Being Disruptive is Good

Did I mention I became a grandmother this year? (This is where I pause so that you can say “Oh, but you don’t look old enough to be a grandma!”) That one tiny person has turned our lives upside down, not least because we’ve spent a large proportion of our free time these last few months traipsing across the Pennines and back in order to indulge in as many cuddles as we can get away with.

 

For our daughter and son-in-law it’s been even more unsettling. Every activity has to be planned around the baby’s feeds and naps, and each outing requires a boot-full of equipment and clean clothes. And although they specifically requested one of those magical babies who sleeps through the night after the first month, the order must have got mixed up somehow as they ended up with an otherwise delightful child who thinks sleeping is for losers.

 

Disruptive events, however, can give a real boost to our writing. Unexpected plot twists and dramatic scenes are great for keeping the story moving and holding the reader’s attention. Writing courses often emphasise the importance of having a good “hook” that will draw the reader in. And after all, who wants to read a book where nothing much happens? Even non-fiction can benefit from the addition of a gripping anecdote.

 

The idea of an astonishing event transforming the whole of the narrative is particularly pertinent at this time of year as we remember how a seemingly insignificant birth in an obscure corner of the Roman world changed history forever. In this Advent season, may I encourage you to stop and focus on the mystery of the incarnation as we celebrate the Master Author writing the greatest story of them all.

Fiona Lloyd is a member 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 2018. Fiona also works for Christians Against Poverty.

 

Twitter: @FionaJLloyd & @FionaLloyd16