Where to begin? Let's start with Seekerville Story Marathon

Hello Seekerville! Annie here. Today I want to play a little game, but before we get to that, I want to ask you a question. How do you begin writing? 

About a few months ago, I had someone tell me they would like to write a book. I encouraged them to, but they are befuddled on how and where to begin. It's not as easy as it sounds, is it? I then went and basically asked everyone - in person, on the phone, and on social media, "how do you begin?" It's not only how does one begin, but it's also the question of where and what.  Here are some of their responses:

"I don't know. I just write everything down." 

"I started journaling, writing my day."  - Klarissa M.

"I read." - (multiple)

"Words don't always come. So I start with a people chart." - Cecily

"Brain dump 10 minutes a day. I write whatever comes to mind." - M.A.

"Random jotting of words and thoughts." - Joanne K.

"Think about something you care about and write your thoughts about it." - @pens_andwrittenwords

Real - life stories of beginnings:

"I wrote as a child and then as a high schooler did a novella for a project where I had to learn about publishing. Then I did MANY NaNoWriMos and started going to writing conferences and really studied what publishing was about." - @createexploreread


"I have written as a hobby since junior high. I didn’t show my stories to anyone except family and close friends and didn’t plan to ever pursue writing as a career. When I was in my mid-later 20’s I began working on a book I felt more passionate about than the rest, and after a lot of soul searching, plus moving overseas and quitting my full time teaching job to stay home with my son, I started thinking that maybe I wanted to switch careers a write professionally, for publication. So I worked, worked harder, learned craft, cried, and pitched my novel and got rejected a whole lot, learned more craft, and cried some more until finally somebody say the magic word: yes! And now, my debut novel is under contract!" - Haylie Hanson, (debut coming soon!)


"I'm a strange case...I started my publication journey after working in publishing, in the marketing department of Bethany House. I've been writing for as long as I can remember, though, and reading everything I could get my sticky little hands on at our small elementary school library. Every now and then I'd look at the shelf where "Green" was and imagine having books there someday. So I guess you could say that I started with an overactive imagination and just enough perseverance to occasionally finish one of the many fiction projects I started." - Amy Lynn Green, debut author


"My writing journey began when I told a friend I had an idea for a book and she told me I should write it. No one had ever suggested I actually write something when I shared an idea. I never even thought myself to actually write something. It was as if the idea never occurred to me. After that, I started writing an outline and fell in love with storytelling immediately. I'm not published yet, but since that moment of talking to my friend, I've written two novels, a couple short stories, a novella and I'm working on my third novel." - @lunasluckymoon


"I started with a writers course through the Christian Writer’s Guild that introduced me to mentors that taught me the process as I wrote my first manuscript. Then I started attending writers conferences, which is where I pitched my story and met with agents and editors. This led me to signing with my agent and with my publisher for my books. ☺️" - Natalie Walters, published author

Let's start together! Presenting "Seekerville Story Marathon":

I know it's not easy. I, like many will have no idea where to begin, but I do know that sometimes, the best ideas come out at the least expected of times. So why not start together? When I was young, my sisters and I (sometimes add in some cousins) would play this game called "Word Marathon." Eventually it led to "Story Marathon" which is basically a game to test our improvisational skills. The objective is to "create" a story at the spur of the moment.

This was how we played:

1. One person started with a word or a sentence.
2. Another person followed on with a word or a sentence that continued from the first person.
3. And so on and so forth. Easy, right?
4. The last person left standing to continue the story successfully won.

The tricky part of this games is that no one knows where the story is going, since the next person may completely change the direction of the story. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's suspenseful and some times, it makes no sense at all.

So, for this Seekerville Story Marathon, we will do steps 1 through 3 as follows:

1. I will start the story first with one sentence. 
2. The next person, please leave in the comments, the next sentence or sentences of this impromptu story.  (Write as much as you'd like.)
3. Everyone will continue on from the previous commenter's "sentence(s)". 

To make it easier for us to know it is part of the story, please put your sentence(s) in "quotes".  

Feel free to come back and continue on even if you've commented before, but it must continue from the last commenter's input. 

One random commenter who participated in the Seekerville Story Marathon, will be selected to win  "A Writer's Starter Pack" curated by me. Sorry, US participants Only.  Giveaway ends 2 PM EST, December 18, 2020 and winner will be announced on the Weekend Edition on December 19, 2020. I will also post the completed story from this Story Marathon sometime that week. Prize subject to  Seekerville terms and conditions set forth for giveaways. 

START: 

"Dashing through the snow, little Ruthy couldn't wait to get home to show her mom what she had found." 

Now it's your turn. GO!