 |
Question: How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?
Answer: Sure! When story creation takes hold, it isn't created from thin air. Even if you writing SF or Fantasy, the experiences of your life and research are folded into your story--sometimes unconsciously, sometimes with your full participation.
Early on in the writing of my Women's Fiction contemporary, I realized that the main character--a retired, childless teacher--was a stand-in for my long journey through infertility and the grief it caused myself and my husband. We both taught and loved kids. We both wanted to be parents in the worst way. But it wasn't to be.
In one very important way, my character was different from me. She was a widow. Thankfully, I am not. With her widowhood, I found her an outlet for her frustrated need for children in her life. Throughout her marriage, her impervious mother-in-law had kept her thumb on the marriage of her son, his wife, and any idea of adoption. While my story was different, adoption wasn't a path for us either. The death of connection allowed my character to get involved with foster children, and a connection was made that led to adoption. A beautiful outcome for my long hunger told through the life of my character.
Not all stories are one-to-one analogies, but I do believe our experiences influence the choices we make as we tell our stories.
Happy Writing, y'all!
Next post: October's Book Pusher!
Sometimes writing can be really cathartic. Happy IWSG day!
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting on Insecure Writer's Support Group day: Course Correction
Yes, it can! Happy Writing, Ronel!
DeleteI seldom set out to write a story about my own struggles in real life, but those themes always worm their way in. Happy writing in October, Zan Marie!
ReplyDeleteYes they do!
DeleteThanks for sharing. In my experience stories always ride the muse of subconscious, even stuff long-buried and/or not cited publicly. I love the surprise-to-self that generally occurs about halfway through my pour-out stories. The jolt of theme sometimes, too! Sounds like you can relatle.
ReplyDeleteI sure can.
DeleteSometimes that's why we write. To live a life through our characters. Since you were both parents, I'm sure you were parents to many children and made a difference in their lives though.
ReplyDeleteThat's true, Alex. Our students have told us that we have had that sort of impact.
DeleteI agree that writing is cathartic! It's interesting that even events and emotions from real life get changed when they become part of our characters' lives.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Informing our chacaters (I'd rather say people. 😉 ) Real emotions matter when we are teytry to get our stories to resonate with readers.
Delete