Storyteller Hearts
star wars + film (plus a peek into chapter one of my middle grade novel)
Dear Wildflowers,
Some mornings upon waking, the air seems drenched in an “almost-spring” kind of smell — there is a dampness, a subtle warmth, a scent of mud and melting things. And yet, the evenings, though lengthening slowly but surely, still darken far sooner than I’d like. So we have remained tucked inside, thus leading to nights spent movie watching.
Don’t hate me for this, but I only just now (for the first time ever) watched all of the Star Wars movies (excluding the sequels — we’re getting to those soon). I don’t know how this happened, seeing as my brothers have been avid fans of the franchise since they were little. Somehow, though, I never got around to watching them myself when we were kids.
I’m pleased to say that I thoroughly enjoyed each of them, though I think my favorites were the prequels (maybe that’s a hot take? I don’t know!) Revenge of the Sith was a particular favorite of mine. Though I knew the ending, it was heart-wrenching nonetheless. Obi-wan’s dialogue as Anakin is burning made me tear up — I really wasn’t expecting to react so strongly while watching these movies. You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you. Absolutely heartbreaking!
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Though I love books and often think of them as my favorite form of storytelling, I always forget how much I’m drawn to the art of film. I used to always be that person chanting the mantra “the book was better” after watching an adaptation, but then I took a film class and realized one isn’t necessarily “better” than the other. Instead, they are different creative art forms used to tell a story. A book may give you more detail and more insight into the character’s mind, but with a film, you can guess at what a character is thinking based on facial expressions, body language, the tone/colors of the setting, etc.
I think of the 2019 version of Little Women all the time. One of my favorite things about that movie was the way the director played with color. The timelines hopped back and forth between past and present, and one way the director indicated this shift was through the change in color. The past was warm and bright (think yellows and golds), whereas the present was much darker — deep blues and grays. The shift in color not only indicated the change of time, but it reflected the tone of what was going on in the characters’ lives. It reflected childhood and the pains often met with growing up. It reflected the hardships of change. This gave the director freedom to jump around rather than tell the story in its sequential order, which I found very creative and intriguing.
I think about this in regards to the original Star Wars movies. When the first movie came out, my dad was sixteen years old. I couldn’t get over just how good the movie looked, even after all these years. The practical effects, the sets, the painted backdrops — it all opened my eyes to just how big the world of Star Wars actually is. In fact, I texted my dad while we were watching and asked him if this movie blew his mind back in 1977, and he said it was revolutionary. He remembers driving all of his friends to the theater to see it for the first time, and they were all blown away.
That’s something film and books will always have in common, I think. Generation after generation will continue to enjoy them, because deep in our hearts, we are all storytellers who can find pieces of our own hearts in the stories we cherish and love. And with all these thoughts of stories on my mind, I decided I wanted to share a different piece of my writing with you today — fiction.
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Back in 2020, I started writing an allegorical story that was heavily inspired by Hinds’ Feet on High Places. After a few months of consistent writing, I set the novel aside and didn’t touch it for years. There was no real reason for this, other than the fact that so much had changed in my life, and I had questioned whether or not I wanted to be a writer at all. So when I picked it back up in 2024, I completely started from scratch and transformed the story into a middle grade fantasy. I completed my first draft in May of 2025 and spent most of last year querying. It received countless rejections (such is the life of a writer!), so I have since set it aside while I begin work on another project I’m really excited about. But I thought, why not share a little bit of it here with you?
Before you begin, here’s what the back cover would read (for now, at least):
You can find the prologue and chapter one below if you’re interested in reading!
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Thanks for reading — I would love to know which of the Star Wars movies is your favorite, so please share!
Next week’s post will be a little different from my normal, but I’m really excited! I’ve been wanting to incorporate more gardening related things on my substack, so I’ll be sharing some of my spring and summer gardening plans. Stay tuned! :)
Keep Blooming,
<3 Taylor Blayse
And Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One are my favorites!
I recently came across your account (probably because of our similar publication names 🤭), and I already love your writing! Your book sounds so beautiful and ethereal. I cannot wait to read more and see how God continues to use your gifts. 🤍