Creative Writing - What is the Backstory?

[dljbsp]

I originally came up with this as a personal study exercise. I was doing it on my own, and then it occurred to me that it might be something we could share here and benefit from together—especially by hearing different voices and tones.

 

The idea is simple: What might be the backstory behind some of the pictures we see in our Watchtower Study lessons?

 

For some, reading this thread may simply be enjoyable. For others, the real value may be in writing their own backstory before reading what anyone else has written. This isn’t about comparison, creativity contests, or “better” interpretations. It’s about reflection and learning from how others think and express themselves.

 

To keep things readable, please try to limit your contribution to no more than one page.

 

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How the Exercise Works

Each week, the images come from the Watchtower Study that was considered the previous week.

The article “God’s Love Is Enduring” (considered the week of December 21) included two images:

– a boat anchored in stormy or rough seas
– a man facing several problems, illustrated by three labeled circles
 

Choose one image from that study and imagine a possible backstory that fits the lesson being discussed.

Please work on your backstory now, but wait until the MONDAY after your Watchtower Study has been considered before posting. You may begin posting tomorrow morning, allowing time for personal and congregation reflection.
 

The key point is to write before reading what others have shared. No advance prompting will be given for next week.

 

[dljbsp]

I Chose the man with the problems: from 12/21 WT
 

Jim sits on the bench with his hands clasped, eyes lowered, not because he has run out of answers — but because he has reached the point where answers aren’t enough. The water behind him is still, the trees, unmoving. Yet his thoughts are anything but quiet.

 

Earlier, he carried a small tray into the bedroom, careful not to wake his wife, Beatrice, as he set it down. He lingered there longer than necessary, watching her breathe, wishing he could do more than just be steady.

 

At the table later, papers spread out in front of him, he studied the numbers again. Jim wasn’t looking for relief — just enough clarity to make wise decisions and not be ruled by anxiety.

 

And then there was his daughter, Samantha. Sitting close beside him, following the words in her book, trusting his voice. He felt the weight of that trust — not pressure, but responsibility.

 

So now he prays. Not to escape these things, but to meet them well. To care for Beatrice. with tenderness, to handle the finances with discernment, and to guide Samantha toward loving Jehovah from her own heart. Nothing changes in the scene behind him — but inside, he is anchored.

Edited December 22, 2025 by dljbsp

[Barbllm]

Boat anchored in stormy seas

 

She was going to throw up again. She was seated on a bunk and didn't dare stand up for fear that another wave would crash against the boat, and she'd lost her balance and fall or throw up. The weather report had said calm seas and it was sunny when they'd left the harbor but without any warning, the winds lashed the sails and she'd gone below decks to make sure the bilge pump was working properly.

 

The storm continued, unabated. Seawater sloshed over the deck and drenched the small sail they'd kept up. She had just deployed a parachute anchor which she knew worked differently than a regular anchor. It was designed to keep the vessel afloat during a storm, not keep it tethered to the seabed. The biggest fear she had was that the boat would eventually be broadside to a wave and capsize, trapping her underneath. While the waves rocked the boat continuously, and movement was difficult, she knew that the boat was still seaworthy. 

 

The bilge pump was working. Good. 

 

How much longer? She wondered as the captain, her husband, checked all the instrumentation. 

 

"We should be okay for now," he said. She only nodded. "I think the storm's almost over." 

 

"I hope so." She finally replied, feeling the boat rocking less than before.

 

They had prayed together shortly after setting sail and again once the storm began, and she silently thanked Jehovah that they would make it out of this alive and unhurt. 

[dljbsp]

Lesson 42


Hannah stood a little apart that day.

 

She always did when the family gathered. Elkanah laughed with his children, lifting one up, then another. Peninnah watched, smiling, knowing exactly what that scene said without a single word spoken. Hannah looked away, not because she was angry, but because it hurt to look too long.

 

People often think pain comes from harsh words. Sometimes it does. But sometimes it comes from quiet reminders — children running past, small hands tugging at robes, a house filled with sounds you were never asked to make.

 

Elkanah loved Hannah. That much was clear. He tried to comfort her, tried to reason with her, tried to make her feel whole. But love cannot always fill an empty place. And Hannah knew that explaining her sadness would not make it disappear.

 

So when she went up to Jehovah’s house, she did not rush her prayer. She stayed. Her lips moved, but her voice barely came out. There were no fancy words. No careful sentences. Just honesty. She told Jehovah exactly how she felt — the shame, the longing, the weariness of carrying it day after day.

 

Eli noticed her. He misunderstood. But Hannah did not lash out. She calmly explained that she was not out of control — she was pouring out her heart. And when she finished, something changed. Not her situation. Not her family. But her spirit.

 

She left with her face lifted, not because her problem was solved, but because she had placed it where it belonged. She was no longer holding it alone.

 

Later, Jehovah would answer her prayer in a beautiful way. But even before that happened, Hannah had already found relief — the kind that comes from trusting that Jehovah sees, listens, and cares.

 

And sometimes, that is the first answer we receive.