Your Happily Ever After

Text of Full Talk: Your Happily Ever After by Dieter F. Uchtdorf

As you may know, I am currently writing a young adult fantasy novel. Recently, in my search for songs to inspire my writing, I came across the song "Happily Ever After" by Jenny Phillips, which was inspired by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk "Your Happily Ever After," given at the 2010 General Young Women Meeting.

(Due to a kink in the Youtube site, while I could post the shortened video of the talk above, I wasn't able to actually embed the shortened video of the song. I urge you to visit it at the link provided below.)

"Don't give up what you want most for what you want now."

I don't recall the first time I heard this adage, but I've been thinking about it especially of late. I've always loved fairy tales and stories with fairytale elements and endings--and what's wrong with that? Why shouldn't the guy get the girl, and why shouldn't they live happily ever after? Maybe this is just a part of me that will never grow up, but I just don't like bittersweet or unhappy endings.

No one gets to choose the circumstances of their birth or their childhood. But while we may not be able to control our "once upon a time," each of us has full control over our "happily ever after." We are each the master of our own destiny. I truly believe that every one of us can have our own happily ever after, and that each of us is responsible for making that fairytale ending a reality for ourselves. There is no one else to blame or give the credit to for our decisions. And while we cannot choose our consequences, if we make wise choices in the first place, we will naturally end up with the best possible outcome.

"Everything will work out in the end. If it hasn't worked out yet, then it's not the end."

If we are faithful to our Father in Heaven and to the promises we make to him, there is no power that can keep us from a happy eternal ending. While there will be hardships and heartbreaks in this life, I know that in the next life, we will be blessed for our diligence here on earth. The key is to never give up, and to set our sights on our dreams and to never relinquish them or compromise ourselves.

One of my favorite lines from the song is "be true to the royal that's inside of you." I personally know that the words to this song are more than just a metaphor. We are truly each a beloved son or daughter of heavenly parents, a prince or a princess, a king- or queen-in-training. But if we are to inherit our eternal destiny, we must first lay the groundwork for it. We must keep God's commandments. We must remain true and faithful to the very end. We must see each and every day as an opportunity for continued growth, a new beginning. I know that each one of us has the potential to become like our Father in Heaven, if we but stand strong in our testimonies.

I would like to close this message by posting the full words to the song, as well as a link to the shortened video that accompanies it.

Happily Ever After on Youtube by jennyphillipsmusic

Happily Ever After

(Jenny Phillips/Tyler Castleton/Cherie Call)

Once upon a time

A child was born into this life

Heaven could be seen in her eyes

There was no doubt she was divine

And if you are still you will feel the truth

That the princess in this wondrous story is you

It’s your time

It’s your destiny to shine

So arise

Be true to the royal

That’s inside of you

Don’t settle for the story that

The world would have you write

You were born to reach eternal life

Let faith fill every chapter

Let the Savior lead you to

Happily ever after

Sometimes in your life

The world will cast a spell

And try to make your conscience fall asleep

And forget the woman God would have you be

But if you are still you will understand

The noble role you play in his plan

It’s your time

It’s your destiny to shine

So arise

Be true to the royal

That’s inside of you

Don’t settle for the story that

The world would have you write

You were born to reach eternal life

Let faith fill every chapter

Let the Savior lead you to

Happily ever after

When the forests fills with darkness

And wolves seek your soul

Just know

You are simply in the place between

Your once upon a time and your triumph in the end

It’s your time

It’s your destiny to shine

So arise

Be true to the royal

That’s inside of you

Don’t settle for the story that

The world would have you write

You were born to reach eternal life

Let faith fill every chapter

Let the Savior lead you to

Happily ever after

What a Novel Idea!

So for the last couple weeks I've tried to pick up where I left off with National Novel Writing Month. After determining that the plot I'd attempted in November was unsalvageable, I stole my main characters from that story, and am now writing a new story featuring the two of them. I haven't gotten terribly far along yet in the actual writing phase, but I'm going strong on creating backstories for all my characters and in creating the world and history (it's a fantasy novel).

I've been doing a fair amount of reading on the side to get ideas for improvement. I'd recommend my favorites so far, Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell, and Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card (although, if you're looking for an updated version that includes exercises, try Characters, Emotion, and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress).

Easily the best book on novel writing in general, though, would have to be The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman. I can only compare the quality of this book to that of Strunk and White's classic Elements of Style. The First Five Pages gave just the kind of specific instruction that I've been craving.

One rule to concise writing that Lukeman describes is to improve the quality and limit the overall number of adverbs and adjectives you use. Similarly, a longtime favorite of mine, On Writing the College Application Essay by Harry Bauld, offers profound advice on the subject: "Nouns are the bones of writing; verbs are the muscles....An essay flabby with adjectives [and adverbs] weighs a reader down." This gem by Mark Twain also illustrates the point: "Substitute 'damn' every time you're inclined to write 'very;' your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."

And now I should probably be getting back to my writing (and the cleaning of my room). My space is littered with mind maps detailing various internal conflicts, and I have yet to determine which character is screaming for a Magenta personality/aura. Perhaps I'll try this exercise, lifted from Inspired Creative Writing:

"Having trouble visualizing a new character? Write a list of twenty objects she might carry or wear. Don't think too deeply about this, just write down whatever comes to mind. Next, write a series of short sketches describing exactly how your character came by these items. Try to describe what the item means to her, and how she would feel if she lost it. You may never use these character sketches, but...they will give you--and your reader--a clearer sense of who your character is."