The Best Writing Is Born From Anguish

I listened to David Wilkerson, a well-known fire and brimstone evangelist whose messages stir the emotion and bring most to their feet or their knees. Clips of his sermons are posted on You Tube. You can search for him there.

"True passion comes from anguish," he said. His words flew into me like a fiery arrow, illuminating my past. Wilkerson's message centered around anguish and how todays church is void of it. He's a big believer in, Cryin' Holy unto the Lord. He professes the church has gone soft, that we're basically a bunch of babies who want to be soothed and coddled. That we no longer tarry for hours before the Lord, prostrate at the altar. That God wants to see our anguish over the state of the world and our Godless nation. Wilkerson has that pastor voice. You know what I mean? He's learned how to wail when he speaks, allowing us to hear his heart as it breaks for the sins of mankind. And if you've grown up as a fundamentalist, it moves you. Even if you've never sat in a tent revival, I think it would move you.

Whether or not you agree with Wilkerson's message, you have to agree that true passion is definitely born from anguish. As a writer, I believe the heartaches and hardships we experience give us plenty to write about.

And plenty to talk about ...

But it's not about anguish over a fender-bender. It's not about a bad grade on a test. Or losing your wallet. Or a fight with your spouse.

Anguish, suffering, agony, grief, sorrow and angst ... comes from a break in your spirit. A temporary disconnection with yourself and the world around you. The loss of anything dear to you creates real, gut-wrenching anguish. The kind you feel down to the soles of your feet. Buckets of tears. Nobody wants to experience it. Nobody wants to go through something like that, and I hope and pray you never do.

But if you do, what you do with that anguish, how you channel it, will determine your future in many ways. And if you're a writer, it can propel you into another level. I've read books where I know, without a doubt, the writer has suffered at one point in his/her life. You can feel it in the way they put the story together. Raising the stakes isn't so hard, because they've lived it.

Not a pleasant topic to blog about, but I think it needs to be said. Personally, I hope I never see another drop of anguish as long as I live. I've had my share. David Wilkerson can wail as long as he wants about anguish, but I never want to experience it again. Ever. It's not a pleasant place to go to.

However, I want you to remember if you've closed the door on your anguish, the memories of it ... you may want to revisit that dark place again. Especially if you're a writer. Your writing changes. Something inside you clicks and literary takes on a whole new meaning.

My passion was truly born from the sorrow, grief, and the anguish of my life. Now, I can truly say, the joy of the Lord is my strength. A scripture phrase that has almost become a cliché in Christian circles, has power and new meaning in me. At some point the tears have to stop. The river of sorrow has to trickle to nothingness. We have to move out of that place and use what we've learned to write the story of our life. It's not something we want to think about, anguish, but be thankful for it. It's made you who you are.

And despite the fire and brimstone, that's a good thing.

Blessings to you and yours.

What Do You As A Writer Bring To The Page?

I write fiction steeped in religion, mystery, and the paranormal. I write memoir, and thrillers, and offbeat quirky women’s fiction. And, God help me, I write Christian fiction mixed with horror. But I also write romance. A hopeless romantic, I have discovered sparks of love and lust in the whitest of ashes, the darkest of night skies, and within the deepest oceans of despair--and lived to write about it. Romance is the buttery, rich frosting inside my novel, Televenge.

I find most writers cross genres at some point. We do ourselves a great injustice to pigeonhole our writing into one solitary category, and yet … it is for the love of romance that I find myself driven to write this particular series of posts.

“It is not merely enough to love literature if one wishes to spend one’s life as a writer. It is a dangerous undertaking on the most primitive level. For, it seems to me, the act of writing with serious intent involves enormous personal risk. It entails the ongoing courage for self-discovery. It means one will walk forever on the tightrope, with each new step presenting the possibility of learning a truth about oneself that is too terrible to bear.” Harlan Ellison.

The all-too-often question asked of many of us is this. “Why do you write?” I’m sure you’ve got your standard answer. One that will satisfy your listener. But I’m going to ask you a different question. “What do your bring to the page?”

As a writer, I've often wondered what do I offer my readers? What do I have to say that anybody wants to hear?

Some write lofty volumes of prose, delivering profound messages, soothing to the ears. Some keep you spellbound with intrigue or humor. And then some carefully perfect the craft of curling the hair on our neck as we quickly turn the page to discover the killer. There are writers who can transport us to exotic places we’ve never seen, and hold us there.

Is there a writer who you have read recently, or years ago, that you remember vividly? A writer who created characters that still linger and come to your mind at the strangest times. A writer whose novels haunt you for days, weeks, years? A writer who consistently moves you like few others? What in their voice gives them the edge? What common thread weaves their unforgettable stories to the cloak of your memory? How do they do it?

Besides constantly polishing your writing craft and striving for the title of great storyteller, I'm finding there's another element to this writing thing we do.

How do you share knowledge, life experiences, and enlightenment within the context of a story?

 

How do you make it matter to your readers?

I’m going to talk more about this in the coming days … be prepared to think.

Blessings to  you and yours.

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!

The COUNTDOWN begins!

This week I head to North Carolina to launch my novel, Televenge! I find I'm so nervous, I can't sit still, eat a bite, or hold a thought in my head. But what a beautiful time of the year to head to the Blue Ridge. One of my favorite spots in the world, Pilot Mountain, looms in the distance as we near Winston-Salem. Like an old friend, I can't wait to see it again.

Today, I have two radio interviews and plethora of work to be done before I can even begin to pack. Last week I was a guest on a radio show, two blogs, and ... well, go to www.pamelakingcable.com and there you'll see all my previous appearances and links to the shows and blogs. It's been crazy busy and it's about to kick into HIGH GEAR.

Below is my personal invitation to YOU. If you are anywhere close to Kernersville, North Carolina, this week, come to the Televenge launch party!

 A FREE EVENT!

Thursday, October 3, 2012, 7:00 p.m.

Harmon House, 149 South Main St.

Kernersville, NC 27284

Cake & Refreshments
 

Andie Oliver is faithful-to God, to husband Joe, and to televangelist Calvin Artury, a Godfather in a Mafia of holy men. Debauchery follows when her husband is lured into employment on the megachurch ministry team. Uncovering long-hidden truths, Andie confronts the very definition of sin and shakes the Christian evangelical world to its core as she battles the dark side of televangelism.
 

A message from Pamela: "Ten years ago I started a journey. A journey that ended with a powerful message of faith and deliverance and strength of the human spirit.

Televenge is a tale of unconditional love. A vivid portrayal of heartbreaking loss, an invincible spirit, and incredible courage.

The novel contains a lifetime worth of wisdom. Its beginnings were mired in tragedy, but has since become my triumph.

I hope it will pierce your heart as it has mine. Please come celebrate with me!"

 

www.pamelakingcable.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedwomen

Twitter @pamelakingcable

Book Trailer: http://www.televenge.com/trailer.html

TELEVENGE is available at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and everywhere fine books are sold. Also available in all e-book formats.

To book Pamela to speak at your next event, meeting, or workshop, see pamelakingcable.com for information.

 



Advance Praise For TELEVENGE

Televenge is " ... an emotional rollercoaster that ends as intensely as it begins . . . those who commit to Cable's tome will find themselves captivated and deeply devoted to Andie. Fans of Fannie Flagg and Janet Evanovich will be hooked on this saga of religion, romance, and crime."

Library Journal Editor's Pick BookExpo America 2012

Shannon Marie Robinson, Library Journal
 

"A captivating, beautifully rendered, unforgettable look at a world so few of us understand. Ms. Cable has courageously opened the door...and my eyes."

Lesley Kagen, NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author of Good Graces
 

"Pamela King Cable's debut novel breathes good and evil, frost and fire. You can finish it, but it won't let you go."

Jacquelyn Mitchard, NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author of The Deep End of the Ocean

 

 



What Do Romance Readers Want And Why?

I recently asked readers in my circle, a group of church-going women and more than a few professed agnostics, their thoughts on Christian fiction, romance, and where you draw the line. I've also been reading opinions, post, and blogs to discover once and for all ... what do romance readers really want? It's been a fascinating revelation.

I found that although a few enjoy the "Calgon-take-me-away-moments" in fluffy, funny, happily-every-after novels, the majority demand the guts and glory of the story to show them something they've never seen, learn something they didn't know, take them somewhere they've never been. It's a daunting task for the writer.

At the end of my three-week research, I got a clear picture from the mostly 35+ women I spoke to. They have to see the stakes raised on every page to keep them immersed in the pages.

I've been told most publishers believe women who read romance don't want to be challenged, inspired, or enlightened. That women don't want to think. They want to feel. I don't know about you, but that's insulting to me. (Okay, Okay. With one exception: if I'm relaxing in a bubble bath with a few lit candles on the tub and glass of Merlot within arm's reach, I need something soothing and well written. I don't need to read anything that'll cause me to drop my Kindle in the soap suds.)

But with that said, more than 50 % of the women don't want graphic material or sex kitten fantasy: They want reality-based fiction. No matter what they're reading.

I questioned two women who poke their noes in a romance novel only on occasion. They find them silly, trite, predictable. However, when I asked them if they've read the, oh, so popular 50 Shades of Grey, one told me she honestly felt embarrassed for the author. Her words, not mine. The other's face reddened and said, "I had to. I wanted to see what the fuss was about. But I threw the book away when I finished it. I didn't want my daughters to find it."

Other readers I spoke to and heard from want to be transported to the point they have to look up from the pages to remember where they are. They need to feel the raw emotion as tears on their faces. Listen up romance writers, readers are wanting more. Are we prepared to give it to them?

They want to see their hero and heroine fight against insurmountable obstacles to be together, even if they don't end up together in the end. Readers don't care about unrealistic expectations. We all have them; our lives are plagued with them, so why shouldn't the character's lives be full of unattainable goals The readers told me they still, indeed, rooted for them.

I've been told by those in the industry that truth is stranger than fiction because it can be. That fiction has to make sense. It can be as fantastic as you care to make it, but it must have an inherent logic to it at all times.

My question is -- logic to whom? What is logical to me is not logical to someone else. What is plausibility? To whom must it be plausible? The readers I spoke to agreed with me, the whole issue with logic and plausibility lies in the lap of the reader.

So go for it, writer.

But no more Barbie and Ken characters. Readers want a flawed protagonist. Inside and out. She may have gorgeous blond tresses and wear stilettos to work, but she's a recovering drug addict. He's a firefighter with chiseled cheeks and a hard body, but he's fighting an incurable disease. Readers don't buy perfection. Not anymore.

I'll write more about Christian fiction tomorrow ... you wouldn't believe what they're asking for.

Blessings to you and yours.