Deus Ex Machina
Please read to the end. I need your help.
All my favorite stories have one thing in common. They have what writers often call “the dark night of the soul”.
It’s the moment when our hero is abandoned, crushed and broken, when they’re filled with despair and all hope seems lost. In that moment, we see what our hero’s are made of.
And then they get up, and they win.
A great example is in the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers at the Battle of Helm’s deep. They’re told all they have to do is survive the night. When morning comes, just as they’re preparing for their final stand, the Riders of Rohan arrive and they win together.
Something I dislike in stories is “deus ex machina”, when after the dark night of the soul, someone else comes and wins the fight for our hero. It just feels like all the pain was wasted and I’m cheated out of seeing their growth manifest.
For example: In Frozen Two (spoiler alert) I wish Elsa had been too late. I should probably let it go, but I deeply wish the wave had destroyed the city. Because the Northuldra tribe could have helped rebuild and we could have seen, in action, all the themes the movie was building from the beginning. The alliance they forged could have been more than just a friendly handshake.
Now for the ask.
I got some good news and some bad news today.
The good news is that a family friend from Ukraine and her son now have refugee visas, just in time for his birthday.
The bad news is that in this dark night of the soul, they only have the clothes on their backs.
So, despite my inhibitions as a writer, I’m inviting you to be the deus ex machina to their story. (Or the Northuldrans, or the Riders of Rohan, as you prefer.)
They don’t know yet, but we’ve set up an Amazon wishlist of things they’ll need. If you can, please send them something and surprise them. Let’s make this the best thanksgiving and birthday they’ll ever have. (Find the wishlist here)
If you’re not in a position to help financially, we appreciate prayers, and you can like/comment/share this post to help it reach more people. (I don’t normally ask for that, but this isn’t for me.)
If you want to help in some other way, please, message me.
On a personal note:
My kid has decided to be a pianist.
