by  Jennifer Chastain,  @JenniferCwrites

Have you ever felt as if your writing well has dried up? That you couldn’t imagine another story, let alone pen a coherent sentence? I’ve been there, done that and am currently in a different season of life. The past four months have been particularly challenging for me writing-wise. 

In December of 2021, we sold our house and moved in to help take care of my aging parents. We prayed about it and felt that selling our home was the right thing to do. A year passed and my parents were doing fine, they just needed some extra help around the house. 

We were second guessing our decision. Did we misunderstand? Perhaps we should’ve waited. After all, there were now four adults living under one roof. We combined two households and believe me, it was challenging. Looking back, I wouldn’t change this decision for the world. 

And then in July of this year, we received some devastating news. My dad’s colon cancer had returned and had spread throughout his body. 

The Lord saw fit to take Dad quickly, for which I’m thankful. He’s not in pain and he’s up in heaven alive and whole again. Let me tell you, if I didn’t have my faith and church community, this time would be even more difficult.

If you’ve ever lost a loved one, you know how difficult it can be to resume a “normal” routine. It feels as if normal will never return. 

So, what did I do? How did I manage to continue writing?

 At first, I didn’t write. Not a single word. No new story ideas. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Between the paperwork and settling accounts, I had nothing left in my tank. Writing another romantic suspense story just didn’t excite me. 

Instead, I signed up for a one-day webinar on how to write a flash fiction story. As much as I didn’t want to attend, I did it anyway. 

I’m glad I attended. The class took my mind off my situation and challenged me to write something different. At this time, I knew I couldn’t write a 75,000-word novel. But a complete story of 750-1000 words seemed do-able. 

Here are some strategies I used (and continue to use) to help me as I write:

1. Find someone to talk to. There is no shame in asking for help. 
2. If you are a person of faith, lean into your faith. I found I was praying more during the day as I went about daily tasks. 
3. Make sure you don’t cut yourself off from others. 
4. It’s okay to cry, to grieve. 
5. Find a routine that works for you. If you only write one day a week for fifteen minutes, make the most of your time.
6. I started writing down ideas for flash fiction stories and have even written a couple more. These short stories are wonderful ways to get the creative juices flowing.
7. Give yourself some grace.

We all grieve in our own ways. Grief is a funny thing, not funny “ha-ha” but funny in that it sneaks up on me at the strangest times. I’ve sat at my work desk and cried. But that’s okay too. Even Jesus cried when he heard of Lazarus’ death. 

So, take heart my friends. We all enter different seasons of life at different times. Some seasons are more difficult than others. But each experience only serves to draw us closer to God and to be a blessing to those around us who are struggling. Because we’ve been in their shoes.

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Targeted for Elimination Book 2: Lethal Pursuit

Hidden feelings.

Deadly secrets.

A lethal pursuit that will change all their lives.

Heather Jensen is just trying to survive after her husband’s death. Widowed with two young children, Heather struggles to make ends meet. But when she receives a storage unit key for a locker in Hawaii, things go from desperate to dangerous. With nowhere to turn, she enlists the help of her brother’s former best friend, Mark Hawkins.

FBI Special Agent Mark Hawkins is on the trail of counterfeiters, and he’s traced the laundered money to Heather. In his gut, he knows that his former best friend, Heather’s brother, is responsible, but everything points to Heather and her deceased husband.

When events turn deadly, it’s a race against time.

But a greater danger awaits them in the exotic paradise of Hawaii. No stranger to dangerous situations, Mark has faced death before. But this time, the danger is personal. Can he protect Heather and her children without losing his heart in the process?

Ever since she was a little girl, living in her small town in New York State, Jennifer Chastain has been a voracious reader. As a teen, she dreamed of embarking on epic adventures and exploring the world, just like all the characters in her favorite books. Instead, she writes suspense-filled romantic adventures, full of faith. A northern transplant, she has grown to love the grace and charm of the South. In fact, she even married a native Charlottean. Jennifer is a member of ACFW, ACFW-NC, Blue Ridge Reader Connections and Novel Academy. Several of her other stories were finalists in the Blue Ridge Mountains Foundations contest and she was a finalist in the Touched by Love contest. Her stories contain themes of redemption, grace, and forgiveness. During the day, she works for a research center at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. But on nights and weekends, she is a writing ninja, cramming in as many words as possible. A hopeful romantic, Jennifer loves dark chocolate, Diet Coke, and a good rom-com, whether in book or movie form. Find her at: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon / Newsletter