The Bravery Hidden Inside

One of the things I love about writing is discovering who my characters really are.

Strength is easy to write. Bravery is harder because real bravery rarely looks the way we imagine it should. Often, it is something others recognize long before we do. It shows itself in what we do despite the situation or circumstance—how we react when we’re scared, tired, or full of doubt. It’s choosing to move forward even when no one’s cheering us on. Getting up each morning knowing the day is going to do its best to knock us down.  

I spend a lot of time learning each of my characters’ histories—their hurts, their victories, their life choices. What makes them react the way they do? Are they going to push through or give up? Are they reliable or unpredictable? Will they step up when no one else will, or will they run?

Kenna, the main character in my The Fire and The Serpent series, doesn’t see herself the way others do. She sees every weakness, every hesitation, every moment she wishes she were stronger. But the people around her see something else. They admire her willingness to keep going even when things are hard. They love her passion and devotion to her team—her refusal to leave anyone behind. 

Until now, Kenna has let fear and doubt shape who she is. But one by one, she is facing each of them and pressing through. She is at a pivotal moment in her life where her true character is being refined and the strength hidden inside her is coming to light. Every choice she makes is changing something inside of ‌her, whether she realizes it or not.

As Kenna hones her skills and becomes more confident in her gifting, she must also face her greatest doubt: her self-worth. Until she can let go of the way she perceives herself, she will miss the fullness of who she is called to be. 

Her journey is no different from ours. Her doubt, her anxiety, her fears—they run parallel to our own. And just like Kenna, we often discover that bravery was there long before we believed it ourselves. 

Sometimes the strength we are looking for is already there—it simply needs the fire to bring it to light.