#TipfulTuesday
Today's topic is Pitfalls in Story Layering
Quality stories have layers. That is just a fact. Readers want to know more than just the thin line leading MC from the first page to the last. We thicken that line with layers.
In today's example, I will not only provide an epic story with layers but also point out how the layering benefited the MC's journey. Within this discussion, you will see what must be included when layering to avoid pitfalls.
Here is the story:
Scene
A very pregnant young woman, ready to give birth at any time, and her husband set out on a journey forced upon them by the King. They climb over mountains and through valleys sixty miles to the south of their home to a small village. When they reach the village, the husband stops at every inn, begging for a place to stay. He informs them of his wife's condition. Late that night, an innkeeper takes pity on them and allows them to stay in the stable. It was all he had.
Scene
Far to the east, a group of scholars, very wise men, become intrigued by a certain star. Their studies reveal something special was happening to the west. Upon further examination, they determine the star points the way to a king. This is no ordinary king, but a special one. To visit such a king would be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Without a moment's hesitation, they pack for a great journey, including valuable gifts to honor the special king.
Scene
On a hill overlooking a small village, shepherds tend to the care of their sheep. Typically, these shepherds are not allowed in any village because, well, the truth is they smell terrible. At night they make a fire to keep warm and ensure all the sheep have a safe place for the night. While sitting around their campfire, an angel suddenly appears. The shepherds leap and back away, afraid at what might happen. The angel tells them not to be afraid. They would be privy to a special message. A grand announcement of an event taking place in the village that no one knows about. A Savior which is Christ the Lord is born. A host of angels join in the message, praising God for the grand event. After hearing the news, the shepherds could not contain themselves. They ran to the village to see the baby, telling everyone they met the great news.
Here we have three distinct layers on one epic story, the birth of Christ the Savior. All three layers point to the one message, each filling in a grad story with deep colors, information, and details, giving us, the readers, a fuller sense of understanding.
You may know even more layers in this story. The wise men's visit with Herod, and etc.
The point here is that although each scene appears to have its own story they are all distinctly and completely related to the overarching story. God demonstrates not only a powerful message but also the perfect means to communicate that message.
From this, we can learn not only the Spiritual message but also principles of writing with layers.
~Mary Vee
#TipfulTuesday #Layers #amwriting #writing
Photo by Mary Vee. How many layers do you see in the photo?
Visit Mary at her website, blog, and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter
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Mary, so nice and so true. God IS the greatest storyteller. I think that's why we keep coming back to the Nativity. It does have layers, it is so rich even as just a story, and so much more when we take up His cross.
ReplyDeleteI'm really thinking more about Advent this year and less about "Christmas," though Christmas is definitely in there. I'm older now and my family circle has shrunk and anyway, everybody has pretty much what they need, so I'm doing a lot of looking inward. Thanks for giving me one more thing to think about.
Kathy Bailey