| Writing Fiction: Is Anything Really Make~Believe? |
| "To the One who weaves the clouds, The One who weaves our fate, We bow before Thee, And ask Your blessings upon this gathering Of Your servants." Author unknown |
| Hi! This is my "fiction" page. I guess I question whether anything we write is really fiction, or just the working out of issues or inner demons through a creative outlet. I'm not a therapist, but I have come to realize that one reason I write is because I was victimized when I was a child. This person has never been brought to justice; as the world knows it. My hope is that one day he will have to answer for his actions. I believe in Karma 101: What goes around, comes around. Anyway, in my stories, you can bet that ultimately, the bad guy will get what's coming to him. It's my way of dealing with injustice in the real world. Be assured, however, that the HOW our bad guys meet their reward, is the fun part. WHAT TYPE OF THINGS DO I WRITE ABOUT? My fictional writing is almost entirely historical in nature. Time frames range from 500AD to 1300, and from 1500 to roughly 1700. I have stories set in England, France, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Holland, and United States when it was still the colonies. My novel, Rose's Kiss, is set in 1309, England. The sequel to this novel, takes place 3 years later but involves some time-travel back to the 500's AD. The whole collection of the Abbey Chronicles will have very definite spiritual undertones. They are not classified as Christian Fiction however. I have other stories in the works that are not "spiritual" at all. When the term "Christian Writer" is used, it is correct in that I am a Christian and I am a writer, but I do not neccessarily write Christian fiction. (ala Frank Peretti). I am mostly interested in anything historical that is not easily explained. I have several writing books full of exercises and tips. Some are very helpful, and useful to me especially regarding writing poetry. But I think the best way to learn to write is TO WRITE! Just do it. Of course, everyone gets better with practice. Once you find your voice, that unique way YOU tell a story, there's no stopping you. I still write in a spiral notebook and convert it to the computer later. That serves as a phase of editing for me. I almost always have music playing when I write. Personally, I like Celtic instrumentals the best; Irish flute is hauntingly beautiful. Thundering drums of a Bodhran builds momentum in my writing, I picture a group of riders thundering over the moors to kick some $%&#@..... I also like higher pitched wind chimes, if I'm writing in my garden. Sometimes a painting or other artwork will spark a line or even a whole story plot. An old portrait of an ancestor is always cool to write about. What secrets are they keeping ? A piece of interesting jewelry can do the same thing. For me, these would all be very old things, because I write about the past. You can find inspiration everywhere! By writing regularly, even a paragraph or 2 a day, will open your eyes to so many things around you! HOW DO I COME UP WITH A STORY? You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you. But I will! It is the process I use, every writer is different. I respect all writers and their art. For me, I already know my stories will be historical in nature, for that is where my heart is. Usually middle ages, but not always. I am also drawn to unexplained mysteries in history or nature. Things like the fact that if you draw lines from one sacred site to another across the globe, it forms a grid pattern; ley lines, some say of spiritual energy. Sites like Mayan temples, stonehenge and other stone circles, pyramids, ect., Another thing that intrigues me is the theory of time travel. No, I am not a freak. Einstein believed it to be true. Several mathmatical geniuses believed it is possible. Quantum physics. I have an open mind. Another thing, is a theory called the Collective Unconsious (Carl Jung). How do we "just know" certain things? Could it be true that our ancestor's memories and experiences are stamped upon our DNA? I believe that one. As a genealogist, there are ancestors I find that I immediately gravitate to. I root for them. I like them. Others, I immediately cannot stand. Why? All of them have been dead for hundreds of years! Anyway, so I will take these various interests of mine and research them. Then, I pray. I ask God over and over to send whatever story He wants me to write. I pray for the Holy Spirit to annoint me with inspiration. And I wait..... Sometimes it comes all at once. Several chapters in a week. Sometimes I wait and pray for months. One time I was stuck for 3 months. Nothing would come. I kept praying... one night the entire chapter 8 of my novel came in a dream. It was clear as day. I got up about 4 AM and wrote the whole thing down. Other than spelling or grammar corrections, it remains in tact as I dreamt it. It was a pivotal chapter in the book. I have found if I just try to create it myself, the writing is stilted and false. I can feel it is not genuine. If I relax and let it flow, it feels natural. Call me crazy, but that's how it works for me! Follow me to the next page for the prologue to my novel currently in print...>>>>>>> |
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