“Not all who wander are lost.” ~ J.R.R Tolkien
If you’re a writer, you’ve likely encountered a “problem” character in your stories. The kind that just doesn’t want to do what you tell them to do. Perhaps you were hoping to redeem them in the end, but by the time you reach the last chapter, you’re so frustrated with them that you would rather drop their plot line all together.
Over the past year, I’ve been participating in a novel writing apprenticeship program, which has truly transformed how I understand stories, characters, and themes. For my first project, I wrote about a young woman overcoming her fear of change in order to save her family’s ice cream parlor.
Andie, my protagonist, wasn’t my problem character. Her best friend, Val, was.
In my program, we’re required to go through an extensive planning process before we can draft our story. Even in the initial stages, Val was often critiqued as being “too unhealthy” and “distracting from the main plot.” (A very fair analysis, I will admit.)
By the time I got to drafting, I thought Val was finally reined in as a side character. Until I reached Chapter 8, where it all fell apart.
Val was introduced at her birthday party, where she made a grand entrance in a flashy red gown before having the most passive aggressive conversation with her mom. It went something like:
Val shoots a look at her mom. “Wow, you really don’t know me at all, do you?”
“Valentina,” Mrs. Valores says, her voice never wavering. “What are you talking about?”
Val holds up a carton of almond mocha fudge ice cream. “You know I hate nuts. I can’t believe this. After that whole speech you gave about wanting me here–”
“Valentina, I can assure you that I didn’t order anything with nuts. I do know you, darling. And I want you here–”
“Oh really? So why are you still calling me ‘Valentina’ like we’re strangers, then?” Val demands.
She slams the carton back on the table. I wince, grateful it didn’t burst open.
The irony is that I didn’t know Val very well when I wrote her the first time. Or the second time. It wasn’t until I reread her lines a third time, frustrated beyond measure because she seemed beyond sympathetic, that I realized the issue.
I didn’t love Val.
You might think, “Of course you didn’t. Who would love this stuck-up, irritable character?”
But as her creator, it was my job to love her. The only way for her to be sympathetic to my readers was for me to love her first, and write out of that place instead of only seeing her in a negative light.
I had to ask myself, “How has Val become this way? Why do my other characters love her? What uniquely about her benefits this story and its themes?”
So back to the rewrites I went…and this time, Val transformed into a flawed, but lovable, character. In fact, when a friend read the most recent draft, she said that the plot line with Val was her favorite because it demonstrated the story’s faith themes the clearest. I was over the moon to hear that!
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How often do we feel like a problem character in the eyes of our creator, God?
And how often do we view others as problem characters, beyond God’s power to heal and redeem?
When we are burdened with shame over our past mistakes, we may feel broken beyond repair. But that mindset neglects to recognize the power of Jesus’ work on the cross to save us from all our sins.
If God thought we were too broken to be worth saving, He never would’ve sent Jesus. He never would’ve let humanity grow beyond Adam and Eve, or saved Noah’s family when He wiped out the rest of humanity.
God offers us chance after chance to come home. And when we fall down at His feet, wearing filthy clothes with tears in our eyes, He reminds us that we are His precious creation. His sons and daughters.
Perhaps these “problem characters” that arise in our stories aren’t so problematic after all. Perhaps they are simply prodigals who will teach us the value of running back home to God rather than wallowing in our shame.
Perhaps they will even be the characters who point readers to Christ.
No matter what you’ve done or how far you’ve fallen, it’s not too late to ask God to be with you. He will always welcome you home.
Our stories of God transforming us day by day are a testament to His faithfulness. Your life story isn’t too messy for God to use to lead others to His love.
I’d encourage you to read the story of The Lost Son from the book of Luke and reflect on God’s deep love for you:
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Luke 15:11-31 (NIV)
The Will to Wake Up 