I Have the Power!

by G.Parker


If you have ever watched the Disney movie The Great Mouse Detective, you'll recognize my title. It's when the bad guy (a rat) replaces the mouse queen with a robot and tries to take over. Now, while I'm not trying to take anything over and I don't really have much power over anything in my life, I do have some power. We all do.

We are writers! We can change a story totally -- change the way a world works -- change characters and their motivation -- whatever we want!

This came to me last night as I was reading my scriptures (I know -- bad timing, and obviously I wasn't pondering what I was reading very much, sigh). In last week's blog, I mentioned some new friends I have created in a story that I've started writing that has evolved into what will be three books. (I have no clue on the third one yet -- but at least two are there, grin) I'm still not totally comfortable with the way the story is going. As I said in my blog, I usually write in first person, and this story has started out as third (I think). It's not really working as well as it should or could.

I've also been reading a book called The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (which I wouldn't really recommend to anyone -- even though it was recommended to me). In it she is telling the story of a family, with each one of the women telling the story from their point of view. Much as I was doing with my story, only from first person.

I'm not sure why I decided it needed to be written this way in the first place, but it came to me last night that I can change it. I can put it in first person and get moving on it. I've been held back trying to word it so that the POV stays correct -- making sure that the person who is telling their part of the story is the only one thinking or feeling.

Whew! This was such a relief to me! And that's when the phrase from the children's movie popped in my head.

Isn't it great to be all powerful? At least in something...