Saturday So What Spotlight: Bonnie Gwyn

Today marks the four year anniversary of this blog. Four years of  Mormons, Mommies, and Writers supporting and lifting each other over the rough stuff. I think it fitting that it falls on a Saturday So What Spotlight, the day when I turn it over to the readers to guest blog about a challenge that they face in their MMW lives. Today's MMW is my new friend, Bonnie Gwyn - a truly obsessed writer, author, and editor – who never goes a day without penning several hundred words. She is currently crafting a fantasy romance series called The Legends of Elldamorae. The first book, Freedom’s Wings, is in beta right now and the second, Living Fire, is in the works. Bonnie also engages in singing, song writing, and enjoying the tranquility of her Northern Idaho home. Visit her at www.bonniegwyn.com

  A Story to Tell – MMW Guest Blog by Bonnie Gwyn

When I was little, creating things enchanted me. I loved to turn common things into treasures, and every little thought or fantasy found a part in a world that only I could create. It was in my mind, and it was my job to bring it all together before sharing it with the people around me.

To this day, I’m still trying to do just that. The fantastical land that now hosts my books has existed in my mind for longer than I remember. As I grew up, it grew up, and the characters changed from children to adults. Their problems and experiences transformed right along with them.

Those characters are like a part of the family. And that’s why I’m still so determined to tell their story. I owe it to them for being so patient with me.

My series, The Legends of Elldamorae, has gone through more rewrites than I dare count. With every one, I pray it will be the last. It delights me so much to finally say that the first book is written, and that – after all of these years – I am happy with it. :)

The problem now is pressing forward with the rest. When NaNo came around last November, I faced once more my constant nemesis: the white, blank page. Sadly, before my count made it past 10,000, writer’s block set in. Been battling that enemy ever since.

But it’s a new year, and I’m going to make it count, because – no matter my blockage – I have a story to tell.

Everyone has a story to tell, be it their own, or the story of the voices that reign inside their head. Yes – there are voices, and they can drive you crazy. But when you listen to them, they give you insight into themselves that you never saw before. You might feel like a lunatic, but really, listen to the voices – they know what they’re saying. Imagine how it would be if someone was trying to tell your story – wouldn’t you want it done right? (I like to side with my characters. Sue me!)

Every story has a beginning – maybe the creation of a world, or the birth of a hero destined for greatness. Whatever it is, it’s a starting point, and it’s up to us to find where it leads.

Inside that space that appears to be blank, there’s so much to discover – a journey of excitement that only you can explain. That’s the amazing thing about writing – and also the scariest. It’s yours. One of my greatest fears has always been that I’ll die before I get this right – that I’ll let my characters down and never tell the story. (Yes, I talk about my characters like they’re real people.) So this year, my goal is to get it done.

Let’s all get out there and tell the story – make it happen! Find the things in your writing that give you a passion for the work, and then run with it like there’s fire at your heels.

Oh, and one last piece of advice: pray about your writing. It’s miraculous what can happen when God is involved in our every endeavor. He will help you. :)

I wish you all the best of luck and a happy new year. Make 2013 exactly what you want it to be!

Bonnie Gwyn