, the author can easily plan future events and twists. The extra effort is well worth it, in my opinion.

Some of the greatest achievements in fictional literary history are the massive histories J.R.R. Tolkien created for his "Lord of the Ring" series. He created several entire languages, wrote centuries of detailed history (much of it captured in the "Silmarillion" and "Lost Tales"), and quite literally created an entire living world. Such feats of imagination are truly impressive to me, not because of all the work, but because so much of it never appears in the stories we all know and love. It's fantastic how detailed they are, and a bit intimidating once you start delving into them.

I'm not suggesting that every work needs such phenomenal history behind it, but having some works very well. If you are writing a series, it is even better, because you and the audience create additional history as the series grows and breathes. Once again, being in the audience is exciting and rewarding, as both author and audience work together to make the whole greater than its parts. I've never believed that the author is alone in that, and particularly in the area of shared history. Whatever the reasons, making a background history is important and shouldn't be ignored.

- M

Time Travel and fiddling about with history

I'm a sucker for a good science fiction story, and especially time travel. One current favorite is 12:01--it's a lot like other repeating day stories, but it's tongue-in-cheek with science thrown in somewhere (not especially great science, but just overlook that bit and you'll be fine). What makes a good time travel story special is when things actually matter as a result. Time travel allows the audience to be part of the story in a way other story types don't allow.

In recent times the time travel movies that got things started were: Groundhog Day and The Terminator. I love that each of these movies are so very different, even though they are grounded in the same idea of time travel. It demonstrates the incredible variety of stories with similar plots. There are said to be only a handful of story plots, but the mind boggling diversity shows how creative we human beings actually are.

The neat thing about time travel is the chance to do things over, undo events and try a different tactic. There is a new movie coming out dealing with this idea, where a new soldier recruit find himself living the same day over and again, learning to fight the alien menace, and making the good guys win. Of course, if everyone has the ability, then what would ever get done? I've read many scientific meanderings about time travel, and have my own pet theories, but the main point is that nothing is permanent in a universe with time travel. And that's the fun... seeing what people do with the power to change history.

- M

Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and other mysteries that make us wonder at the world.

It's curious how some stories catch hold of the popular imagination and continue for centuries. I'm sure they are based on something, though they probably aren't understood or even the same things every time. Whatever people are seeing, they do seem to pop up in the same places, and are documented for many years. Bigfoot, for instance, was apparently seen by the native American Indians and they had many oral stories about it.

I think we really want there to still be mysteries around us. It's like a primal need that we don't actually want to know everything, but to allow the unknown to survive. I love that desire, especially as a writer, because that means people crave new stories and mysteries. Highlighting that desire, the Animal Planet station on television is doing a Monster Week of shows (mainly the guy who fishes for monster freshwater fish, which is much more interesting that it sounds).

If someone were to ask me if I believe in these strange creatures that people see, well, yes and no. I believe they are seeing something, but not necessarily what they describe. Our minds are notoriously unreliable as first-hand witnesses. However, as the old saying goes: "Where there's smoke, there's fire." Consistent witnesses point toward something, and it wasn't that long ago that the famous mountain gorillas were considered a fantasy but later turned out true.

I'm glad there are mysteries still out there, and that we constantly chase them. I pray that chase never ends.

- M

Children are wonderful!!

My wife and I are blessed with three children. I love children, and am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of raising these three. What is endlessly fascinating is how you see the world all over again through a new set of eyes. Everything is experienced all over again, especially the things you figured were common and normal. Like mud.. what is the deal with mud? Children practically roll around in it, eat it, make pies from it, and love to show you their creations. Weird.

In stories, children are somewhat of a hit-or-miss aspect. While they can be charming, they can also be annoying. I think the reason is because of their innate immaturity (which is clearly expected) that gets them into trouble. I still cringe at the little girl in the book form of "Jurassic Park" (the movie changed it up and made the little boy the annoying one), yet one of my favorite stories is "The Neverending Story" which features many kids as is incredibly charming. There's quite a lot of discussion on the topic of children in movies, but I think it's overall a good thing. We naturally relate to children, because we all were one at some point (even if we don't admit it), but the lack of maturity can easily trample the film.

Children are a blessing to us, no doubt about it. I admire anyone with more than six these days; it must be difficult keeping control of the chaos. With children, parents quickly learn responsibility of a whole new type and grow up even more. And, we get the pleasure of watching young minds grow and prosper under our tutelage. Big responsibility, but also a very big payoff.

- M

Lindsey Stirling, our new music box dancer!

A bit after I was born, there was a sensation in a song called "Music Box Dancer." I'm sure you've all heard it, though you may not recognize it from the title. Anyway, Lindsey Stirling has captured the hearts of many of us throughout the world. She was on one of those television talent shows ("America's Got Talent") and didn't win. However, the public was taken by her infectious spirit and complete lack of giveupedness. She went on to create her own YouTube channel (Lindsey Stirling), and rapidly became a sensation.

She now has two albums available for purchase, and has millions of followers all over the world. It has been a pleasure watching her growth from obscurity to fame. One of the big reasons is her consistently excellent videos and music. She is an amazing violinist, but her pure energy always comes across. More than the energy of youth, she is one of those rare people who is infectious in her zest for whatever she's doing. The fact that she is also excellent musically is a welcome bonus. And, she appears to generously spread it around with her many collaborations. I applaud that.

Yes, I have both of her albums, and several of her singles. I look forward to her new music, and have enjoyed her newest video: "Shatter Me" which is also a collaboration with Lzzy Hale. In the video she is shown as a music box dancer within a snowglobe. It's wonderful, and if you haven't seen it yet, go check it out. I wish her the greatest success. She has already done several tours, and likely will be doing many more as she continues her musical career.

Watching her success highlights one of my favorite occupations, and that is to track people as they move from unknown to known. It's fascinating and moving, since we all long to become more than what we are now. It's programmed into us, and provides something to strive for. Life without goals is empty, so go out there and find something to aim for!

- M