You Matter

Whenever people discuss writing there’s always a process.  When I think about how I write, I realize I don’t really have one.  I don’t make outlines or notes on ideas (as you can probably tell by my unconventional writing).  I just acknowledge that I have an idea to write something and then I do.

I don’t like planning my stories.  I feel like it takes away from my characters and tone.  It no longer feels free.  I like the idea that characters have untapped potential and personalities.  There is nothing better than having a basic idea of who they are or where they come from and have it blossom into so much more.

When you make outlines of a story and then set out to writing, even the outline begins to change.  Suddenly you become aware of who you’re writing and realize… maybe they won’t do what you once thought they would.  And maybe that’s where random plot point characters are born.  Those characters with no rhyme or reason in the story, but to push the plot forward in the direction you desired.

And I wonder sometimes… does that happen to God?  Does He start out with us thinking “this is what I have planned for them”, but we have free will, and we do things that change the story.  Maybe He still has the same plan laid out, but how we approach it is different.

When I think about it, really think about it… I find that some of the most random encounters with people that I’ve had has had the most long lasting effects on how I view my life.  It’s the random encounters with nameless faces, people you don’t know and never will again, they matter.  You matter.