Ability to Storytell Part II

By Kelly Bridgewater

Last week, if you missed it, I wrote about a number of things I did to spark my imagination as a young girl. It is important to read that before reading this post because they go together. Go ahead. 

Read that post. I'll be waiting.

Right.

Here.

Go.

 . . .

Welcome back.

Part two begins here:

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As long as I could remember, I have been telling stories to entertain myself. In fourth grade, I started to write stories down. I would even write different endings to movies that I liked, for instance, the Mighty Duck series. Or I would write down stories that happened in the fall or around Christmas to cool myself and remind me of those feelings we all get at the holiday season. I wrote a number of stories featuring haunted houses, mansions, forests.  

When I entered high school, there was a journalist program, where you could write for the school newspaper. Since I wanted to write and had no other creative outlet at the time, I signed up and wrote for my high school paper for three years. But my love was still creative writing. I needed some outlet for my imagination to flourish, so I started stories while sitting at my desk in class. Of course, I didn't do it when I was supposed to be working on school assignments, but every spare moment, I was scribbling away in a number of diaries that I turned into my creative outlet.

After a number of years of getting married and having three boys, I graduated with my Bachelor's in English with a minor in Creative Writing. While the creative writing part did not spark my imagination, thanks to a certain teacher, I did write stories to earn my degree.

In graduate school, I earned a MA in Writing, and I opted to complete a creative thesis where I had to write and defend a 120 page creative collection of short stories. It was different, but it still didn't seem to be the best stories I could write. I understood I was working on the process, but it didn't feel that inspiring.

Since graduating and being a stay-at-home mother who is homeschooling our third son, I have completed four complete 90,000 words romantic suspense novels. They were exciting, and I love seeing how far I could push the button with my characters.

In the past three years, I have fallen in love with World War II history set in London. I have done tons of research and keep watching documentaries on what happened in London. I have outline, very roughly, the idea for three World War II novels set in London during 1938-1940. I have the heroines and the heroes lined up and waiting for me to write their story.

But two years ago on October 31, my Daddy died. My creative juices tanked. I haven't written anything, and I mean nothing. Not a short story. Not a summary. Not a plot synopsis. Nothing. I sit at the computer, and my mind goes blank. I have looked over a number of my novels, but nothing sparks an idea. 

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In the past couple of months, after months of praying and worshiping God to bring my desire of my heart back, I get flashes of inspiration, and have picked up a number of research books to read and take notes, but I haven't actually gotten into the mood to write anything yet. There are days I hear the Lord nudging me to sit back at my computer and write, so I think the days are coming, but not yet.

I honestly can't wait to get back into my creative zone and write my World War II novels. I think they need to be told. During this trial with my Daddy's passing and other issues in my life, I think I can make the faith journey more humbling for my readers, which is what I really want to accomplish anyways.

Sorry for the long posts!

What about you? Can you trace your writing journey? Where did it start? Are you stuck in a non-writing world right now? Hints to get out of a non-writing funk.