We all love a good story. It's even better when that good story is our own. We tell them with minor embellishments and we're sure to skip any embarrassing or boring parts. Why? Because we'd love it if our life was actually as good as the stories we tell. We want to live a good story. I've recently been reading this book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller, it's about how our life would look if we were to put it in a movie. The most important part of any movie is the story. What separates exciting movies from bad ones? Story. What gets our adrenaline pumping or the tears rolling? Story. What makes us want to watch the good ones again and again? Story.
So what is a story? A story is a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it. This is the definition Don's friend gives in the book, after they both returned from a 3-day seminar by Robert McKee about story. Don is working on making a screen adaptation of his life - a much better, edited version of his life. He discusses this idea that a story needs all these key elements to make it interesting, like conflict, passion, goals and obstacles and that for an interesting, satisfying, and fulfilling life we can utilize these same elements. The same elements that make a story compelling make our life compelling.
It got me thinking about my own life. About my own story. What kind of story am I living? How many boring scenes would I edit out? How often am I the character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it? Don writes in his book, "A character is what a character does." I'm reminded of a great storyteller, Shakespeare. In Hamlet, the protagonist is caught up in a decision: to be or not to be. That is the question. One part of him wants to kill his uncle and avenge his father, the other part of him wants to do nothing. Rather than being characterized by one action or the other, Hamlet is defined by his inaction. Despite his thoughts and intentions on doing one thing or the other, he does nothing. A character is what a character does.
So who is my character, what does he want and what conflict does he overcome to get it? I've asked myself this question a lot lately. The answer I'm tempted to give is 'I'm not sure yet.' But then what does that say about the story I'm currently living? That character wants nothing and sure isn't facing any obstacles in getting it. The other answer is 'A lot of things.' I want a lot of things, but my priorities probably change when obstacles arise. I was thinking about the last time I wanted something and overcame an obstacle to get it. I don't know about you, but I can't recall too many. Honestly, up to this point in my life, I haven't wanted very many things and I haven't encountered very many obstacles, at least not big ones. And it's those big ones that really change a character. I remember reading Huckleberry Finn in high school. I didn't quite understand it at first because I kept trying to figure out the whole point of floating down the Mississippi. They were overcoming obstacles left and right, but what was the goal or purpose? Turns out, sometimes the purpose is the journey itself. Mark Twain seems to have had this down. It's the journey - the overcoming of obstacles, that really affects change in us. In story terms, this is the character development.
With just over two weeks until I leave, I get asked if I'm excited or nervous about going to Honduras and what it's going to be like. It's going to be an adventure. Will I want something? Yes. Will I have to overcome obstacles to get it? Yes. Is it going to be hard? Yes. I wouldn't expect anything less from something so many people have claimed to be life-changing. I think maybe I'm like Huck Finn. Maybe my goal right now is simply the journey; to overcome obstacles just to see if I can. And in the end, hopefully I'm richer for the experience.
Let me summarize with this clip:
It got me thinking about my own life. About my own story. What kind of story am I living? How many boring scenes would I edit out? How often am I the character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it? Don writes in his book, "A character is what a character does." I'm reminded of a great storyteller, Shakespeare. In Hamlet, the protagonist is caught up in a decision: to be or not to be. That is the question. One part of him wants to kill his uncle and avenge his father, the other part of him wants to do nothing. Rather than being characterized by one action or the other, Hamlet is defined by his inaction. Despite his thoughts and intentions on doing one thing or the other, he does nothing. A character is what a character does.
So who is my character, what does he want and what conflict does he overcome to get it? I've asked myself this question a lot lately. The answer I'm tempted to give is 'I'm not sure yet.' But then what does that say about the story I'm currently living? That character wants nothing and sure isn't facing any obstacles in getting it. The other answer is 'A lot of things.' I want a lot of things, but my priorities probably change when obstacles arise. I was thinking about the last time I wanted something and overcame an obstacle to get it. I don't know about you, but I can't recall too many. Honestly, up to this point in my life, I haven't wanted very many things and I haven't encountered very many obstacles, at least not big ones. And it's those big ones that really change a character. I remember reading Huckleberry Finn in high school. I didn't quite understand it at first because I kept trying to figure out the whole point of floating down the Mississippi. They were overcoming obstacles left and right, but what was the goal or purpose? Turns out, sometimes the purpose is the journey itself. Mark Twain seems to have had this down. It's the journey - the overcoming of obstacles, that really affects change in us. In story terms, this is the character development.
With just over two weeks until I leave, I get asked if I'm excited or nervous about going to Honduras and what it's going to be like. It's going to be an adventure. Will I want something? Yes. Will I have to overcome obstacles to get it? Yes. Is it going to be hard? Yes. I wouldn't expect anything less from something so many people have claimed to be life-changing. I think maybe I'm like Huck Finn. Maybe my goal right now is simply the journey; to overcome obstacles just to see if I can. And in the end, hopefully I'm richer for the experience.
Let me summarize with this clip:
A story is a character who wants something and overcomes obstacles to get it.
And if it makes a good story, it makes a good life.
After reading Donald Miller's book, I realized my life was composed of watching stories (movies). I could have argued that those stories were helping me see how 'story' works. But, I try not to kid myself, and began to look at my life as a story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. It is a good reminder that our lives, my life, is not meant to be edited down to the few highlights. Rather, I am to find my goal, and pursue it with reckless abandon. Obstacles will arise, I will find new friends along the way, discover enemies, and be broken and bruised on my journey. But to have gone through all of this will make the end so much sweeter.
Good luck on your journey, and as you discover your goal.