Ruby Fitzgerald's Blog - Posts Tagged "journey"
Forgotten Power of Books
The books that have made lasting impressions on me are always the ones with multifaceted characters. The more complex the character and the more emotional development that they go through, the more believable and intriguing a story. Because of how my love of literature has progressed over the years, I strive to write elloquently, entertainingly, and personally. Eloquently to create clear mental images, entertainingly to spur a reader on, and personally to create an investment in a storyline. I have laughed aloud, swore, cried, and stayed up until 6am because of a well written book... So, on the flip side of that, I hope that when someone reads my work, they view the characters as true-to-life, the landscape as vivid, and the conflict as highly relatable. Nobody is strong all the time, a coward all the time, or chipper all the time, etc etc. Everyone rides highs and fall into lows! So shouldn't a book character do the same? Situations in life allow a person to act upon different aspects of their personality and abilities- THAT is the reason why I have always tried to make characters not only struggle in a believable manner but develop and redeem themselves in a believable manner as well.
One of the main characters in Descendants of War is Silvia, a woman who has faced an unmentionable amount of loss and heartbreak but has also lived through peace with great confidence. She has just as much, if not more, internal conflict as she does external. Her pride, self-value, happiness, strength, and life-outlook all get shaken to the core over the course of the series. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say her journey to re-center herself and find contentment after turmoil and change, is a process I'm sure we all can identify with. Life is ever changing, and so are we. We learn to cope, we learn to fogive, we grow stronger, become braver, work harder, and find new hope. That is the circle of life- to fall down only to get up more resilient and more determined.
To me, one's personal journey is just about the most important thing out there. Finding internal peace means you have the energy and ability to then turn to others to assist them on their journey toward peace. That's the answer, isn't it, to getting along with others? If you're confident in your own being you are more open to kindness and less likely to take hatred to heart. And, the opposite can be said, if you are confident in yourself you are also more likely to be able to spread goodwill and curb negativity. Don't ever believe your peace of mind doesn't matter, don't let yourself be belittled, and don't ever stop loving yourself. You matter. And once we all know and believe this, we will be able to support eachother without judgement or suspicion of ill intent. Personal peace leads to life peace. And you know, I'm quite sure just as well as I do, how desperately we all are in need of peace.
One of the main characters in Descendants of War is Silvia, a woman who has faced an unmentionable amount of loss and heartbreak but has also lived through peace with great confidence. She has just as much, if not more, internal conflict as she does external. Her pride, self-value, happiness, strength, and life-outlook all get shaken to the core over the course of the series. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say her journey to re-center herself and find contentment after turmoil and change, is a process I'm sure we all can identify with. Life is ever changing, and so are we. We learn to cope, we learn to fogive, we grow stronger, become braver, work harder, and find new hope. That is the circle of life- to fall down only to get up more resilient and more determined.
To me, one's personal journey is just about the most important thing out there. Finding internal peace means you have the energy and ability to then turn to others to assist them on their journey toward peace. That's the answer, isn't it, to getting along with others? If you're confident in your own being you are more open to kindness and less likely to take hatred to heart. And, the opposite can be said, if you are confident in yourself you are also more likely to be able to spread goodwill and curb negativity. Don't ever believe your peace of mind doesn't matter, don't let yourself be belittled, and don't ever stop loving yourself. You matter. And once we all know and believe this, we will be able to support eachother without judgement or suspicion of ill intent. Personal peace leads to life peace. And you know, I'm quite sure just as well as I do, how desperately we all are in need of peace.
The Lives of Characters
I feel like my characters, over the length of book one and two, have developed on their own. It's almost as if they and I were fresh friends when I began writing, and the farther along the story goes, the more both I and the reader discover. Aurora is a calm in a storm. Bridget is constantly emotionally torn. Donovan is scummy, but the type who people love to hate. Malcolm is patient. Eleanor is troubled but trying. Silvia is in the midst of her own mental war. These are the simple things, the traits of personality you learn early on in a friendship... what comes after though is like watching a flower unfurl, like falling in love.
I like to think about why people act and respond to actions they way that they do. In Harmonies of War, Xenos, although a participant in the brutal slaughter of his own academic colleagues choses not only to let Aurora live, but holds onto a necklace he feels must have sentimental value. Why? To answer that question, I put myself in his position. If I was loney, lost, brainwashed and had tucked my emotions away for years perhaps I too would be capable of terrible things... but the heart of a person is a difficult thing to break. Somewhere, hidden deep inside, are Xenos' sweeter memories and sentiments. There's a boy who loved his school mates and once enjoyed listening to the tales of Prophecies on snowy nights spent in the tundra. When I think of it that way, I suddenly see that of course the well-trained soldier would be inclined to kill without remorse but the child inside would weep at the thought of ruining the stories he held in fond regard.
Each character's journey is intwined with the others, just like our own lives are intertwined with our friends', family members', and coworkers'. We gather expierences, learn lessons, and develop emotions greatly because of the people we are surrounded by throughout life. It is no different in the life of a book series. A reader (and I as the writer) rejoices at the triumph of, and mourns the sorrows and deaths of, characters just as they would a friend.
I like to think about why people act and respond to actions they way that they do. In Harmonies of War, Xenos, although a participant in the brutal slaughter of his own academic colleagues choses not only to let Aurora live, but holds onto a necklace he feels must have sentimental value. Why? To answer that question, I put myself in his position. If I was loney, lost, brainwashed and had tucked my emotions away for years perhaps I too would be capable of terrible things... but the heart of a person is a difficult thing to break. Somewhere, hidden deep inside, are Xenos' sweeter memories and sentiments. There's a boy who loved his school mates and once enjoyed listening to the tales of Prophecies on snowy nights spent in the tundra. When I think of it that way, I suddenly see that of course the well-trained soldier would be inclined to kill without remorse but the child inside would weep at the thought of ruining the stories he held in fond regard.
Each character's journey is intwined with the others, just like our own lives are intertwined with our friends', family members', and coworkers'. We gather expierences, learn lessons, and develop emotions greatly because of the people we are surrounded by throughout life. It is no different in the life of a book series. A reader (and I as the writer) rejoices at the triumph of, and mourns the sorrows and deaths of, characters just as they would a friend.
The Journey Isn't Futile
The drugs that save us and the drugs that hurt us are sometimes one and the same.
Getting better from a mental illness isn’t a straightforward process. Doctors and modern medicine can help out enormously ... Can give relief, can lift moods, can solve a multitude of problems. However, they’re not infallible. Sometimes the medication for anxiety can cause depression. Sometimes the side effects of a subscription can be worse than the original problem, or even have the opposite affect of the intended. We have set remedies and prescriptions for common illnesses but not for mental illnesses. Not really. In the U.S., approximately the same number of people fall sick with the flu each year as the number of people who suffer from a mental illness each year. And yet there is no cure. And perhaps never will be. Why? Because we all suffer differently and therefor all heal differently. Which is why I say, find what’s right for you. Get involved in your own treatment. Ask questions, do research. Explore different options.
I know the MASSIVE benefits of modern medicine, but I’ve also become more and more open to alternative healing methods. Acupuncture, massage, energy work, cupping, herbal treatments, diets, counseling, hypnosis, exercise, aroma therapy, meditation, etc. Why not give it go?! What do you have to lose? Your brain is ill, your heart is heavy, and all you want in the world is to get better.
For me personally, massage is great; it keeps a lot of the more severe muscle aches at bay. Acupuncture has worked wonders for my anxiety and sleep issues. Various supplements, prescriptions, and herbs have lessened the symptoms of my depression. Still though, I’m acutely aware of the fact that what works this week may not work next week. And what works this year is vastly, vastly different than what worked for me a few years ago.
It’s hard sometimes not to lose hope when a treatment that was previously working no longer does. It’s easy to think you’ll never be better, you’ll never be normal, or healthy, or functional. But just because the journey toward health is long and bumpy, doesn’t mean its futile. Take even one peaceful day, one beneficial treatment, or one genuine smile as a success. Believe that ‘better’ is attainable even if ‘cured’ isn’t. Remember that shit days happens, but so do great ones.
Getting better from a mental illness isn’t a straightforward process. Doctors and modern medicine can help out enormously ... Can give relief, can lift moods, can solve a multitude of problems. However, they’re not infallible. Sometimes the medication for anxiety can cause depression. Sometimes the side effects of a subscription can be worse than the original problem, or even have the opposite affect of the intended. We have set remedies and prescriptions for common illnesses but not for mental illnesses. Not really. In the U.S., approximately the same number of people fall sick with the flu each year as the number of people who suffer from a mental illness each year. And yet there is no cure. And perhaps never will be. Why? Because we all suffer differently and therefor all heal differently. Which is why I say, find what’s right for you. Get involved in your own treatment. Ask questions, do research. Explore different options.
I know the MASSIVE benefits of modern medicine, but I’ve also become more and more open to alternative healing methods. Acupuncture, massage, energy work, cupping, herbal treatments, diets, counseling, hypnosis, exercise, aroma therapy, meditation, etc. Why not give it go?! What do you have to lose? Your brain is ill, your heart is heavy, and all you want in the world is to get better.
For me personally, massage is great; it keeps a lot of the more severe muscle aches at bay. Acupuncture has worked wonders for my anxiety and sleep issues. Various supplements, prescriptions, and herbs have lessened the symptoms of my depression. Still though, I’m acutely aware of the fact that what works this week may not work next week. And what works this year is vastly, vastly different than what worked for me a few years ago.
It’s hard sometimes not to lose hope when a treatment that was previously working no longer does. It’s easy to think you’ll never be better, you’ll never be normal, or healthy, or functional. But just because the journey toward health is long and bumpy, doesn’t mean its futile. Take even one peaceful day, one beneficial treatment, or one genuine smile as a success. Believe that ‘better’ is attainable even if ‘cured’ isn’t. Remember that shit days happens, but so do great ones.
