I’ve been working on fiction as much as I can given the brutal weather in my corner of the United States. I’m used to snow and cold, but over the last two weeks we have had a storm an average of every other day… my house currently looks like the Rebel Base on Hoth.
Then on Monday, my shield generator furnace conked out at the start of another foot of snow. Generally, I prefer to keep my drama confined to written fiction, but let’s just say it was a really hard day and I felt pretty powerless as the temperature dropped ever lower in my house. I’m happy to report, however, that a working class hero braved the storm and saved our butts just before the coldest night in a year began.
The resolution of the incident reminded me of something Gandalf said. Said only in the movies, I do believe, but it is a good quote all the same:
Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I’ve found it is the small things; everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay… simple acts of kindness, and love.
The chaos of the storms has made it difficult for me to write, and Out to Pasture has been surprisingly hard to finish even without this lack of time to devote to it. It’s a humorous fantasy story, hinging on a situation that is ridiculous on the surface but that touches on some darker fears underneath. Finding the right beat and rhythm for the dialogue between the two main characters has been tricky, but how to meaningfully end the story had eluded me and been a bigger problem.
On Monday, cold, grumbling and wishing for the time and energy to finish this dammed short story, I realized something as the furnace sputtered back to life and I thanked the man responsible. What he had done was probably a routine task to him, but he had come to do it in snowstorm when literally no one else would. His was the last name at the end of a long list, and he came through to help strangers when he could have stayed safe and warm at home like all the others. And he did this for no more reward than my gratitude and handshake.
I was reminded of that little line of truth from the Gray Wizard, and it transported into the shoes of my character in Out to Pasture that was giving me a hard time with the ending. She too is dealing with a frustrating situation that is overwhelming her, just like me, and in an instant I realized how I needed to end the story. How I needed to end it not with a show of power and awe, but with one of those small acts that can change everything.
Tonight I’ll prepare a warm cup of earl grey tea, listening to my furnace run in the background, keeping us all warm. Then I’ll type on my laptop as fresh snow falls outside. I’ll be writing about an act of everyday heroism that keeps the darkness at bay.
Aethereal Engineer 