Write your own happily ever after!

I recently attended a writing workshop and one segment of the course focused on character development and creating character arcs.  For non-writers, that means starting with a character that is unfulfilled and in denial and forcing them to challenge their beliefs about themselves and the world throughout your story or script.

People hate change. People resist change. We would rather stay in an unfulfilling job, or relationship that is safe and familiar than make changes.

This is why we connect to characters on the screen big and small because they are just like us. The characters resonate with us because they are us. The difference is that at the end of the film or show there is resolution and if a rom-com, typically a happy ending.

Sadly, this isn’t a film or a book. This is your life. The happy ending might not end up being “And the girl gets the guy, or the guy gets the girl, or the girl gets the girl or the guy gets the guy!” It might end something like this:

He or she (insert your name here) finally realizes that change can be for the better. That your happily ever after ending might not include getting the girl or the guy, but finding yourself and how wonderful you are without the guy or the girl.

We all want happily ever after, but perhaps we should shift our perspectives and consider the countless other happily ever after scenarios.

Maybe we don’t stay in a loveless marriage or relationship. Or maybe it’s not loveless, but sexless and they’re your best friend. Whether you choose to leave or stay, be open to creating your own rules and not following some one-size-fits-all blueprint of what a happy relationship or life looks like to everyone else.

Embrace change. Accept change. Something is not always better than nothing. Write your own rules. Write your own story. Create your own happily ever after. Screw the script. Stop acting. This is your life.

The End.