Hope in the Hard Places: For Fictional Characters and Writers

It's November 2. Finally November. National Novel Writing Month is here! The countdown is over. A new countdown has begun. 28 days and a few extra hours to write 47,852 words. 

Currently, my word count is at 2,148. Progress. Only 1,185 words left to meet today's quota. 

I've been writing off and on this afternoon. In case you missed my previous NaNoWriMo post, the story that has just begun is, in a way, my own story. Right now, we're only 2,148 words into this story, and part of me wants to stop. 

This is hard. I know where this story is going. There is direction, an entire plot to unfold. But this is hard. The story begins in a seemingly hopeless place, and bits and pieces lead to more pain. It begins to seem like this is all too much for fictional Eliana to handle. It begins to seem like this is all too much for writer Kayla to handle. 

Because in her own way, fictional Eliana is me. In my own way, I know what she's experiencing, and it's hard. I know what comes next for her will also be hard. 

And isn't it just so hard to write about hard things? I have never been good at doing it without entering into that seemingly hopeless place. So as I write, I continue to remind myself that there is hope. 

There is hope for fictional Eliana. There is hope for writer Kayla. There is hope for each one of us, and it's found in Jesus. 

In my own real story, I have found hope in Jesus. I have confident expectations because of Jesus.

And in the story of fictional Eliana, she will find hope in Jesus. After all, her name means "my God has answered." Her God will answer her. His answer just comes later. So for now, I must return to that place that is seemingly hopeless for Eliana, and cling to my own hope. 

1 Peter 1:3-5 says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time" (emphasis added).


Remembering that hope is found in Jesus and his resurrection allows me to enter back into the hard stuff -- in both the fictional realm and in reality.

So I'm going to enter back into that now. Get a few (meaning a lot) more words in before "Once Upon a Time" starts. (If you don't watch it, I highly recommend checking out the pilot on Netflix.)

And maybe someday soon, I'll be ready to share more of Eliana's story with you. But until then, know that Jesus is the game changer. That's what really matters.