I sat at my desk top computer one day staring at the blank white page. I could hear the rain pounding at the window. My mood was somber, there was no place to be other than to stare at the blank white page in front of me. The world had shut down, my business as a hair stylist cease to exist; a pandemic made sure of that. I needed to start fresh, needed to do something new, something I always thought about doing. It was then that the blank white page was no longer blank.
Forming the beginning of a plot
I had lived a very ordinary life. I'm not the kind of person who likes to talk about themselves. I'm a very quiet person. I spend a lot of time with my grandchildren or writing. I love to read, my favorite books are the outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and I've read everyone. I like telling stories, just ask my grandchildren. I would rather tell someone else's story or make up characters who might live in far away places. To me, it's much more exciting and less boring than telling my own stories. It's not that my life has been boring, it's just that I could be more creative with my story if I were to write in another point of view.
So, I needed a main character. What shall I call her? Well, I always like the name Mandy, it sounds like a fun name. Maybe she's another ordinary girl who's confused about who she is. Maybe she wonders if the God her mother told her about even loves her or worse yet, God is disappointed in her. Mandy only knows two things, God is mad at her for reasons she doesn't quite understand and that she is confused over so many things that had been told to her as a child. Sounds like Mandy has a lot to figure out but perhaps she gets help along the way.
Then I had another thought for the main character, I'll start her story from a very early age. At this point maybe all little Mandy knows is that her mother was safe from the scary world around her. Yes, Mandy is an ordinary girl who goes on a spiritual journey. Along the way, extraordinary people and the intercession of an unwavering spirit guides Mandy at critical points throughout her life.
So that's how my mind began to conjure up a plot and a main character for Spiritual Journey of an Ordinary Girl and where my writing journey began. On a rainy day with no place to go and staring at a blank white page.
Ann Marie Piche, Author, and Inspired Writer
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