Reader's Block

It's no secret that I like to write stories. Lately, in various groups I'm involved in, I've been asked to share my story.

MY story. When people say this, they mean, "tell us who you are and where you've come from." And when the others in the groups do this, that is exactly what happens. I've gotten to know some beautiful souls, seen the blessing God poured on them through or in spite of their history. So in two weeks when I do this again, it should be pretty straightforward.

But here's the catch. I keep wanting to know my plot. I skim back through the pages of life I've lead and I try to fit it into a story structure:
Inciting incident - um, birth.
Goal/Noble Quest - to honor God. To be His, and all that entails. (Okay, and if I'm honest to achieve my success du jour.)
Motivation - because it's right. Because it makes me happiest, because I love him.

Though any good plot plan goes on from there, I get stuck at Noble quest. Because for a novel, that is a lame one. I mean, it's valid, but it's not specific enough. It doesn't ignite a passion in the reader to see this character succeed.

Okay, well, maybe I can back into it. See the obstacles the character faces and deduce what path they're on through the experiences. Uh... I mean, the obstacles are definitely there on a variety of levels, both internal and external. But they don't run in a clearly outlined pattern. They don't point to the achievement of a single end. I can't always see the point.

I guess it's good that I have two weeks to figure out how to piece the first twenty-eight years of my life together into a succinct story format that will comprise volume one of a three part series (fingers crossed!) that is titled--oh, so creatively-- Kimberly and God Take a Walk. Or I have two weeks to get over this weird hang up and just tell people how many siblings I grew up with in Washington.

Either way, what strikes peace amidst the writhing swirls of confusion in my heart is that I'm not the author. I get to be the character. So, I don't need to see the ending. In fact if I could, that would be a pretty sorry story. Can you say cliche? No, pressure's off me to understand this set of obstacles and where they're taking me. And, too, it's pretty cool to be a main character. It means God's going to make stuff happen. It means I am going somewhere, because the author of all Creative thought does not write drivel. Thank you, Writer, Living Word, for this life and for spending it with me. All my love.