Thank you dictionary.com for our word of the day.
Resignation [ rez-ig-ney-shuhn ] noun
- the act of resigning.
- a formal statement, document, etc., stating that one gives up an office, position, etc.
- an accepting, unresisting attitude, state, etc.; submission; acquiescence: to meet one’s fate with resignation.
Resignation is learning to live with what life hands you. It is acceptance. Let me explain in a way you may understand. I hate my nose. I have ALWAYS hated it. It’s wide and has a weird round tip. Seriously, it looks like a marble slapped in the middle of my face. As a kid, you know, waaaaaaaaaay back in the Middle Ages, I would put a clothes pin on my nose in hopes it would tighten it and reduce the roundness of the tip. Guess what…it didn’t work. It still spreads across my face when I smile. The marble is still hanging there but it is what it is. There is nothing I can do about it. It is what was given to me, so I have resigned myself to that fact.
No, surgery is not an option. You got the money for that? I know I don’t, and I have been under the knife enough.
Ya know what I haven’t had enough of yet? Vacation days? Yup, but for now I’m talking coffee and all its deliciousness. Come on, let’s grab that sad, empty cuppa and meet in the kitchen. I made some more of that freshly ground Dunkin Donuts coffee. It is soooo good. Fill your cuppa and let’s look for some nibbles. I must say I am running low on all the fun stuff, but there are some candied peanuts up there in the top cabinet.
No, the top cabinet.
The top one.
Right there.
In front of your face.
Reach up, open the door and…
Good job. Oh, look, there’s some pretzel sticks in there. I forgot I had those. Help yourself to the nibbles, grab your cuppa and copy of Creating Character Emotions by Ann Hood and meet us on the reading rug. We are on page 123. Tuck in my friends.
Okay, one of the keys to writing resignation is to remember that it is not the same as regret or sadness. Resignation is when your character accepts what is. Understanding the love interest does not love them. They did not get the job. The illness is not curable. Now regret isn’t far off from resignation. In some cases, regret comes first. It says in the book that resignation feels truer if the character has traveled through the emotion of regret.
Resignation is a good emotion to take one of your characters through. It feels real. Take a couple through a breakup because of a regretful event. Have a character receive a horrible diagnosis. Take these characters through the swamp of emotions of anger, hope, sadness, regret, and eventually resignation. We’ve covered a few of these emotions already. Take a look at some of my prior posts to get an idea of how to write them.
Side note: As we age, we tend to leave regret behind. I cannot change my nose. I cannot change the things that were. All I can do is live for today and each that comes after. Regret is a waste of time. I have resigned myself to what is and accept it openly.
Homework:
Sadly, all Ann Hood offers in the book are to rewrite her bad examples.
- My suggestion is to take a look back into your own life at things/moments you regretted but learned to let it be. It could be relationships that ended, jobs lost, or you quit, words you can’t take back. Write those moments out and feel the resignation you have for them now.
Until next time my friends– read ahead if you are RESTLESS, because that is what we will cover next.
Please remember that I am not trying to write this book for you word for word. I am skipping a lot of detail. I highly suggest you purchase the book and read between the lines.
Polish your sparkle and keep twirling.
Find joy. Be joy. Enjoy.
I’m always looking for new friends!
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