Summer is here and I'm finally free to get down to the nitty-gritty of book two! It's been a struggle these last few months to make time for writing; The Heir of Ariad consumes so much of my time and energy that it's difficult to set aside a precious hour for its second installment. But thank God, the school year is over, and free hours stretch uncharted ahead of me.
Now all I have to do is break this writer's block.
It's been a dry spell, to say the least, a phenomenon I still haven't learned to conquer. I've prayed all along for inspiration, and though God has delayed somewhat, I know His reasons are for my good and for the good of the story. This time has allowed me to focus on The Heir of Ariad and my obligations there, but also to work out some of the details of book two that didn't quite satisfy me in my rough draft. I'm a big believer in having a plan before I start pounding out a story, and I think God has given me this time to step back, take a breath, and contemplate the direction of the plot.
A couple nights ago I stayed up late in the kitchen, doing my daily bible reading. When I finished I thought, Maybe the best way to get inspired is to go back to the source of inspiration itself—the story that gave birth to the Heir in the first place. And so, in short, I did.
I wasn't struck by any lightning bolts of revelation in the process, but my passion and awe for this epic chapter in history were renewed in a very real way. I think I needed that re-calibration, the reminder of where The Heir of Ariad came from, where it's going, and why I felt called to be its scribe. It is the story of an awesome God and His work in each of our lives, the story of a flawed instrument used by his Creator for great things, a story of the epic, unparalleled adventure that is following Jesus into the unknown.
This Thankful Thursday, I'm praising the Lord for inspiration, for the burst of renewed passion and conviction to press on, and for the urge that brought me back to the basics: His Word, where the story began.