Most people think of stories about birth as warm and cuddly pieces, filled with glowing parents and happy babies. The truth, of course, is that there are as many ways to be born as there are people to experience them. And while every birth story contains two important characters - a mother and a baby - there is a whole slew of other participants that can make for a not-so-heartwarming piece.

Does a good drama have to include a birth? Certainly not. However, having discussed last month that emotions are inherant to a dramatic piece, the beginning of new life certainly seemed a good place to, well, start. A mother of three, I can testify that the birthing process contains a great deal of emotion - and I didn't even swear at my husband.

There are a miriad of stories to tell, however, that aren't so bright and cheerful. Consider the first chapter of Dean R. Koontz' 'Lightning'. A mysterious stranger stops the doctor from delivering baby Laura by kidnapping him until the delivery is concluded. The stranger ties up the doctor and delivers a lecture on sobriety and a warning that the doctor will die if his habits are not changed. Once the baby is born, the stranger cuts the ropes partway and leaves, never to be seen again. Talk about an intriguing birth story that never comes near a baby!

Or look at the birth of poor Wade Hamilton in 'Gone With the Wind'. To Scarlett O'Hara, who cannot flee burning, Yankee-assaulted Atlanta until Melanie has delivered the new baby, the new life is nothing but a nuisance.

Consider the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, who sprung, fully formed, from her father's head. Now that's the way to go - mom skips not only the delivery but also the anxious teen years!

And no matter what you believe, it is difficult to deny that story of Jesus and his birth still has reprecussions around the world. If nothing else, consider the fate of the other baby boys born in Bethelehem at the same time.

I'd like to conclude with a real-life occurance of birth I experienced before I ever married or had children. My sister dropped out of high school and wound up pregnant at seventeen. Despite promises that my mother would help her raise the baby, my sister decided to put the child up for adoption. The tense atmosphere of the delivery room hung over everyone as my mother struggled with her emotions, feeling pushed out of her natural place as grandmother by the adoptive mother. Emotions ran high that day, and not all were warm and happy.

Stories about birth have serious potential for drama. I'd like to challenge each of you to consider childbirth from a different angle - or even from the everyday angle - and write a short story.