There are people in this world who carry light within them. Real people and imagined. Some spread their light like a gentle sunrise, some like a guiding star. Others blaze like a perpetual supernova.
Some are luminous like lightning.
Exploring these variations is part of why I write. I want to get into the head of the wallflower who speaks up in a voice that is shockingly strong, to experience the paradigm shift of a character when their chronically whimsical friend shares a quiet piece of wisdom at just the right moment.
Some of the most compelling characters are those who carry themselves through profound darkness and challenge us to see the goodness in them, only for us to be blinded by the flash of brilliance at their core when it finally shows itself. Angst is a popular trait for heroes and heroines. This lightning moment when their true nature is revealed is what readers (and writers) are waiting for.
The lightning should never come as a surprise. Rumblings of thunder in the distance, shadows cast on the wall from a flash of light behind that disappears before anyone can see where it came from; there must always be clues that foreshadow the strike that changes everything.
This moment can be even more profound when two arcs of lightning strike at once, merging across the tapestry of a storm. That is what I strive to create in the moment when my main characters realize they love each other, that their love is returned, and that whatever difficulty they’re facing or that comes after, they will face together.
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