If your life was a book......how would it go?

Heroic - the story of your life

If your life was a book would it be a page turner? A monologue of uninteresting facts? A suspenseful mystery? A tension filled thriller? A romantic comedy? A bitter sweet love story of unrequited love? A discourse on philosophy? A dark, Gothic story?  A tragedy?  A motivational manual? A better business guide? A travelogue?  A cautionary tale? A supernatural fantasy?  A racy Mills & Boon with a happy ending? A bodice ripper with  a touch of erotica? An educational supplement? A spiritual insight driven by passion and piety? A lurid tale of gossip and scandal? A love poem? A cook book? A mind boggling quiz?

If your life has been anything like mine then it has nuances of all the above. Life is an eclectic package and we live it all through a mix of free will and destiny.

Drama queen

The prologue is where we get introduced and meet our families. When we appear on this planet there’s no telling what kind of circumstances we’re born into. There are few easy rides even to those we think are to the manor born. Malcontent is rife amongst the rich and famous. A  designer home or state of the art car or luxury holidays can never fill the empty spaces inside. Even if we’re born into a less than ideal situation its amazing what we can do to improve our lot and even make a success of it.

The rags to riches story is an interesting one and worthy of a trilogy. It makes us feel that we can all do it but that’s not true. Sinking or swimming that’s what we do and in between we float or cruise. There’s struggle, pain and betrayal in our life stories – some that we’ll never get over, others that we can dismiss with grim melancholy and even ones that we look back and laugh over.

Gripping stuff

Few of us come into this world with a game plan. Those who find their passion at a young age and follow it usually find  success knocking at their door.  A number of selfless souls sacrifice themselves for a greater good….and that’s commendable…..though some sacrifice needlessly.

Here’s a potential plot: A dutiful wife gives up her career to become a home-maker. She keeps a beautiful home, fills it with three gorgeous children and looks forward to fun with her high-flying husband. Disaster ensues as she finds that his idea of fun is conducting meetings, travelling on business in a private jet, poring over spreadsheets and talking targets and objectives. She resigns herself to a number of options - accepting that she has to stand in line for her husband’s affections, buys herself a few trinkets as a consolation prize, has a dalliance with the gardener or asserts herself and opts for dissolution of the marriage.

This is certainly a story with a number of endings and if you believe that you’re the author of your life then take the plunge . If you believe that you’re a victim of circumstance then you’ll be powerless and that’s the ending you’ll write for yourself.

Every chapter has to move the story along and there’s got to be a dramatic hook. The day you say “yes” to a wolf in sheep’s clothing can be the start of your undoing. The bad news that you’ve failed – or passed -  an important exam can be a turning point.  A loss – of a person, property or face can be the trigger for following your dream. The loss of your limbs can be a life-changing event that provides the impetus to an amazing life.

As the story progresses there’s a black moment – a crisis point where a decision has to be made. There’s a protagonist and antangonist and you’ll relate to both.

Do it standing up!

 Villians must feature in your story and they’ll be flamboyant and evil creatures hell bent on destroying you.

Animals also play their part…from the good - cute hamsters and bunnies; the bad - mischevious pups and savage pitpulls  and  the ugly…spiders, snakes and other scaly, reptiles. Your story would not be complete without a little animal intervention.

Watch your word count as you might get entangled in long winded and meaningless dialogues with a host of minor characters; from the boy next door to the village gossip.

Objects will help plot development; car, umbrella, flowers, a pair of red heels, a slinky dress can speak volumes about your life choices. Other characters also cannot fail to be impressed (or not) by your taste!

Think about setting and perhaps your story has a nomadic thread running through it. You were born in one place, grew up in another and you’re planning for pastures anew.

Love and hate are the eternal themes that generate adventure, and sometimes even death.

The read of your life!

Does it have a happy ending or a twist? Well that’s up to you; you are the creator of this drama so it’s your call. Let your voice be heard.  Every story has a hero, a champion, an underdog who triumphs…….and you don’t have to look far for inspiration – just in the mirror!