I was going to write a post about how much I love fall. The
changing colors, the spooky decorations, the crisp smell of the air and how I’ve
integrated that love into my books. But then the shooting in Oregon happened
and got me thinking about other things.
There are many things I could say, opinions I could share,
but this isn’t my personal blog nor is it a political one so instead I’m going
to talk about how the world affects what people write. Even as reclusive as
some authors are, it’s very difficult to shut yourself off from the world
completely and that world leaks into our writing whether we like it or not.
It could be subtle. Maybe the scene you’re working on
becomes a little darker. Maybe you write a scene where your character gets to unleash
the justice you cannot. Sometimes the effects are more profound. Perhaps you
were writing a book about terrorism in New York or a school shooting and it got
set aside because it’s too many triggers for too many people. Sometimes authors
take the event and write an alternative history about what our world would be
like if this horrible thing had never happened.
I had to do a lot of rewriting on my last project because
every single one of my characters was depressed about the world around them,
about their personal lives, about the things they couldn’t do. Fortunately I
was astute enough to realize it wasn’t the characters that were depressed, it
was me. I’d had a horrible year and I let it affect what I put on the page. It’s
hard not to. Use those feelings if you can. Have a character that’s going to
perish? Work on that scene. Pour those emotions into your other characters. Put
your helplessness at the situation on the page. Not only does it make for good
writing, it’s therapy for you as well.
I know this post isn’t the happiest one in the world, but
sometimes you’ve got to be real and real isn’t always fun. How do you use the
events in your life to make you a better writer? If you’re a reader, do you
remember events in your life to help you relate to certain characters or scenes? Comment below and I’ll try to
check in later. Right now, I’m off to snuggle with my kids.
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