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.
