At the heart of any character’s inner conflict is change or transformation. The rage and divide in US politics is all about the perception that the country is changing. “It’s not the country I know anymore.”

Demographics are changing. Social mores are changing. Moral taboos are changing, Resistance to these changes is summed in the theme song of the television hit All in the Family.

In a story, someone or something provokes some kind of shift or change in the character or the character’s world. Change is disturbing because what comes next is uncertain. “You are no longer who I expect you to be. You are not predictable.”

Studies have shown that people would rather get a predictable electric shock (pain) now than maybe be (unpredictably) shocked (or not) later.  People show greater anxiety when waiting for an unpredictable shock (or pain) than an expected one. The Joker says: “Because it’s all part of the plan.”

Writers are always advised to write what they know. What writers (and all other human beings) know the most about is change.

Living, by definition, is to change. Nothing in life is static. Change and transformation are all around you. Both impact you every day. You live in an unsettling and constantly changing world. That is especially true today, with the backtracking, outright lying, and whiplash-inducing policy and personnel shifts in the White House.

The world is (and always has been) full of political uncertainty, evolving relationships, personal and professional ups and downs, and, conflicting responsibilities, loyalties, commitments, and desires. Your characters should experience their world in exactly the same way.

You know how painful change and transformation can be. You have experienced extreme, dramatic and, sometimes excruciating change. Your life has been full of unexpected reversals, complex dilemmas, and difficult growth experiences- and so should the lives of your characters. (And there’s no reason why all this turmoil, chaos, and pain shouldn’t be hilarious. Great comedians know: “If it doesn’t hurt. It isn’t funny”.

One of the downsides of the awesomeness of human consciousness is the ability to worry about the future. We know the future exists, but we don’t know what’s going to happen in it. In animals, unpredictability and uncertainty can lead to heightened awareness.

What’s unique about humans is the ability to reflect on the fact that these future events are unknown or unpredictable,  This uncertainty itself can lead to a lot of distress, anxiety, and pain. And that is scary.

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Writers are advised to write what they know. What writers (and all other human beings) know the most about is change. Living, by definition, is to change. Nothing in life is static. Change and transformation are all around you. Both impact you every day.

You live in an unsettling and constantly changing world. Your world is full of uncertainty, evolving relationships, personal and professional ups and downs and conflicting responsibilities, loyalties, commitments and desires. Your characters should experience their world in exactly the same way.

You know exactly how painful change and transformation can be. You have experienced extreme, dramatic and sometimes excruciating change. Your life has been full of unexpected reversals, complex di- lemmas and difficult growth experiences-and so should the lives of your characters. (And there’s no reason why all this turmoil and pain shouldn’t be hilarious. Great comedians know- If it don’t hurt, it ain’t funny.)

Change doesn’t come easily and it isn’t without opposition. No change ever continues unchecked. Someone or something always stands in the way. Transformation is always upsetting. Emotions run high. The situation and characters are in turmoil. Someone or something resists the change with all his or her might. Who or what stands in the way? Is your character resisting the change or is someone or something resisting the transformation your character is bringing about or is undergoing.”

What kicks this change off? Who or what action changes or transforms your character? What is lost? What is gained? Who opposes the change? What does your character want? What does your character need? What is the cost of either choice? What does your character fear most? How much is your character willing to sacrifice? To what extreme is your character willing to go? The answers to these questions form the emotional core of your story. They also get to the heart of who your character really is. They give depth and meaning to your story structure.

I subscribe to a wonderful financial newsletter on how to spend money wisely and gain financial independence.  I recommend it to everyone especially in these tough economic times.  It’s free and packed with ideas on how to make the most of your money.  Check out http://www.stretcher.com/index.cfm

The article below from a recent issue of that financial newsletter talks about how incremental change adds up to a whole new direction, and a brighter financial future.  It’s certainly true financially, but it is equally true in writing as well.

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Here is the article on how increment change can transform your financial future (and the same principle applies to your writing future):

We determine the trajectory of our lives based on the decisions we make when times are tough. Let’s start by considering what a trajectory is. According to the Random House dictionary, it’s the “curve traced by a projectile object or body in its flight.” In other words, for this quote, it’s the path that we’re on. I picture the trajectory of a missile in flight. I don’t know it for a fact, but I’d bet that the course corrections are very, very small. Yet, they can make a big difference in where the missile flies and lands.

Why does such a small change make such a dramatic difference in the end? Because the direction has been changed. So the longer we go in that direction the greater the distance between where we are and where we would have been. Think of the missile example. Even a one-degree change in course will make a huge difference after the missile goes a thousand miles or more.

OK, so NASA can make a small change and affect the trajectory of a space shuttle, but is it true that we determine the trajectory of our life? We could debate it, but I’d argue that it’s true. Our choices make a difference. Perhaps not a noticeable difference at first, but one that will change where we end up in the future. It happens the exact same way as the missile. A minor course correction maintained over a long time can make a huge difference in where we end up.

Let’s consider a simple (and somewhat silly) example. Suppose that you’re a 20 year old coming out of class. Feeling thirsty you search out a vending machine. Sodas (and bottled water) are $1. You reach in your pocket and pull out a single. Into the machine it goes. And, your thirst is quenched. As you walk away from the vending machine, you notice a water fountain that you hadn’t seen before. Oh, well. It’s only a buck.

True, but did you know that if you put that single dollar to work earning interest, it would be worth $46 when you were 70 years old and looking for retirement income? Still not impressed? Suppose that you bought that $1 drink every day for 50 years. If you had used the water fountain instead and saved the money, you would have accumulated $209,000! Quite a difference in the trajectory.

Obviously, that’s a made up story. No one is going to go to a vending machine once a day, every day for 50 years. But, it does give you a feel for what happens when you routinely say, “It’s only a buck.” Say it too often and you’ll be adjusting your financial trajectory.

Now let’s take a look at the final part of the quote. It talks about the decisions that we make when times are tough. I don’t suppose that tough time decisions have any greater impact on our trajectory than any other decision. But they could be more important because we have a smaller margin for error. When you’re right on the edge, you don’t need anything that would push your trajectory to a point where it spirals out of control (I can see them intentionally destroying a missile that’s gone off course).

I guess that what I’m saying is that the stakes are higher when you’re facing tough times. And, you’re already under pressure, which might compromise your ability to make decisions. So it’s important to move cautiously. Don’t make decisions without thinking about how the choice might affect your future financial trajectory.  (“Small changes can make a huge difference over a sustained period of time.”  LH

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