Yesterday was a solemn day for me, full of muchintrospection. I had the privilege of performing in a 9/11 special with theMormon Tabernacle Choir and Tom Brokaw. A wonderful experience.
It’s hardto believe, but I was just heading to one of my high school classes during myjunior year of high school. Since then, I’ve become a husband, a father, acollege graduate and a published author. But I still feel the effects of thatday.
When hearing all the stories of people who were impacted by9/11 it made me think about how I can apply what they have taught me as awriter. I heard people say so many times that watching the news coverage was‘like watching a movie’. As writers, we are meant to mimic and comment onreality, and we can learn things, even from tragedy.
Here are some of mythoughts:
1. There is real evil in the world—people who willconvince themselves through twisted logic that hurting and killing others isjustified. That is the model of a trueantagonist.
2. There are real heroes in the world—people whowill put their own comfort and safety in front of others. They lay down their lives to save others.That is the model of a true protagonist.
3. People may be beaten down and lose many things,but can pick themselves up again, can rebuild, and can still findhappiness. That is a model of the humancondition. In real life that is how alot of stories go, not all happiness, not all sadness, but somewhere in betweenwith hope for the future.
My heart goes out to all those who lost someone on thatterrible day. I hope that our country and that each one of us can take a secondto remember how those events made us feel and that we can recommit to being ourbest selves.
Photo by Christopher Paulin
Writing Update:
Another great writing week! I’m up to 14,000 words in Simon Says and 10,300 in the second book of The Last Archangel series.(Still not sure what the title is going to be on that. I’d welcome somesuggestions) I’m turning in a short story to a Christmas anthology this weekcalled “Checkin’ It Twice”. In this story, Santa has to reevaluate his stanceabout his traditional lists.
I’ve got a very busy week coming up doing a major concertwith the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but I hope to still get some good writingtime in.
Books by Michael D. Young 
beautiful. love the summation line of, "In real life that is how a lot of stories go, not all happiness, not all sadness, but somewhere in between with hope for the future. " lovely, true.
I believe in real heroes.
It's the stories where there evil redeems itself that really touch me. Where the ordinarily heartless, self-absorbed or greedy bloke finds himself compelled to run into a sweltering pit of flames to save complete strangers. There's something about the ability to change for the better that warms me.
What a great post! Thanks for sharing it. Your Christmas short story sounds like fun. An original twist. Your days are full. When you do find time to write?
As for writing time, I just make sure that I am always ready to write wherever I am. I carry pen and paper everywhere, have my laptop handy, and just snatch up any few minutes I have. That adds up. Then, my wife likes to go to bed early and I'm a night owl, so that gives me a few hours at night once she and the kids have hit the sack.