Why I Write
We all daydream and sometimes our hopes and dreams seem far away and we wonder if that's all they will ever be. We try to make them happen, but despite our best efforts, some just fall through. Writing is my safety net. If something just won't seem to happen in real life, I will make it happen on the page because I need to see it happen. It serves a purpose. Maybe I'm sending this energy out into the universe and making it more likely to happen. Maybe it satisfies me somehow to see it written down and happening to a fictional character.
Writing gives you power. It allows you to create your own world. In fiction, anything is possible. Whatever it is that you want can happen in two pages. I use my characters. I use my stories. Writing is a very selfish thing in the beginning. It is all in your head and you are creating a world with new people and events. My stories aren't about me. They never start that way. The characters pop into my head demanding attention and I don't know where they come from, but they need to be given life. And many times, writing about their struggles, their conflict, their pain, their joy, is therapy for me. It helps me to feel compassion for myself because it puts everything onto the table and allows me to see that I have every right to feel the way I do. Have you heard people say "Would you talk to your friend that way?" when thinking of how you talk to yourself? Sometimes putting a character in your shoes (or giving them some of your problems) helps you to see a situation clearer. I can't tell you how many times an answer appears in the story that helps me personally.
The great thing is that many of our struggles are universal. Most likely, whatever you are writing about is something other people can relate to. So it is not entirely selfish. By making yourself vulnerable and sharing your (or your character's) struggles, you comfort other people by showing them they are not alone. And sometimes, a story is just entertainment. Most often, it is both. My novel is very much set in the real world and deals with personal relationships (specifically, a romantic relationship with lots of very messed up issues) but also has supernatural elements because it is fun to imagine a mysterious, possibly devious person with superhuman abilities.
All the things you can't say--because no one wants to hear it, people are tired of hearing it, or it sounds like complaining or whining--you can put into a story. And this changes everything. It is far more effective to get your point across and really say something if you make up fictional characters and a fictional setting with an original plot. It is safer. It is not as threatening. You can't just shove the medicine down someone's throat. They will fight you every time. Put the medicine in the mashed potatoes. Sneaky? Maybe. But, isn't this what every great artist has done? This is what I strive for. Because the alternative is to go around being miserable and feeling sorry for yourself and that is not much fun to be around. So, purge all the crap and then go out and enjoy your life.
No comments:
Post a Comment