DEVELOPING PERSONAL CHARACTER USING THE TOOLS OF WRITING by SHARON MUSGROVE

DEVELOPING PERSONAL CHARACTER USING THE TOOLS OF WRITING by SHARON MUSGROVE
Friday, August 2, 2024 by Patti Shene

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR SHARON MUSGROVE TO THE OVER 50 WRITER. SHARON EXPLAINS HOW WE CAN GROW OUR OWN PERSONAL STRENGTHS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR FICTIONAL CHARACTERS.

DEVELOPING PERSONAL CHARACTER USING THE TOOLS OF WRITING

Sharon Musgrove

Christians are encouraged to be people who practice forgiveness. Scripture says:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other,

just as in Christ God forgave you.” - Ephesians 4:32 NIV

Did you know that novel writing skills used for developing characters can strengthen forgiveness in you?

Connecting with readers through storytelling begins with cultivating a protagonist that is relatable. We, too, identify with others when we connect with them. It is this relatability that births understanding, understanding that generates compassion, and compassion that creates a willingness to give them a margin for error. In other words, when we learn a person’s backstory, we are more likely to be compassionate when they make mistakes, with a readiness to forgive. So, how do we look to the craft of writing to develop our own forgiving heart?

START WITH THE CHARACTER ARC

The character arc is the transformational journey of a character within a narrative. The story-lead begins as one kind of person and, through their responses to the hills and valleys of the plot, they gradually grow (or decline).

Every individual, real or fictional, has a character arc that is unique. Understanding and accepting that we all have a learning curve that is specific to us helps us grow grace. Additionally, we gain patience when we give others room to blossom through their challenges, in their own time, without rescuing or belittling them.

Sarah was born with fetal alcohol syndrome to parents living in addiction. This young woman struggled with school due to the neurodivergent ways her brain rewired. Despite this, Sarah found online education doable, and eventually was able to obtain a bachelor’s degree by navigating differently. Sarah’s persistence in steering through the educational system, built self-confidence and she began to rewrite her life’s narrative as “able.” Could I relate to Sarah’s childhood? No. But by seeing positive movement through her experiences, I began to understand that she needed to traverse her own character arc.

LEARN THEIR BACKSTORY

The key to wanting to continue a story is in finding someone likeable. Just like a reader putting a book aside within the first pages because they don’t connect, we do the same if our impressions of a person keep us from wanting to get closer. However, in life we cannot always shut the cover on an individual. Family or co-workers may not be escapable. How do we, then, develop compassion for a rough character? How do we love an enemy?

Flesh out their backstory.

Taking the time to listen to what an individual has gone through can help us understand motivation, goals, and even how they have come to curate those sharp mannerisms that tempt us to write them off as villains. Here we move from a head space of understanding to a heart place of compassion.

When I met Sarah, I knew from the beginning that she struggled with substance abuse. It would have been easy to just label her a druggy. But her tragic history with drug addicted parents, the foster care system, and the early death of her adoptive mother, helped me connect sympathetically. In fact, the deeper into her testimony I went, the more I began to applaud her survival abilities and have sympathy for her.

Yet how could I be a cheerleader for Sarah when she continued to be deceptive and manipulative with me?

I let her go.

FINISH THE STORY

Giving someone large margins for growth does not mean we have less compassion nor little understanding for what they’re going through. Sometimes giving a wide berth is exactly what that person needs to mature.

Jesus told a parable on this topic. Commonly known as the prodigal son story, and located in Luke 15:11-32, a father with two sons is approached by the younger for his share of the inheritance to spend as he pleases. Without further dialogue, the father complies, dividing up his estate and watching his boy exit into “wild living” (Luke 15:13 NIV). The father let him go, ever keeping his eye on the horizon for his son’s return.

Like this father, we can give prickly people space to “come to their senses” (Luke 15:17 NIV), all the while remaining ready to run to them when they return. In doing so, we surrender them to the Holy Spirit’s work of changing hearts. Just as our story is not finished yet, let us give others the same grace for their character development

PRACTICE THE PRINCIPLES

God gave us the template for character development (sanctification) in His written works. And as fellow authors, we can choose to use His guide to build our own powerful story. Practicing these writing principles in developing characters helps us become forgiving people.

Sharon Musgrove has been writing and teaching biblically based curriculum, Bible studies, and devotionals since 2007.

She has had the unique position of writing curriculum and teaching for two private, Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both programs primarily served women in the homeless community.

Sharon has traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the rural Maasai communities. She’s been privileged to speak in Leadership camps intent on encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often abused young women.

Within these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its transformative power has become her passion.

Sharon and her husband divide their time between Oregon and Hawaii. They have two grown children.

Currently, Sharon is encouraging others via her inspirational blog, but prefers sharing face to face. Additionally, she is working towards a degree in Ministry.

Connect with Sharon:

Website

Facebook

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Comments

Cleo Lampos From Oak Lawn, IL At 8/12/2024 3:46:48 PM

Your personal life is so inspiring and full of possibilities for articles and novels. The premise of your book is compelling, and for me, very realistic, as I taught emotionally disturbed and behavior disordered boys and also was a foster child. Keep writing compassion.