A Conversation with Christen Ballard on: The Story Behind the Story
A staircase in the woods. A question that refuses to fade. And a journey through darkness that asks what it truly means to choose the light.
For Christen Ballard, storytelling began almost as soon as she could type: first through handwritten journal entries encouraged by her mother, then through superhero tales created for her nieces and nephews. Those early stories weren’t just play; they became the foundation of a lifelong calling. Today, Christen writes as a witness, inviting readers not just to follow a story, but to pause, reflect, question, and step carefully across the thresholds we all encounter.
The Conversation
What first sparked the idea for this book? Was it a moment, a feeling, or something that stayed with you over time?
The idea for this book came when I was around eleven or so. I was hiking with my family when we found a set of stairs in the woods that led to nowhere. It gave me the idea for a book titled "The Steps that Lead to Nowhere". I tried many times to write the story, but when it was finally finished, that title didn't seem to fit it anymore, hence why it is now called Threshold of Darkness.
Is there something about the story that readers might not immediately see, but that matters deeply to you?
Something many readers will not immediately see, or may even think is a mistake, is how I refer to the Darkness throughout the book. In Threshold of Darkness, there are two 'higher powers', so to speak. The Light and the Dark. From the beginning, both words are capitalized. For the Light, it makes sense. It represents God and all things good. But Darkness is also capitalized, giving it a sense of power and foreboding. However, when the Light refers to the darkness, the word is no longer capitalized, showing the reader that the Darkness never had power over the Light. And, spoiler alert, when the main character eventually chooses the Light, the word darkness is no longer capitalized when she refers to it either.
Did the story change as you were writing it? If so, how?
The story definitely changed from its first inception. Originally, it was more of a Cinderella/Bluebeard story. The main character was mistreated by her aunt and cousin, but was then taken in by her grandmother and told not to go up the attic stairs to a mysterious door that led to nowhere. Then it morphed into being about a patient care tech in a nursing home, helping a patient with PTSD after her husband vanished through a mysterious door. Eventually, it became what it is today, and I couldn't be happier!
Was there a part of the book that felt especially difficult or personal to write?
There were a couple parts of the book that were very personal to me. The main character, Naomi, is a 'self-insert' in a lot of ways. Her hurt over her parents stems somewhat from my hurt over my biological parents. Her frustration and questions to the Light are similar to the ones I had. And her anger about different circumstances within the book mirror my own. I have struggled a lot with my faith and with trusting God and that struggle was something I wanted to express. Too often, people treat God as a fix-all or they display Christianity as solving all problems, but it can be a struggle. And when the Light reaches out to Naomi, when it doesn't force her to choose it, but shows her unconditional love, despite her initial frustration and unbelief... I cried while writing that part, because it is so personal to me.
Looking back now, what does this story represent for you?
Looking back, I think this story represents a visual of how I felt growing up, struggling with my faith. How difficult it felt. How dark it felt sometimes. But then also how Christ never left, but shone through, breaking up the darkness and reminding me of His love and care.
Closing Note
Some stories begin as a question we don’t yet know how to answer. Others begin as an image that refuses to leave us. For Christen Ballard, it was a staircase in the woods ... quiet, unexplained, waiting. What she built from it is not just a story, but a reflection of doubt, faith, and the quiet persistence of light.
Stay Connected
If this conversation resonated with you, you can discover more stories from indie authors through Hidden Voices, where writing is not just about being seen but about being understood.
