Stick to the path?

 I took this image on holiday last week, in Tenerife. Looking at the background, it's easy to see why the notice is there. Mount Teide is a dormant volcano situated in a vast caldera. The scenery, while stunning, is also barren and inhospitable, with clumps of dried vegetation clinging desperately to dusty patches between the rocks. Huge mounds of solidified lava cover the landscape in every direction, vomited out in previous eruptions. Anyone foolish enough to leave the path would risk substantial injury.

To clarify a little further, the photo was actually taken last Thursday afternoon, about a couple of hours before the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was announced. For many, the Queen was an exemplar of someone who did not stray from the path laid out before them. Much has already been written not only about her strong sense of duty throughout her life, but also her commitment to following in the footsteps of Jesus. (And isn't it good how extensively her faith has been remarked upon in an age where religious belief is often viewed as an anachronism?)

However, I'd like to suggest an amendment to this sign: Do not stray off the footpath... unless you are writing. Allowing our characters to wander away from the road marked out for them (either literally or metaphorically) makes for a much more interesting (and believable) story. Introducing conflict into a piece of writing is a great way to grab the reader's attention, and a character who deviates from the path will almost inevitably end up in a sticky situation. I'm thinking of Bilbo and the dwarves grappling with giant spiders in Mirkwood, or Jill, Eustace and Puddleglum almost featuring as the main course for a giants' feast in The Silver Chair. And where would soap operas be if the characters never strayed morally? 

Even for those who like to plan their writing down to the last detail, giving our protagonists the opportunity to wander off in a different direction can bring new life to a sagging manuscript and reinvigorate our words. Non-fiction writers can use this technique, too, by asking "What if?" questions of their subject. What if Alexander Fleming had thrown away his mouldy petri dishes? What if Corrie Ten Boom had followed the path of obedience to the laws imposed by the occupying German forces rather than the path of obedience to God?

Let me know of any further examples you think of. And in the meantime, let's get straying!

Fiona Lloyd is Chair of the Association of Christian Writers and writes regularly for Together magazine. Her first novel, The Diary of a (trying to be holy) Mum, was published by Instant Apostle in January 2018. Fiona also works for Christians Against Poverty.

 

Twitter: @FionaJLloyd & @FionaLloyd16