Tag: WritingLife

New Year, New Stories: Finding Fiction in Fresh Starts

Welcome to Story Insights, our Friday exploration of writing life and creative discovery. Here you’ll find real-time insights from my writing desk, reflections on the writing journey, and ways current events can enrich our fiction. Whether you’re mining life for story ideas or seeking deeper meaning in your work, Story Insights helps you connect craft with creativity, reality with imagination.

As 2025 opens, Bret Johnson, the protagonist of The Boaz Student, faces his own new beginning. Like many questioning their inherited beliefs, he returns to school after Christmas break, knowing everything has changed. His former youth group friends have chosen sides. His sister’s questions grow bolder. His parents’ concern deepens.

From the Writing Desk

This week’s challenge: capturing the weight of return. How does a seventeen-year-old navigate a familiar space when he’s no longer the same person who left it? In Chapter 16, Bret walks those school halls with new awareness, seeing the prayers posted on lockers, the Bible verse announcements, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes posters through changed eyes.

Progress: 873 words, mostly focused on the subtle shifts in hallway dynamics. Sometimes the smallest details carry the most truth.

Real World Resonance

A local news story caught my attention: “Students Lead Interfaith Dialogue at Mountain Brook High.” While different from Bret’s experience, this story of students creating space for diverse beliefs offers interesting parallels. The article describes how a student group organized lunch meetings where peers share their various faith traditions and philosophical perspectives.

What fascinates me as a novelist:

  • The courage required to start difficult conversations
  • How physical spaces (like a lunch table) become symbolic
  • The ripple effects of small actions
  • The power of student-led initiatives

Transforming Truth into Fiction

This real-world story enriches my understanding of Bret’s journey. While he starts his philosophy club from a place of questioning rather than inclusion, both narratives share core elements:

  • Young people seeking authentic dialogue
  • The school as both setting and symbol
  • Community resistance to change
  • The price of speaking up

Writing Forward

As we begin 2025, I’m reminded that every story is about transformation. Whether in fiction or life, new years and new chapters share this truth: change demands both courage and cost.

Next week: examining how winter’s starkness serves story themes.

Use the Contact form to schedule a phone call or a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.

The Pencil’s Philosophy—Endings and Beginnings: The Writer’s Journey Through Change

THE PENCIL'S PHILOSOPHY - THURSDAYS
Welcome to The Pencil's Philosophy, my Thursday focus on writing as transformation. Here you'll explore how writing connects to deeper understanding, how questioning leads to growth, and how stories transform both writer and reader. Whether you're seeking truth or finding your voice, these posts guide your journey of discovery.

At year’s end, writers face a paradox: our stories need endings, yet every ending seeds a new beginning. Like our characters, we navigate constant change, each completed draft launching us toward the next story.

The Cycle of Creation

Endings and beginnings interweave:

  • First drafts end in revision’s birth
  • Character arcs close as new ones emerge
  • Stories conclude as ideas spark
  • Years close as fresh pages open

Writing Through Transition

Change demands:

  • Letting go of old stories
  • Embracing uncertainty
  • Finding rhythm in chaos
  • Building from endings

The Writer’s Evolution

Each story transforms:

  • How we see the world
  • What questions we ask
  • Which stories we choose
  • Where we find meaning

Moving Forward

Your writer’s journey mirrors your characters’:

  • Face the unknown
  • Accept change
  • Find truth in transition
  • Begin again

As this year ends, remember: every period ends a sentence, but also marks the space before the next one begins.

Use the Contact form to schedule a phone call or a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.

First Edge—Starting Your Writing Journey in the New Year

FIRST EDGE - WEDNESDAYS
Welcome to First Edge, my Wednesday focus on beginning novelists. Here you'll find practical guidance, encouragement, and permission to start your writing journey. Whether you're thinking about writing or ready to begin, First Edge offers the support you need to take your first steps.

Merry Christmas!

So you want to write a novel in 2025. That dream has been waiting, hasn’t it? Waiting while you read craft books, watched writing videos, followed author blogs. Waiting while you thought about characters, imagined scenes, planned someday. Today, let’s turn someday into Day One.

Your Permission Slip

Dear Writer,

You have permission to:

  • Write badly
  • Start in the middle
  • Not know the ending
  • Change your mind
  • Make mistakes
  • Begin again
  • Call yourself a writer

Signed,
A Fellow Beginner

Your First Steps

  1. Choose Your Starting Point
  • A character who won’t leave you alone
  • A scene you can’t stop thinking about
  • A question you need to explore
  • A story that demands telling
  1. Create Your Space
  • A corner desk
  • A favorite chair
  • A morning coffee shop
  • A quiet library nook
  1. Set Your Schedule
  • Early morning words
  • Lunch break paragraphs
  • Evening chapters
  • Weekend writing

Simple Truths for Beginners

  • All first drafts are messy
  • Every published author started exactly where you are
  • Your voice matters because it’s yours
  • There’s no single “right” way to write
  • You learn by doing

Your Writing Foundation

Start with:

  • One dedicated writing hour
  • One notebook or document
  • One story idea
  • One commitment to yourself

Build from there.

Practical First Week Plan

Day 1: Write character notes
Day 2: Sketch a scene
Day 3: Explore setting
Day 4: Draft dialogue
Day 5: Connect ideas
Day 6: Review and plan
Day 7: Begin your story

When Doubt Creeps In

Remember:

  • Every writer starts as a beginner
  • Perfect is the enemy of written
  • Progress beats perfection
  • Small steps create novels
  • Today is always the right day to start

Moving Forward

Your novel begins with one word, then another. It grows sentence by sentence, scene by scene. The only magic is in starting, in putting words on the page, in giving yourself permission to begin.

2025 is your year to write. Not because you’re ready—no one ever feels completely ready. But because your story matters, and it’s time to tell it.

What will you write first?

Use the Contact form to schedule a phone call or a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.

Sharpening the Edge—Mid-Book Crisis: Wrestling with Chapter 15’s Plot Snarl

SHARPENING THE EDGE - MONDAYS
Welcome to Sharpening the Edge, my Monday focus on real-time novel writing. Here you'll find insights from my current work-in-progress, sharing challenges, breakthroughs, and solutions as they happen. Whether you're in the midst of your novel or planning to start, these posts offer practical experience from the writing desk.

In The Boaz Student, Chapter 15 finds Bret Johnson at a crucial turning point. After challenging the mandatory prayer at a school assembly, he faces escalating isolation. The plot threads have tangled: his former youth group friends’ increasing hostility, a surprising ally in his skeptic philosophy club, and mounting pressure from both faculty and family.

## The Current Snarl

– Bret’s private doubts becoming public stands

– The philosophy club’s growing influence vs. administrative resistance

– Former best friend Marcus’s betrayal of confidence

– Family dinner scene that threatens to expose everything

## Working Through It

1. Mapped core conflict: Authentic self vs. Community acceptance

2. Listed consequences: Social isolation, family tension, academic impact

3. Identified subplot connections: Other questioning students

4. Connected to theme: Cost of intellectual honesty

## Today’s Breakthrough

While outlining possible paths, I realized Bret’s crisis parallels his younger sister’s growing curiosity about his changes. Both must navigate between comfortable acceptance and uncomfortable questions. This parallel strengthens the theme and clarifies the plot direction.

## Next Steps

1. Revise confrontation with Marcus

2. Strengthen sister’s subplot

3. Layer in consequences of assembly protest

4. Build tension toward family Christmas dinner

Sometimes plot snarls reveal deeper story truths. What looked like a structural problem was actually a character development opportunity.

Progress today: 847 words

Cumulative draft: 42,316 words

Use the Contact form to schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.

The Pencil’s Philosophy—Why Stories Matter Most When Times Are Hard

THE PENCIL'S PHILOSOPHY - THURSDAYS
Welcome to The Pencil's Philosophy, my Thursday focus on writing as transformation. Here you'll explore how writing connects to deeper understanding, how questioning leads to growth, and how stories transform both writer and reader. Whether you're seeking truth or finding your voice, these posts guide your journey of discovery.

In times of hardship, whether personal or global, stories become more than entertainment—they become lifelines. Today, let’s explore why the act of writing and reading stories takes on deeper significance when challenges arise.

Stories as Shelter

When the world feels overwhelming, stories provide:

  • A space to process complex emotions
  • Distance to examine difficult truths
  • Safe harbors for healing
  • Windows into hope and possibility

Writers aren’t just creating entertainment; we’re building refuges.

The Power of Making Meaning

Stories help us make sense of chaos by:

  • Organizing experience into narrative
  • Finding patterns in randomness
  • Creating order from disorder
  • Discovering purpose in pain

Through story, both writer and reader transform confusion into clarity.

Stories as Bridges

When isolation threatens, stories:

  • Connect us across distances
  • Remind us we’re not alone
  • Share universal experiences
  • Build empathy and understanding

Your story might be the bridge someone needs to cross from despair to hope.

The Courage to Continue

Writing during difficult times requires:

  • Facing our fears on the page
  • Transforming pain into purpose
  • Finding light in darkness
  • Creating when destruction looms

Every word written is an act of faith in tomorrow.

Why Your Story Matters Now

Your writing matters most when:

  • Truth seems uncertain
  • Hope feels distant
  • Connection is needed
  • Understanding is crucial

Your voice might be the one that helps another hold on.

Stories as Resistance

When hardship threatens to overwhelm, stories:

  • Preserve what matters
  • Protect what’s precious
  • Protest what’s wrong
  • Promote what’s possible

Writing becomes an act of courage, hope, and defiance.

The Responsibility of the Writer

In difficult times, we must:

  • Write with honesty
  • Share with courage
  • Create with purpose
  • Speak with compassion

Your words might become someone’s compass through the storm.

Moving Forward

Write not despite the hardship, but because of it. Your stories matter now more than ever. They’re not just entertainment—they’re essential survival tools for times like these.

Remember: Stories helped humanity survive every dark age. They’ll help us survive this one too.

Keep writing. Keep sharing. Keep believing in the power of story to light the way forward.

Use the Contact form to schedule a phone call or a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.

First Edge—Permission to Write Imperfectly During the Holidays

FIRST EDGE - WEDNESDAYS
Welcome to First Edge, my Wednesday focus on beginning novelists. Here you'll find practical guidance, encouragement, and permission to start your writing journey. Whether you're thinking about writing or ready to begin, First Edge offers the support you need to take your first steps.

Dear Beginning Novelist,

The tree needs trimming, cookies need baking, and your novel… well, it’s sitting there, waiting. That blank page seems to mock you with visions of perfect prose while holiday chaos swirls around you. Today, I’m giving you a gift: permission to write imperfectly during the holidays.

The Reality of Holiday Writing

Let’s be honest about what writing looks like right now:

  • Ten minutes between wrapping presents
  • Notes on your phone while waiting in shopping lines
  • Early morning words before the family wakes
  • Late night paragraphs after the celebrations quiet down

This isn’t your normal writing routine. And that’s okay.

What “Imperfect Writing” Looks Like

  • Unfinished scenes
  • Plot holes you’ll fix later
  • Character names in [brackets]
  • Notes to yourself in the margins
  • Dialogue without tags
  • Description you’ll flesh out later

All of these are perfectly imperfect ways to keep your story moving forward.

Why Imperfect Writing Matters

Your story doesn’t need perfection—it needs existence. Every word you write, no matter how rough, is:

  • One more brick in your novel’s foundation
  • Proof that you’re committed to your dream
  • Progress toward your goal
  • Practice in your craft

Simple Strategies for Holiday Writing

  1. Lower Your Word Count Goals
  • Normal day: 1,000 words
  • Holiday version: 250 words
  • Even 50 words keep your story alive
  1. Embrace the Fragments
  • Write scenes out of order
  • Capture dialogue snippets
  • Jot down setting details
  • Note character insights
  1. Use Holiday Moments
  • Channel family dynamics into character relationships
  • Turn holiday stress into story conflict
  • Transform festive settings into scene backgrounds
  • Convert real conversations into dialogue

Your Permission Slip

Dear Writer,
You have permission to:

  • Write badly
  • Write briefly
  • Write randomly
  • Write imperfectly
  • Write differently than usual
  • Keep your story alive however you can

Signed,
Your Writing Coach

Moving Forward

Your novel doesn’t need your perfection—it needs your presence. Even small, imperfect efforts keep your story breathing during this busy season. Come January, you’ll be grateful for every word you wrote, no matter how messy.

Remember: Imperfect writing can be revised. Unwritten stories remain untold.

Keep writing, dear novelist. Your story matters, even during the holidays.

Use the Contact form to schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss any aspect of your first novel. The first thirty-minute appointment is FREE.