Suddenly Seldom Is (Guest Post by Shirley Miller Kamada)
“The Moment That Changed My Life Forever” is a commonly used plot device in contemporary films, often portrayed as a glorious, shining instant, perhaps with rising chords of background music, maybe even fireworks. In writing workshops, this is referred to as “the epiphany.” Borrowed from the Christian celebration of the arrival of the Christ, it is derived from an ancient Greek word meaning to appear . The use of it has become so commonplace in modern storytelling as to be considered a bad tactic, but that doesn’t stop any of us from using it. Life, as we know, is full of epiphanies, moments of intuitive knowing, at times minor, as in the moment we realize that we might not get a tummy ache if we don’t eat so much candy at holidays. But at times, if we are lucky, epiphanies can be major moments. A life can spin on them. Perhaps, like deus ex machina , that is why they make such a compelling strategy for authors. In my recently released YA historical novel, Zachary: A S...
