Day Three: The Stories I Carry, and the Ones I Hope to Tell

On becoming an author and finding my voice.

I’ve always been drawn to stories. There’s something about a book that’s always felt a little bit magical to me. The way a collection of words can transport you somewhere else. introduce you to people who feel strangely familiar, and make you feel things you didn’t quite have the words for before.

A good story can stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it. Sometimes it changes the way you see the world. Sometimes it reminds you that you’re not the only person who has ever felt the way you do.

And sometimes, it gives you a little hope.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be an author.

It’s a dream I’ve carried with me, one that has grown and changed alongside me. And while I love the idea of writing books, of seeing my words printed on pages and sharing stories with people I’ve never met, I think the reason I write goes a little deeper than that.

Because I know what it means to carry a story of your own.

The Stories that shape us

We all come from somewhere.

We each have a history, a collection of experiences that have shaped the way we see ourselves, other people, and the world around us. Some memories we hold close. Others are more complicated. There are things that have made us who we are that we might struggle to explain to someone else, even if we wanted to.

My own background hasn’t always been easy.

I won’t pretend that every chapter of my life has been a beautiful one, or that becoming the person I am today has been a straightforward journey. There are experiences that have shaped me in ways I am still learning to understand, and parts of my story that have taught me things I wish I hadn’t needed to learn so early.

But I am beginning to understand that our past does not have to be the only thing that defines us.

The things we've experienced can influence us without determining everything we will become. The difficult chapters are part of our stories, but they don't have to be the final ones.

Perhaps that's one of the reasons I am so drawn to writing.

I'm fascinated by people, by the things they carry quietly, by the decisions they make, and by the ways they change through the experiences they never expected. I love stories about love, forgiveness, second chances, and the possibility of beginning again.

I think I'm drawn to the moments when a character has every reason to give up, but somehow finds the courage to keep going.

Perhaps, in some small way, those stories remind us of something we need to hear ourselves.

That we are more than what has happened to us. That there can be beauty after heartbreak, growth after disappointment, and hope even when the way forward isn't entirely clear.

I don't think every difficult experience needs to be turned into something inspirational. Some things are simply hard, and they deserve to be acknowledged as such.

But I do believe there can be meaning in the way we choose to move forward.

And I think that is something worth writing about.

Why I write

For me, writing is about more than putting words on a page.

It's about taking something that exists in your mind or your heart and finding a way to give it shape. It's about exploring the questions we don't always know how to ask out loud and creating characters who can wrestle with the things that make us human.

Sometimes I write because I have a story I desperately want to tell.

Other times, I write because there's a thought I can't quite let go of, a feeling I want to understand, or an idea that keeps returning until I finally sit down and give it somewhere to live.

I love the possibility that something I create might mean something to someone else.

Perhaps a reader will recognise themselves in a character who is learning to trust again. Perhaps someone will read a story about a second chance and be reminded that their own life is still unfolding. Perhaps a few pages will offer someone a little comfort on a day when they need it.

I'll never know every person who might one day read my work, or what they might be going through when they do.

But I love the thought that words written in one place, by one person, can reach someone somewhere else and make them feel a little less alone.

That is the kind of author I hope to become.

Not necessarily one whose books sit on every bestseller list, although I would be lying if I said I didn't dream about seeing my books in the hands of readers one day.

I want to become an author who writes stories with heart. Stories that make people feel something. Stories that stay with them, perhaps not because every sentence is perfect, but because something about the characters, the journey, or the ending speaks to a part of them.

I want to write books that remind people of the beauty and complexity of being human.

And I want to keep learning how to do that, one page at a time.

The place my faith holds in the dream

My faith is part of my story, too.

My relationship with God shapes the way I understand the world, the way I think about my future, and the things I hope my life will stand for. It influences the stories I am drawn to and the values I want to carry into the things I create.

I don't believe that having faith means every uncertainty disappears.

I still have questions. I still have days when I wonder whether I'm doing enough, whether I'm on the right path, or whether the things I dream about will ever become what I hope they will be.

I think that's part of being human.

But my faith reminds me that I don't have to have the whole picture figured out before I take the next step.

It also doesn't mean that every dream will unfold exactly as I imagine it, or that every door I hope will open necessarily will. Rather, it encourages me to bring the things I care about to God, to work faithfully with what I have been given, and to trust Him with what I cannot control.

So I pray about my dreams.

I pray that I will have the courage to pursue them, the discipline to keep working when progress feels slow, and the humility to learn when things don't go as planned. I pray that whatever I create will reflect the values I hold close and, in some way, be a source of encouragement to others.

I want my faith to be more than something I write about occasionally. I want it to shape the way I live, the way I treat people, and the way I approach the opportunities in front of me.

Including this one.

I don't know exactly what my writing journey will look like in the years ahead. I don't know which stories I will tell, who will read them, or what doors might open along the way.

But I know I can begin where I am.

I can write the page in front of me. I can keep learning. I can be faithful in the small things and leave the outcome in God's hands.

For now, that is enough.

The dream of becoming an author

A dream becomes a little more real when you say it out loud. Suddenly, it's no longer just an idea you can keep tucked away somewhere safe. It becomes something you might actually have to work towards, something that will require time, patience, courage, and a willingness to be a beginner.

For me, becoming an author is one of those dreams.

I've had the privilege of publishing books of my own, including children's books inspired by the Fruit of the Spirit. There is something rather surreal about taking an idea that once existed only in your mind and seeing it become a real book, with pages someone else can turn and words someone else can read.

One of the projects particularly close to my heart is 20 Life Lessons for New Christians, published with Ark House.

My faith is such an important part of who I am, and being able to create something intended to encourage others in their walk with God means a great deal to me. I hope that the lessons shared in the book can offer encouragement to people who are growing in their faith and learning what it means to follow Jesus in their everyday lives.

I want to write books that people look forward to reading. I want to develop my craft, find my voice, and create stories that feel honest and meaningful. I want to look back years from now and see how much I've grown, how many ideas I've brought to life, and how many times I was brave enough to keep going.

There is still so much I want to learn.

But I am learning that I don't need to wait until I feel completely ready to take my dreams seriously.

I can start now.

I can keep writing, keep creating, and keep sharing my work. I can allow myself to be proud of the little steps without pretending I've already reached the destination.

And perhaps that is what this season of my life is about: learning to give the things I love the time and attention they deserve, even while I'm still figuring out what comes next.

Written & Whisked is one small part of that.

A place for the stories I write, the things I create, the lessons I'm learning, and the ideas I hope to bring into the world. A place where I can practise, grow, and share a little more of myself along the way.

It may look like a small beginning, but every book I've ever loved began with someone sitting down to write the first page.

The stories still waiting to be told

I often think about how many stories are still waiting to be written.

The ones that haven't quite taken shape yet. The characters who haven't found their voices. The ideas that might arrive unexpectedly one afternoon and refuse to leave until I finally sit down and explore them.

And I think about my own story, too.

There are chapters I have already lived, chapters I am living right now, and chapters I haven't even imagined yet. I cannot rewrite everything that has come before me, and I cannot know exactly what lies ahead.

But I can choose what I do with the page in front of me.

I can keep learning to tell my story with honesty. I can pursue the dreams that matter to me. I can trust God through the uncertainty and remember that my worth is not measured by how quickly I achieve the things I hope for.

Most of all, I can keep writing.

Because somewhere along the way, this dream became more than the idea of having my name on the cover of a book. It became about creating something that might outlast a passing moment. Something that might encourage someone, move someone, or simply remind them that there is still beauty to be found in the world.

I don't know where this journey will take me.

But I hope that years from now, I will still be sitting down to write, still dreaming up stories, still learning, and still grateful that I gave this dream a chance.

And if you're someone with a dream of your own, perhaps you don't need to have every step mapped out either.

Perhaps you can begin with what you have, where you are, and trust God with the rest.

For now, I'll keep writing the stories that are on my heart, one page at a time.

And I'll see where they lead.

With love,

Chatty 🤍

Founder of Written & Whisked

(Follow my socials - Instagram: @WrittenandWhisked)