Wednesday: Point of View
(I found this in my drafts and it's a post that I needed today.) ...............
Action.
Imagine if Joan Wilder (Romancing the Stone) remained in her New York City apartment searching for tissue and feeding her cat. Or if Jean Valjean (Les Misérables) spent his time curled up in a ball, whining. We wouldn't feel engaged in their problem, or really care about them much.
At some point in compelling stories, the main characters take action to solve their problems. The idea or solution might come from an outside source, but the characters act on it--even when it pushes them out of their comfort zone--and we cheer for their success.
Think of a favorite movie. How did the main character take action to solve his or her dilemma? Did it make the character more interesting and likable?
I think of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. When Walter leaps onto the helicopter as it takes off, I thrill over his courage. His story becomes far more interesting at that point.
We are the characters in our own life story, and taking action to solve our dilemmas can make us more interesting, too.
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. ~ Dale CarnegieAs I said... I needed this. Lately I've been rolling along letting circumstances dictate direction. I don't want to be that character. It's time to take action.
What kind of character are you in your life story?
One of my favorite films is "On Golden Pond". When Jane Fonda asks her dad in the movie (and in real life) how they can be friends, it goes straight to my feels. In the movie, he his celebrating his 80th birthday and she knows she is running out of time to repair their relationship. When you see this scene in the movie, you know it takes every bit of courage for her to push past her fear. Now, that's some action!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what kind of character I am in my own life story. I'll have to think about that for a bit.
Nice post, Trudy!
You're right... that's a strong moment in the film. Great example! Thanks for your comment!
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