Reflecting on Silver Line of Power

My first and favorite story, Silver Line of Power.

Today, I’m writing about a literary journey. These are my thoughts on my first story "Silver Line of Power," which was based on a dream I had when I was nine. I had seen several western and civil war movies, and always thought it would be cool to grow up in the cowboy era. I made a quick note of my dream in my dream journal, but didn’t actually start writing it as a story until I was 14.

As I write about my first real story, "Silver Line of Power," I’ll delve into the origins of my storytelling process and explore the evolution of my style and perspective as a writer. This reflection, according to the competition rules, “allows me to celebrate the growth and transformation that comes with the passage of time.”

In my story, Silver Line of Power, I introduce my future readers to the unique friendship between two soldiers, Samuel and Arthur, who fought on opposite sides during the Civil War. The story, told through Arthur's perspective, found his unlikely bond with Samuel at a neutral bar that offered respite from the conflict, and allowed both sides to drink their beers and whiskeys peacefully. I attempted to illustrate the fact that all sides of a war have human fighters, and we can all be friends, even amidst the chaos of war. And maybe if more people tried to make friends with people who disagree with us, we could negotiate with our friends to a peaceful resolution to any conflict instead of fighting and killing each other.

At the height of the story, Samuel drops a hint about attacking Arthur's base, Arthur doesn’t understand the hint until the next day, and by then it’s to late and Arthur fails to avoid killing Samuel, which brings a tragic twist to my narrative. The following paragraph has a reunion of their ghostly forms. They casually discuss the fact that neither of them wanted to fight in this war, and they both killed each other over a fight they didn’t even want to be in in the first place. This adds an additional layer of depth and thought on the futility and senselessness of armed conflicts.

Reflecting on my early work, I can observe the seeds of my storytelling talent, or what I hope is my talent. My story demonstrates my ability to create relatable characters, (again, I hope they’re relatable) explore complex relationships, and infuse a touch of the supernatural to evoke emotions and provoke thought. It was a testament to my imagination and my desire to convey deeper messages through my writing. I enjoyed writing this story and sincerely and genuinely hope my readers enjoy reading my stories.

How has the evolution of my style, themes, voice, and perspectives as a writer changed since I wrote Silver Line of Power? Good question! As time has passed, I’ve undergone significant growth, influenced by personal experiences, people I’ve met, books I’ve read, shows I’ve watched, and opinions I’ve formed, amongst a few other things. I’ve read an abundance of literary works since then, and have had several evolving perspectives on life. I have had many opinions change and change back several times, and have learned a lot. It’s been a hell of a process and I’ve had a great time continuing to write.

My present-day writing style has become more refined, my stories more intricate, and my characters are a lot more nuanced. My themes have expanded to encompass a wider range of topics, reflecting a deeper understanding of the human condition, society and the world around me.

My viewpoints have slowly transformed over the years, not necessarily changing (although one or two have changed) but just becoming more complicated. This has been shaped by my personal growth and a broader awareness of the people and things around me.

I’ve embraced new storytelling techniques, not always writing things in a simplified, macabre way, experimented with different genres like love and political writing, and explored diverse perspectives to expand my creative horizons. I always try (and sometimes fail) to understand the other side of someone’s perspectives, which makes it easier to create a diverse set of characters when I’m writing. ALL of my characters have at least one different opinion then the other characters, even if I personally disagree with those opinions. But hey, that’s what makes my characters unique and fun to read!

Today, let’s all celebrate our first stories! For all of us on vocal have at least two very unique talents, imagination and the ability to use our imagination to write a story.

Taking this voyage of rediscovering our first stories allows us to celebrate our ever-evolving talents and inate ability to write.

My first story, Silver Line of Power, serves as a great milestone in my creative journey, marking the beginning of my love for writing and my future of writing, with many more great stories that came after. I can’t explain the joy I get when I write new stories and create new characters, so you’ll just have to write a new story of your own and see for yourself!

As I continue to write and share my stories, I will embrace the evolution that comes with each new piece. I will enjoy writing every word, embracing the growth, the challenges, and all the nice surprises that pop up along the way. And lastly, I hope everyone enjoys reading my stories too!