Exorcising the Past
Hello Everyone, I hope all is well with you and that even though the world at large feels like its chaotic, your particular corner is safe and happy. Here in the UK, we have been experiencing unusually hot weather which has been both a blessing and a curse. Obviously, going out is always better when the sun is shining but trying to sleep on a hot, humid night in a house designed to keep heat in, can make things very unpleasant. But I am not here to complain about the weather, (even though that is a traditional pastime of the British), instead I thought I might focus a little about how my books are written. I think one of the most common things I am asked is, where do you get your ideas from? Now, obviously, everyone who writes has a different process, so what follows is just mine...
I think when I started to think about writing a book, I had grand ideas about writing sweeping, epic tales, filled with characters and plotlines that were completely removed from my own life. I had read many classic novels, like 'Anna Karenina', and decided I could also effectively write about Russian society. It rapidly became abundantly clear; this was ridiculous belief. So, having failed, I heard about the idea of 'writing what you know' and that became my starting point. I had wrongly thought my life was way too dull, too ordinary and mundane to be able to fashion any kind of engaging story. Oh, how wrong I was! Every one of us has had experiences, some common such as love or loss but others, perhaps not so much. It then occurred to me; I could try and loosely base a story on real events from my own life. Suddenly, the words flowed and it's been thankfully the same ever since.
Having spoken with many authors who write supernatural/fantasy books, some do go through a similar process. I suppose it's safe to assume, if an angel/centaur/knight/goblin is preparing to declare their undying love for another character, they will experience the same anxiety, soul-searching etc as any human being.
I would also say, by using your own life experience, it does help make a story more relatable for the reader. Over the years, I've always been incredibly touched when someone reaches out to me and says, 'that happened to me' or 'I've felt exactly the same way.' Furthermore, there have been times when I've been contacted that something within a story has made them question things they had believed. This happened with my very first novel 'Hidden Within', where women who had always considered themselves completely heterosexual, found themselves aroused by the sexual scenes between the two female characters. I'm not suggesting any of them acted upon it but reading the book, obviously made them think again about how they define themselves.
There is no question, there have been moments when I've found myself writing a story that has somehow become a kind of therapy journey. This is particularly true with 'After The Rain', which I began to write during an especially difficult episode of depression. I was at my lowest and in a desperate attempt to find some kind of distraction, I started to write. Strangely, without really thinking about it, the character of Athena Mae Bower, started to say everything I needed to hear. I don't know how that happened but, I am eternally grateful for it. By the end of the writing process, I had found answers for some really deep-seated questions and had somehow created a novel.
As the title of this post suggests, there are also times when an author can exorcise the past. Some will base a character on an unpleasant person in their real life, very often a school bully, and through the story, say or do everything they wished they'd done at the time. It can be extremely cathartic to painlessly wreak havoc on someone who hurt you in the past. Better yet, the school bully rarely-if ever- recognises themselves, so there's no risk of a lawsuit, although I would strongly suggest, not using the same name!
Finally, writing a story is really about communicating an idea or thought to another person, and hoping, that if you do it well enough, by the last page, they will have been entertained, intrigued and hopefully moved. There are threads throughout my work, where just writing a relevant paragraph can give me a fresh, more positive perspective on a past event. Like I said before, I don't know how that happens, maybe seeing it written down, provides the necessary clarity, who knows?
Anyway, I hope this goes some way to answering the original question and maybe even inspire some of you to write as well, now that really would be a wonderful thing...time for me to sign off for now, so thank you again for being here, and as always....
Take care out there xx
