Ruchi Acharya's Blog, page 5
October 24, 2024
Book Review: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop
After a sullen and sad week, I decided to pick up a random book on my Kindle, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. It’s not that I knew much about the book, it was just an excuse to stay longer in bed. And that I did.
I started reading it with laziness surrounding me. But with every passing page, I sensed the dullness segue into a peaceful resort.
An hour later, I was not in bed anymore. I was at the Morisaki bookshop.
The book, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, is about a girl in her mid-twenties who has lost her job and her boyfriend. Understandably, she is not feeling the thrill of being at the pinnacle of her youth. For days that turn into weeks, and weeks that turn into months, she sleeps.
A few weeks later, she gets invited to stay at the Morisaki bookshop. It might sound troublesome but I resonated with our protagonist, which might explain why I was staying in bed on a beautiful Sunday, rejecting my friends’ invites to at least 3 different places. Anyway, I started believing that moving to the bookshop was not just for her, but for readers like me as well.
We stayed there; we slept; we read. The book was like a breath of fresh air for me. I did not know that words had the power to exude relaxation. It helped me disconnect from my crowded, noisy, polluted reality and jump into the calm, serene, easy-going, and beautiful lanes of used bookshops in a small village called Jimbocho.
Since it was a breezy read expressing the love for books and a quiet life, it contained various short notes on different books and quotes. One of them caught my attention:
“The act of seeing is no small thing. To see something is to be possessed by it. Sometimes it carries off a part of you, sometimes it’s your whole soul. (Motojirō Kajii’s Landscapes of the Heart)
At some point in the past, someone reading this book had felt moved to take a pen and draw a line under these words. It made me happy to think that because I had been moved by that same passage too, I was now connected to that stranger.
Another time, I happened to find a pressed flower someone had left as a bookmark. As I inhaled the scent of the long-ago-faded flower, I wondered about the person who had put it there. Who in the world was she? When did she live? What was she feeling?
It’s only in secondhand books that you can savor encounters like this, connections that transcend time. And that’s how I learned to love the secondhand bookstore that handled these books, our Morisaki Bookshop.”
It makes one wonder about the magic of books. How we can connect to anyone who comes across a book you’ve read and felt the things that you’ve felt.
The book progresses and I get to meet Momoko. Initially, I felt bad for Uncle Satoru (who is Gojo Satoru’s namesake and this small discovery made me chuckle). But as I kept reading, the depth of the situation hit me.
Why is it so difficult to live and let live? Why does life keep interfering? Is the key to happiness trying to live but not let life happen? How is that even possible? Maybe that’s why people say one should enjoy the journey and not the destination. Because the journey is what happiness is- before life happens. To me, to you, and anyone.
By the time I finished, this book, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, left me with a genuine smile—a quiet reminder that, sometimes, a simple escape is all we need. It was a well-spent Sunday.
Visiting Morisaki Bookshop wasn’t a grand journey for me, but a small, meaningful retreat from life’s noise. It doesn’t offer grand heroics or gut-wrenching tragedy. Instead, it offers something more rare: peace. This is a story that brings you back to yourself, like a warm hug after a hard week.
So if you ever feel lost, remember—everything will be fine. Breathe. You’re doing better than you think.
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
ESHA SHUKLA
Esha is a literature student. All she does is jump from one story to another, taking leaps into the many worlds she has created for herself via books, movies and art. Inspired by Wellington Wimpy, you can easily catch her eating a burger somewhere.
Book Review: I visited the Morisaki Bookshop
After a sullen and sad week, I decided to pick up a random book on my Kindle. It’s not that I knew much about the book, it was just an excuse to stay longer in bed. And that I did.
I started reading it with laziness surrounding me. But with every passing page, I sensed the dullness segue into a peaceful resort.
An hour later, I was not in bed anymore. I was at the Morisaki bookshop.
The book is about a girl in her mid-twenties who has lost her job and her boyfriend. Understandably, she is not feeling the thrill of being at the pinnacle of her youth. For days that turn into weeks, and weeks that turn into months, she sleeps.
A few weeks later, she gets invited to stay at the Morisaki bookshop. It might sound troublesome but I resonated with our protagonist, which might explain why I was staying in bed on a beautiful Sunday, rejecting my friends’ invites to at least 3 different places. Anyway, I started believing that moving to the bookshop was not just for her, but for readers like me as well.
We stayed there; we slept; we read. The book was like a breath of fresh air for me. I did not know that words had the power to exude relaxation. It helped me disconnect from my crowded, noisy, polluted reality and jump into the calm, serene, easy-going, and beautiful lanes of used bookshops in a small village called Jimbocho.
Since it was a breezy read expressing the love for books and a quiet life, it contained various short notes on different books and quotes. One of them caught my attention:
“The act of seeing is no small thing. To see something is to be possessed by it. Sometimes it carries off a part of you, sometimes it’s your whole soul. (Motojirō Kajii’s Landscapes of the Heart)
At some point in the past, someone reading this book had felt moved to take a pen and draw a line under these words. It made me happy to think that because I had been moved by that same passage too, I was now connected to that stranger.
Another time, I happened to find a pressed flower someone had left as a bookmark. As I inhaled the scent of the long-ago-faded flower, I wondered about the person who had put it there. Who in the world was she? When did she live? What was she feeling?
It makes one wonder about the magic of books. How we can connect to anyone who comes across a book you’ve read and felt the things that you’ve felt.
The book progresses and I get to meet Momoko. Initially, I felt bad for Uncle Satoru (who is Gojo Satoru’s namesake and this small discovery made me chuckle). But as I kept reading, the depth of the situation hit me.
Why is it so difficult to live and let live? Why does life keep interfering? Is the key to happiness trying to live but not let life happen? How is that even possible? Maybe that’s why people say one should enjoy the journey and not the destination. Because the journey is what happiness is- before life happens. To me, to you, and anyone.
Visiting Morisaki Bookshop wasn’t a grand journey, but a small, meaningful retreat from life’s noise. It doesn’t offer grand heroics or gut-wrenching tragedy. Instead, it offers something more rare: peace. This is a story that brings you back to yourself, like a warm hug after a hard week.
So if you ever feel lost, remember—everything will be fine. Breathe. You’re doing better than you think.
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
ESHA SHUKLA
Esha is a literature student. All she does is jump from one story to another, taking leaps into the many worlds she has created for herself via books, movies and art. Inspired by Wellington Wimpy, you can easily catch her eating a burger somewhere.
September 24, 2024
5 Legendary Unfinished Novels That Still Itch Us
Has it happened ever that you were reading a novel and it suddenly came to a halt? It's as if the author of the novel wants you to take it forward handing you the pen halfway and hinting towards you exploring the virgin territories of our minds, and becoming not just readers but co-authors.
It’s almost as if the author intends to reflect the fact that you, too, are incomplete in your journey. What do you think, do you find it frustrating or freeing when a store leaves you hanging? For me, when a story pauses abruptly, it reminds me of life like how it rarely gives clean wrap-ups.
Sometimes the most intriguing stories are the ones that never got to see their final chapter. The characters, their struggles, their joy—they linger in our thoughts, evolving and changing every time we revisit them. Let’s look into five of the most famous unfinished novels that have left readers in awe, stunned by what they didn’t get to read.
The king of Victorian literature, Charles Dickens, was known for creating unforgettable characters and gripping stories. He was in the middle of crafting “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” when life had other plans. He passed away in 1870, leaving “the tale forever incomplete.
The novel tells the story of young Edwin Drood, who mysteriously vanishes, and, of course, there’s suspicion of murder.
We’ll never know for sure, and that’s part of the genius. It’s the ultimate literary cliffhanger.
Over the years, fans have speculated, scholars have debated, and even modern authors have tried their hand at finishing the story. Imagine reading a thriller that builds up all the suspense, only to slam on the brakes just when you’re about to figure it all out.
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Last Tycoon
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Last Tycoon” was meant to be Fitzgerald’s exploration of the glitzy yet ruthless world of Hollywood, following the life of a powerful movie producer named Monroe Stahr.
Stahr’s character is full of contradictions, brilliant, driven, and successful, but also deeply flawed and haunted by personal loss.
The novel has all the classic Fitzgerald elements, broken dreams, the dark side of fame, and the delicate human emotions beneath power and wealth.
But tragically, Fitzgerald passed away in 1940 before he could finish it, leaving the story incomplete. He left behind fragments and notes, leaving readers to piece together what might have been a literary masterpiece.
Robert Musil: The Man Without Qualities
Robert Musil’s “The Man Without Qualities” is not a typical light read, this one is for the thinkers. Musil started writing it in the early 20th century, but he passed away in 1942 before he could complete the epic.
The novel follows a man named Ulrich, who lives in Austria just before World War I. He’s searching for meaning in a world that seems increasingly chaotic and empty. Musil uses this character to explore everything from politics to the meaning of life itself. Despite being over 1,700 pages long, the novel doesn’t offer readers any conclusion.
It’s a dense, challenging book, but its incompleteness adds to its mystery. You feel like you’re reading someone’s deepest thoughts—and then suddenly, they stop mid-sentence. For some, it might be frustrating, but for some, it’s a fitting end to a novel that was always more about the journey than the destination.
Jane Austen: Sanditon
Jane Austen, known for her sharp wit and romantic plots, left her last novel Sanditon unfinished when she passed away in 1817. Austen only completed 11 chapters before her illness took her, leaving readers to forever wonder how the story would have unfolded. This book was supposed to be a fresh, lively take on a new town trying to establish itself as a fashionable seaside resort.
When you think of Jane Austen, you think of elegant balls, sharp wit, and romantic entanglements. Sanditon, her final novel, was no exception. But unlike Pride and Prejudice or Emma, this one was never finished.
Who knows what delightful twists and turns Austen had planned? That’s the beauty and frustration of it.
David Foster Wallace: The Pale King
David Foster Wallace’s “The Pale King” was a literary force, however, when he passed away in 2008, he left behind the novel. The novel was posthumously assembled and published, but it’s fragmented, deliberately so. Wallace’s brilliance lies in those fragments, the way he weaves boredom and bureaucracy into something strangely beautiful.
But the fact that it’s incomplete only adds to its allure. It feels like a puzzle with missing pieces, where you can see the outline of something incredible, but you’ll never get the full picture. For Wallace fans, it’s a bittersweet reminder of the genius that left us too soon.
Did Edwin Drood meet a tragic end, or was there a surprise twist Dickens never got to reveal? Would Monroe Stahr’s rise and fall in The Last Tycoon have mirrored Jay Gatsby’s tragic fate? How would Jane Austen have unfolded the lives of her Sanditon characters with her signature humor and wit? The incomplete nature of these books adds a layer of intrigue that fully finished works rarely achieve.
Moreover, these novels serve as a poignant reminder of the authors themselves, their humanity, their ambitions, and the way they lived and worked. Charles Dickens, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, Robert Musil, and David Foster Wallace all left behind legacies that changed the course of literature, even though some of their final projects remained incomplete. Their unfinished novels are a testament to the creative process messy, evolving, and sometimes cut short by the constraints of time.
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
Meet Shreya Mishra, she is a blend of passion and purpose, seamlessly weaving the worlds of medicine and content creation. Her love for music and dance infuses rhythm into her life, while her compassionate spirit guides her journey toward healing and expression. Every step she takes resonates with curiosity and creativity, inspiring those around her with her warmth and determination. She is also the host of Wingless Dreamer Podcast.
September 6, 2024
The Impact of Authenticity: How Honest Storytelling Builds Emotional Strength
When appearances are valued over actuality, authenticity or honesty seem elusive. It is not a concept or a trait that you can just pin down with simple words it can only be felt or experienced. It is a tangible force that can be felt through the unspoken trust it fosters and the connections it nurtures.
Touching the core of authenticity wields in you a power that enables you to transcend the boundaries that restrict your true expression. Authenticity nudges you to unapologetically embrace yourself be true to who you are and show up as you are. However, in a world saturated with imitation being authentic and trying to capture its full essence can seem almost impossible.
Even realizing the force it wields, it is not easy to be authentic, it is an uphill battle.
For the reason that it requires you to be vulnerable, venturesome, and resolute enough to confront the aspects of yourself that you rather keep veiled from people’s view.
Authenticity leads to interactions that are grounded in realness and respect. It lets you stand in your truth and not seek validation. It reminds you that your worth comes from within and not without. When you are authentic your honesty ignites and invites meaningful conversations leading you to forge lasting relationships.
Being authentic encourages you to self-introspect and allow yourself to learn and evolve. It lets you experience inner peace and live in alignment with your true self leading to strengthening your idea of identity. In liberating your authenticity you help yourself ultimately leading to a unique life that is full of intent and grace.
The Test of Inner Strength
Authenticity is like a test of your inner fortitude and it demands you to face your truest selves with honesty despite societal pressures and persuasion.
The fear of judgment may paralyze you but your authenticity will propel you to strip the layers of imitations, expectations, and indecision and let you see the rawness of who you are.
When you embrace authenticity, you allow yourself to dance on the edge. You might venture into uncertainties, tempt the unknown, explore different terrains, and blaze new trails. This readiness and edginess will push you not only to enhance your creativity but also allow you to defy the odds and discover new aspects of yourself.
Authenticity empowers you to stand firmly against the world that rewards conformity. At times authenticity can get uncomfortable as it pushes you to do away with the facades of perfection, embrace possibilities of contradiction, and question the foundation of your self-perception.
Creativity is the ultimate form of self-expression through which ideas, emotions, and experiences come to vitality. At the heart of it, the most rich and resounding creativity stems from authenticity. By being authentic and creating a space of reality, you not only stand out but also unite with others on a deep level.
Authenticity’s role in creativity is all about showcasing genuine reflections, emotions, and mindsets. It’s about not trying to emulate others’ styles or cater to external anticipations but rather allowing your authentic self to guide the creative process.
Authenticity is not just about producing work that resonates with audiences it’s also a therapeutic process. Where you channel your true self into your storytelling and engage in a form of self-exploration and healing. You confront your emotions and experiences, allowing yourself to mold your masterpiece and bend the story to your will.
Eventually, it makes it easy to sense the world around us and recognize our place within it. Authenticity in creativity eases self-discovery, helping us understand and express aspects of ourselves that might otherwise stay in the shadows. By being authentic the work becomes a reflection of our identity. This is what gives our craft, writing, music, or any other creative endeavor its uniqueness.
In today's world where it’s easy to miss our path in the bluster, authenticity is the greatest aid for a creative person. It’s what makes the work stand out, what connects you with the audience, and ensures that the creative venture is momentous and memorable.
Unleashing your artistic voice will allow you to tap into your genuine thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. The voice lets you forge a safe place of honesty where you don’t fall prey to external persuasions and let your authentic self lead your creative journey.
A genuine artistic voice will resonate with people because it is relatable. Audiences can often sense when something is being narrated from the heart and possess real-life experiences. They are naturally drawn to depictions that come from the narrator’s true self.
By embracing your authentic voice you let authenticity challenge your boundaries, and shape your legacy.
Authenticity in storytelling suggests creating a plot presenting characters, emotions, and events that feel real and relatable. It’s about drawing from your genuine experiences, emotions, and truths, rather than relying on clichés or superficial portrayals.
When your story is authentic, it has the power to allure audiences and connect with them on an intimate level, making them feel engaged and amused. For authentic storytelling, you have to tap into the universal human experience.
You have to reflect on the complexities of life, including its struggles, joys, and contradictions, in a way that’s honest and unfiltered. The realism in your story will allow the audience to glimpse themselves in the story allowing them to create a bond that lasts long after the tale is told.
Embrace Authenticity in Your Storytelling
Authenticity can be your greatest asset in storytelling. It is what will set your work apart, make it meaningful, and ensure it leaves a lasting impact on your audience who experiences it.
So, as you sit down to tell your next story, remember, that the most powerful stories have come from a place of truth. So always let your authentic self be your guide in your creative journey. You will see your storytelling soaring higher and reaching your audience's soul cutting through the noise.
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
SHREYA MISHRA
Meet Shreya Mishra, she is a blend of passion and purpose, seamlessly weaving the worlds of medicine and content creation. Her love for music and dance infuses rhythm into her life, while her compassionate spirit guides her journey toward healing and expression. Every step she takes resonates with curiosity and creativity, inspiring those around her with her warmth and determination.
The Impact of Authenticity: How Honest Storytelling Builds Emotional Strength?
When appearances are valued over actuality, authenticity or honesty seem elusive. It is not a concept or a trait that you can just pin down with simple words it can only be felt or experienced. It is a tangible force that can be felt through the unspoken trust it fosters and the connections it nurtures.
Touching the core of authenticity wields in you a power that enables you to transcend the boundaries that restrict your true expression. Authenticity nudges you to unapologetically embrace yourself be true to who you are and show up as you are. However, in a world saturated with imitation being authentic and trying to capture its full essence can seem almost impossible.
For the reason that it requires you to be vulnerable, venturesome, and resolute enough to confront the aspects of yourself that you rather keep veiled from people’s view.
Authenticity leads to interactions that are grounded in realness and respect. It lets you stand in your truth and not seek validation. It reminds you that your worth comes from within and not without. When you are authentic your honesty ignites and invites meaningful conversations leading you to forge lasting relationships.
Being authentic encourages you to self-introspect and allow yourself to learn and evolve. It lets you experience inner peace and live in alignment with your true self leading to strengthening your idea of identity. In liberating your authenticity you help yourself ultimately leading to a unique life that is full of intent and grace.
The Test of Inner Strength
Authenticity is like a test of your inner fortitude and it demands you to face your truest selves with honesty despite societal pressures and persuasion.
When you embrace authenticity, you allow yourself to dance on the edge. You might venture into uncertainties, tempt the unknown, explore different terrains, and blaze new trails. This readiness and edginess will push you not only to enhance your creativity but also allow you to defy the odds and discover new aspects of yourself.
Authenticity empowers you to stand firmly against the world that rewards conformity. At times authenticity can get uncomfortable as it pushes you to do away with the facades of perfection, embrace possibilities of contradiction, and question the foundation of your self-perception.
Creativity is the ultimate form of self-expression through which ideas, emotions, and experiences come to vitality. At the heart of it, the most rich and resounding creativity stems from authenticity. By being authentic and creating a space of reality, you not only stand out but also unite with others on a deep level.
Authenticity’s role in creativity is all about showcasing genuine reflections, emotions, and mindsets. It’s about not trying to emulate others’ styles or cater to external anticipations but rather allowing your authentic self to guide the creative process.
Authenticity is not just about producing work that resonates with audiences it’s also a therapeutic process. Where you channel your true self into your storytelling and engage in a form of self-exploration and healing. You confront your emotions and experiences, allowing yourself to mold your masterpiece and bend the story to your will.
Eventually, it makes it easy to sense the world around us and recognize our place within it. Authenticity in creativity eases self-discovery, helping us understand and express aspects of ourselves that might otherwise stay in the shadows. By being authentic the work becomes a reflection of our identity. This is what gives our craft, writing, music, or any other creative endeavor its uniqueness.
In today's world where it’s easy to miss our path in the bluster, authenticity is the greatest aid for a creative person. It’s what makes the work stand out, what connects you with the audience, and ensures that the creative venture is momentous and memorable.
A genuine artistic voice will resonate with people because it is relatable. Audiences can often sense when something is being narrated from the heart and possess real-life experiences. They are naturally drawn to depictions that come from the narrator’s true self.
By embracing your authentic voice you let authenticity challenge your boundaries, and shape your legacy.
Authenticity in storytelling suggests creating a plot presenting characters, emotions, and events that feel real and relatable. It’s about drawing from your genuine experiences, emotions, and truths, rather than relying on clichés or superficial portrayals.
When your story is authentic, it has the power to allure audiences and connect with them on an intimate level, making them feel engaged and amused. For authentic storytelling, you have to tap into the universal human experience.
You have to reflect on the complexities of life, including its struggles, joys, and contradictions, in a way that’s honest and unfiltered. The realism in your story will allow the audience to glimpse themselves in the story allowing them to create a bond that lasts long after the tale is told.
Authenticity can be your greatest asset in storytelling. It is what will set your work apart, make it meaningful, and ensure it leaves a lasting impact on your audience who experiences it.
So, as you sit down to tell your next story, remember, that the most powerful stories have come from a place of truth. So always let your authentic self be your guide in your creative journey. You will see your storytelling soaring higher and reaching your audience's soul cutting through the noise.
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
SHREYA MISHRA
Meet Shreya Mishra, she is a blend of passion and purpose, seamlessly weaving the worlds of medicine and content creation. Her love for music and dance infuses rhythm into her life, while her compassionate spirit guides her journey toward healing and expression. Every step she takes resonates with curiosity and creativity, inspiring those around her with her warmth and determination.
August 29, 2024
5 Game-Changing Secrets for Crafting Character Backstories
You wouldn't deny the fact that stories are the most powerful weapon when it comes to alleviating human sentiments at the top-most level this world has ever imagined. You can cross the threshold and take your imagination beyond the horizon. The sky is the limit. A writer pushes, pulls, and goes through all sorts of emotional turbulence to yield a plethora of intense emotions out of readers. According to the Sanskrit mantra from Chandyogya Upanishads, Aham Brahmasmi (अहं ब्रह्मास्मि) meaning,
All you need to learn is how to use the resources at your expense to create a masterpiece that can move people. Give your readers something to bite on. They say that you read stories to escape reality but I disagree. It's not about escaping reality but understanding reality better from different perspectives. In a story, I always found character backstories to be fascinating because without a backdrop your characters are a mere tool of nameless soul. After the hit-and-trial method, I have finally jotted down the top 5 game-changing secrets for crafting character backstories. Without any further ado, let's get started-
Many writers frequently create character backstories that are disconnected from the current plot, leading to confusion between defining the character’s traits and their background. This mistake might be unintentional, but it can give the impression of amateur writing, suggesting a lack of direction or understanding of the craft. Professionalism requires a seamless integration of backstory and plot, ensuring that every detail serves the story's overall purpose.
Personally, my thoughts now and then always delve into the past.
It's quintessential to connect the backstory to the present. A character's history should have a direct-forward influence on their present actions, beliefs, and inspirations. This connection not only makes the character more relatable, relevant and realistic but also enriches the whole narration by adding layers of depth and complexity.
By integrating the backstory into the present, you ensure that the character's past experiences are not just isolated events but integral parts of their development. For instance, a character who experienced betrayal in the past by a narcissistic partner may struggle with trust issues in the present with people who exhibit the same personality. This creates a sense of continuity and allows the reader to understand the character's behavior on a deeper level. It also helps them resonate with the character's emotions, making the entire reading experience more compelling.
The most significant thing to keep in mind while unveiling a character's backstory is to serve your story's purpose. You are on a mission to enhance the reader's connection with the character. There are a few ways to do so.
You can always justify actions meaning give readers a reason explaining why a character makes a certain decision or behaves in a particular way. This adds to the character's motivations.
Instead of narrating or simply writing down in a big paragraph, show it to them by weaving dialogues, actions or memories. Let the reader do the homework and use their imagination or experiences to discover the backstory through subtle hints.
Create an emotional impact by heightening the emotional stakes and deepening the reader's empathy for the character. Highlight how significant events in the character's history have emotionally affected them. This can include past traumas, successes, or failures that continue to influence their present life. It may sound hoarse but yes, play with the feelings.
Suspense is the key to a pure-dead brilliant story. You can tease the readers by bringing it to the protagonist's memory bit by bit. Create mystery, downfall, and anticipation. Give your readers enough to keep them intrigued and glued to your story. Make them turn the page.
By unveiling a character’s backstory with purpose, you not only enrich the narrative but also create a more engaging and resonant experience for your readers.
In a world where everyone is battling to achieve their goals, your story can stand out by introducing conflicts and character development.
These struggles drive their motivations, enhance emotional engagement, and support their growth. Additionally, they create meaningful conflict, enriching your narrative and making the story more captivating.
I understand how challenging it can be to respond to a verbose writer, especially with everything else on your mind. When I first started as a creative writer, I struggled to keep my paragraphs concise, often ending up with overly long passages that veered off track and got lost in sub-plots. To avoid this, always keep your background story or subplots secondary to the main plot. Think of them as accessories to your novel, not the main focus.
The secret to making a backstory effective is to reveal hidden character insights that haven’t yet been disclosed in the current story. You need to filter events, dates, places, past storylines, and timings that will help connect the dots for readers as the character’s story unfolds. You can create a nuanced portrait in the following ways:
Uncover Hidden Motivations: Jump into the character's past life to reveal underlying reasons for their current behaviour and choices. Give your readers reasoning and space to let them form their valuable opinions that can later serve in the story profoundly.
Explore Relationships: Examine, study and research key relationships from the character's past, such as family dynamics, friendships, foes, or rivalries. These relationships can provide insight into their values, fears, strengths, and desires.
Reveal Conflicts and Resolutions: Consider, the past conflicts and how the character dealt with them. This adds gravity by showing how they handle gruesome challenges and what they've learned from them.
Integrate Symbolism and Themes: Use symbolic elements or recurring themes in the character’s past to tie their backstory to the main plot. This can help underline key aspects of their personality and journey.
Once again, I would strongly like to urge all the writers who are reading this, don't be afraid of taking risks. Don't be afraid to be experimental and playful. Avoid the same old mundane subplots and history of the character and just pour your heart out. Speak your mind and I am sure you will pass with flying colours. Keep writing.
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
RUCHI ACHARYA
Ruchi Acharya is a distinguished author based in Mumbai, India, renowned for her captivating book Off the Cliff. With a prolific presence in the literary world, Ruchi has been featured in over 100 journals globally. Her academic pursuits include a summer course in English Literature from the University of Oxford, which further fueled her passion for British classics. As the founder of Wingless Dreamer Publisher, she continues to champion emerging voices in literature. Ruchi’s writing is deeply influenced by her love for poetry, which remains her greatest strength, and she is celebrated for her insightful and evocative storytelling.
Website: https://www.ruchiacharya.com
"All worries are less with wine."
August 18, 2024
The Adventure of Daring to Take the Loan of Life
REDRUM – in the dreams of the child, in the reflections of the mirrors of The Shining. Frightening, because it has not yet been understood, felt – but not yet consciously articulated. But Danny is shining and his knowledge will light up too, only this time, at the end of the tunnel, there is dark light. I don’t shine, I’m not a Sunday child. But I still dream of REDRUM – in other forms, with other fears.
In a book by Irvin D. Yalom, I read about a man who stopped sleeping at night. He was stricken by an unnamed anxiety. So, before sleep, he started masturbating and recalled to his therapist the throbbing erections he would experience. This became his only guarantee of a good night’s sleep. So strong was the unconscious fear of death. A little death before the little death. The triad of Thanatos, Hypnos, and Eros. Meanwhile, I dream erotic dreams – precisely in this period when I am most afflicted by the horror of our future extinction, our present temporality. The more I am afraid of death, the more intense my dreams are, and the more I throb from excitement.
Seven years ago, my emotional health took a negative turn. Like the protagonist of Yalom’s book, I couldn’t sleep, eat, take care of my child, or otherwise function properly. I would wake from unexplained bouts of existential horror, and panic attacks would repeat every half hour. Now I think it was a long-negated, unconscious fear of death. Existential shock therapy from myself. Because today, after years of therapy, my breath sometimes still hitches from the horror. Only now, in that painful second, I realise that I am mortal, that one day, nothing will remain of me. The subconscious, obscure fear proved not to be an abstract fact indicating that “everyone will leave this world” but the realisation that I myself am that temporary being.
Several times I saw death’s lights, that all-consuming abyss of the universe from Stephen King’s novels. Both times I was on vacation. Almost sailing into the open ocean in the Seychelles and almost stepping on a huge snake in the jungles of Sri Lanka. The ocean could have swallowed me, the snake could have injected poison into me.
Everything ended on a happy note, and then I was the mother of a little child, and in me and around, there was life, abundant life and impulse, no more nightmares and fear. Only then did everything drop on me with three times the force, which is usually the case.
Now, at the age of 36, I am deathly scared of death. Maybe because of the feeling that I am only just starting to try to live. The hunger for life is so strong that I often negotiate with higher forces – wait until one more contest’s results, until one more of my son’s competitions, until one more trip. No, I don’t have any clear “indications” for my death. However, I am still very afraid, and existential anxiety often threatens to snatch away the beauty of the rest of my life.
I like to walk in the woods in the morning. However, I’m afraid of not returning from the forest every time. A dense forest of death, a thick tangle of illogicality and irrationality darkening the daring adventure of life. There are days when I really want to shut it back in the snuff box. And then I read a new dystopian novel by Yaroslav Melnyk, May There Always Be Me. Smart scientists led by AI have almost succeeded in creating immortality. The protagonist of the book has lived for more than a thousand years. The genre of the novel in itself presupposes that such an idea of eternal life and its realisation can mask an immeasurable darkness. I recognise that greed for eternity on this side, one which often takes strongly perverse forms. Sometimes I am so afraid of death that I even wait for it to come. If I have to spend all my time in fear, can that Great Barbarian just finally enter the city? If the anxiety is so strong that it hijacks seconds, minutes, and hours, then maybe faster, or sooner is better. Less frightening? Less torturous? Sometimes I feel so strongly in myself those two sisters in Melancholia – when one figure has mastered the self, the time will come for the other to manifest itself. Between surrender and resistance. Between responsibility for the whole world and letting go. Between the little death and the great death. I feel like quoting Otto Rank:
“Some refuse the loan of life to avoid the debt of death”
(Staring at the Sun, p. 109).
Perhaps it is also possible to talk about belief in reincarnation, resurrection to eternal life, and other essential things. Unfortunately, I’m still Doubting Thomas, I just can’t see the wounds, no matter how hard I try. I know Christ is trying too. I understand that the essence is internal perception, but there are stubborn blind ones, they need proof, miracles, human speech learned by animals in one night, and wine at weddings. I fail to stay awake for all the time allotted to me, the light is fading, and my oil doesn’t burn hot enough. However, there is another way – to turn towards the beyond. Yalom turns to Epicurus and finds some kind of consolation in several ideas from this philosopher.
For example, he points out that the soul is mortal. Therefore, we have nothing to fear in the afterlife and the suffering of transcendence. I don’t know if Doubting Thomas is comforted by such a postulate. This part of the personality prefers several other thoughts – symmetry and ripples.
With the feeling of death comes the great question of meaning. Is life worth living? Albert Camus. It is absurd that we are born; it is absurd that we die. Jean-Paul Sartre. What matters is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person's life at a given moment. Viktor Frankl. And Yalom’s “ripple theory”: every life can have a positive impact on the lives of future generations – comforting, supporting, and transmitting something important.
I have noticed that when I think of death, I consider certain taboos. I usually don’t accept the idea that my son is also mortal. When parents bury their children, not only does the one that they (possibly) loved most disappear, but also a large part of the ripples are gone – the meaning, persistence, and continuity of life. Therefore, when my son climbs over rocks, or when we go on a trip, I protect him the best that I can. A healthy child is the essential constant of being. However, even though I am somewhat denying the mortality of my child, at the age of only five, he asked me: “Mom, are you going to die too? Will Daddy and I die? I don’t want you to die. I don’t want to die.” His primary school teacher shared an excerpt from my son’s essay: “I would like my family to live forever.” The beginning of understanding the laws of the world. And then? Then they begin to flirt with death – horror films, dangerous tricks, and intoxicating substances. From horror stories by the bonfire to digital realities where they can die several times and rise again. A little death before the great death.
We travelled over the November holidays. I walked along the narrow streets of Venice and still thought of REDRUM. The lights of death. And the magical rites that can help to overcome evil. About the disappearance of Giltinė (Death) from Lithuanian folk fairy tales. Now I deliberately choose to release death from the snuff box. Because every living creature must obey the laws created for its form.
However, some part of me hopes that my son will live forever and that the wish from his childhood writings will be fulfilled. Maybe, as in Melnyk’s novel, I don’t want what’s best for my child. Is it enough that from my and my son’s lives, there will be plenty of ripples, as described by Yalom, which will spread down to several or a dozen generations into the future?
I dare to take the loan of life, this adventure, and anxiously pay the debt of death. Between the little death and little death – the great death.
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
LINA BUIVIDAVIČIŪTĖ
Lina Buividavičiūtė was born on May 14, 1986. She is a poet and literary critic. Lina is an author of two poetry books in Lithuanian language.Aside from "Matter", "Masters", and “Proverse poetry prize" contest anthologies, her poetry is published in the following magazines: Drunk Monkeys, Beyond Words, The Dewdrop, The Limit Experience Magazine, Poet's Choice, HOW, Beyond Queer Words, Maudlin House Press, Cathexis Northwest Press, and Versopolis Review.Upcoming publications will appear in New Millennium Writings, Cathexis Northwest Press, Quillkeepers Press, The Stardust Review and Beyond Words Literary Magazine.
TRANSLATOR'S BIO
GABRIELLA ŽIČKIENÉ
Gabriella Žičkienė is a translator and editor born and raised in the United States, and currently living in Lithuania. With over a decade of experience, her work covers a wide range of texts, with a focus on ethnic culture and literature. Passionate about bridging cultural gaps through language, Gabriella brings diverse voices to new audiences through her translations and editorial work.
Daring to take the loan of life
REDRUM – in the dreams of the child, in the reflections of the mirrors of The Shining. Frightening, because it has not yet been understood, felt – but not yet consciously articulated. But Danny is shining and his knowledge will light up too, only this time, at the end of the tunnel, there is dark light. I don’t shine, I’m not a Sunday child. But I still dream of REDRUM – in other forms, with other fears.
In a book by Irvin D. Yalom, I read about a man who stopped sleeping at night. He was stricken by an unnamed anxiety. So, before sleep, he started masturbating and recalled to his therapist the throbbing erections he would experience. This became his only guarantee of a good night’s sleep. So strong was the unconscious fear of death. A little death before the little death. The triad of Thanatos, Hypnos, and Eros. Meanwhile, I dream erotic dreams – precisely in this period when I am most afflicted by the horror of our future extinction, our present temporality. The more I am afraid of death, the more intense my dreams are, and the more I throb from excitement.
Seven years ago, my emotional health took a negative turn. Like the protagonist of Yalom’s book, I couldn’t sleep, eat, take care of my child, or otherwise function properly. I would wake from unexplained bouts of existential horror, and panic attacks would repeat every half hour. Now I think it was a long-negated, unconscious fear of death. Existential shock therapy from myself. Because today, after years of therapy, my breath sometimes still hitches from the horror. Only now, in that painful second, I realise that I am mortal, that one day, nothing will remain of me. The subconscious, obscure fear proved not to be an abstract fact indicating that “everyone will leave this world” but the realisation that I myself am that temporary being.
Everything ended on a happy note, and then I was the mother of a little child, and in me and around, there was life, abundant life and impulse, no more nightmares and fear. Only then did everything drop on me with three times the force, which is usually the case.
Now, at the age of 36, I am deathly scared of death. Maybe because of the feeling that I am only just starting to try to live. The hunger for life is so strong that I often negotiate with higher forces – wait until one more contest’s results, until one more of my son’s competitions, until one more trip. No, I don’t have any clear “indications” for my death. However, I am still very afraid, and existential anxiety often threatens to snatch away the beauty of the rest of my life.
I like to walk in the woods in the morning. However, I’m afraid of not returning from the forest every time. A dense forest of death, a thick tangle of illogicality and irrationality. There are days when I really want to shut it back in the snuff box. And then I read a new dystopian novel by Yaroslav Melnyk, May There Always Be Me. Smart scientists led by AI have almost succeeded in creating immortality. The protagonist of the book has lived for more than a thousand years. The genre of the novel in itself presupposes that such an idea of eternal life and its realisation can mask an immeasurable darkness. I recognise that greed for eternity on this side, one which often takes strongly perverse forms. Sometimes I am so afraid of death that I even wait for it to come. If I have to spend all my time in fear, can that Great Barbarian just finally enter the city? If the anxiety is so strong that it hijacks seconds, minutes, and hours, then maybe faster, or sooner is better. Less frightening? Less torturous? Sometimes I feel so strongly in myself those two sisters in Melancholia – when one figure has mastered the self, the time will come for the other to manifest itself. Between surrender and resistance. Between responsibility for the whole world and letting go. Between the little death and the great death. I feel like quoting Otto Rank:
(Staring at the Sun, p. 109).
Perhaps it is also possible to talk about belief in reincarnation, resurrection to eternal life, and other essential things. Unfortunately, I’m still Doubting Thomas, I just can’t see the wounds, no matter how hard I try. I know Christ is trying too. I understand that the essence is internal perception, but there are stubborn blind ones, they need proof, miracles, human speech learned by animals in one night, and wine at weddings. I fail to stay awake for all the time allotted to me, the light is fading, and my oil doesn’t burn hot enough. However, there is another way – to turn towards the beyond. Yalom turns to Epicurus and finds some kind of consolation in several ideas from this philosopher.
With the feeling of death comes the great question of meaning. Is life worth living? Albert Camus. It is absurd that we are born; it is absurd that we die. Jean-Paul Sartre. What matters is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person's life at a given moment. Viktor Frankl. And Yalom’s “ripple theory”: every life can have a positive impact on the lives of future generations – comforting, supporting, and transmitting something important.
I have noticed that when I think of death, I consider certain taboos. I usually don’t accept the idea that my son is also mortal. When parents bury their children, not only does the one that they (possibly) loved most disappear, but also a large part of the ripples are gone – the meaning, persistence, and continuity of life. Therefore, when my son climbs over rocks, or when we go on a trip, I protect him the best that I can. A healthy child is the essential constant of being. However, even though I am somewhat denying the mortality of my child, at the age of only five, he asked me: “Mom, are you going to die too? Will Daddy and I die? I don’t want you to die. I don’t want to die.” His primary school teacher shared an excerpt from my son’s essay: “I would like my family to live forever.” The beginning of understanding the laws of the world. And then? Then they begin to flirt with death – horror films, dangerous tricks, and intoxicating substances. From horror stories by the bonfire to digital realities where they can die several times and rise again. A little death before the great death.
We travelled over the November holidays. I walked along the narrow streets of Venice and still thought of REDRUM. The lights of death. And the magical rites that can help to overcome evil. About the disappearance of Giltinė (Death) from Lithuanian folk fairy tales. Now I deliberately choose to release death from the snuff box. Because every living creature must obey the laws created for its form.
However, some part of me hopes that my son will live forever and that the wish from his childhood writings will be fulfilled. Maybe, as in Melnyk’s novel, I don’t want what’s best for my child. Is it enough that from my and my son’s lives, there will be plenty of ripples, as described by Yalom, which will spread down to several or a dozen generations into the future?
I take the loan of life and anxiously pay the debt of death. Between the little death and little death – the great death.
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
LINA BUIVIDAVIČIŪTĖ
Lina Buividavičiūtė was born on May 14, 1986. She is a poet and literary critic. Lina is an author of two poetry books in Lithuanian language.Aside from "Matter", "Masters", and “Proverse poetry prize" contest anthologies, her poetry is published in the following magazines: Drunk Monkeys, Beyond Words, The Dewdrop, The Limit Experience Magazine, Poet's Choice, HOW, Beyond Queer Words, Maudlin House Press, Cathexis Northwest Press, and Versopolis Review.Upcoming publications will appear in New Millennium Writings, Cathexis Northwest Press, Quillkeepers Press, The Stardust Review and Beyond Words Literary Magazine.
TRANSLATOR'S BIO
GABRIELLA ŽIČKIENÉ
Gabriella Žičkienė is a translator and editor born and raised in the United States, and currently living in Lithuania. With over a decade of experience, her work covers a wide range of texts, with a focus on ethnic culture and literature. Passionate about bridging cultural gaps through language, Gabriella brings diverse voices to new audiences through her translations and editorial work.
August 15, 2024
How to solve the Devil’s puzzle
I picked up this one phrase from a conversation with a fellow writer – nowadays, many young creators ride the trauma horse. Escalating one’s dark depths and wounds has become trendy. Perhaps you can point fingers at me as well: I cannot escape the inner world of trauma. Neither in life nor in poetry.
I feel the impact of darkness most strongly when everything in my personal life is going smoothly and favourably. I dream of thieves threatening me with a knife, an old Soviet apartment block where several colonies of cockroaches bask in the warmth of the radiator, and of my mother’s dilapidated house with only the armchairs of my childhood left. But the most frightening and frequent dreams are about all sorts of horned devils. I am haunted by them; I start to sweat and grimace. Finally, overcome with horror, I realised that not even neuroleptics could banish these visions.
Often, I simply must solve the devil’s puzzle without fail. Otherwise, unpleasant consequences await or, according to Lithuanian folk tales, if you manage to outsmart the Evil One, you may be rewarded. The demonic trickster seizes our dreams, revels in them, and turns everything upside down. It’s so frightening that I chant prayers, the eternal “Our Father.”
After nights like this, I read the book The Inner World of Trauma: Archetypal Defences of the Personal Spirit, by the clinical psychologist Donald Kalsched, and try to understand what’s happening to me. The malignant self-protection system encroaches on my life. Kalsched claims:
The purpose of self-protection systems is to protect the subject from the repetition of trauma. However, such protection yields opposite results because “the traumatized psyche is self-traumatizing” (p. 5).
When I remember my grandmother’s words, that our family was cursed by the czar and that’s why my great-grandfather was given the surname Brudnys, when I hear a relative’s conviction that his long-standing addiction is caused by the demons within, and when my obsessive-compulsive disorder flares up again – I remember the inner saboteur. According to Kalsched,
For a long time, I thought that the thieves, cockroaches, and devils in my dreams were equivalents of external danger, real counterparts of traumatized subjects… Until one day I heard the following question from my therapist: why do I persecute myself? Then the analysis of “Bluebeard” from Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ book Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype particularly resonated with me. Explaining this tale, the author employs the concept of the inner bandit.
Bluebeard is an internal terror, a hidden complex lurking in the soul. If we let him rule, our joy in life will diminish, and our creativity and passion will fade. The youngest sister is a naive and inexperienced victim: “The youngest sister represents a creative potential within the psyche. A something that is going toward exuberant and fashioning life. But there is a detour as she agrees to become the prize of a vicious man because her instincts to notice and do otherwise are not intact” (p. 37). Symbolically, Bluebeard’s young bride is warned neither by her mother nor her sisters, who all have more experience and have avoided Bluebeard’s traps. Only after experiencing the temptations of the “bloody groom” can she cultivate self-awareness, mature, and resist the inner bandit.
Estés emphasises that not unlocking the door to the secret room for the young woman would mean spiritual death. By unlocking the door, the woman chooses life. Prohibition acts as a stimulant – empty curiosity is replaced by the thirst for knowledge, which is necessary for creativity.
Opening the sealed room’s door, a woman encounters the desolation of her inner life. Estés says: “When women open the doors of their own lives and survey the carnage there in those out-of-the-way places, they most often find they have been allowing summary assassinations of their most crucial dreams, goals, and hope” (p. 41).
This is not menstruation but the blood of the soul. Only by extracting it from the subconscious, by processing trauma and experiencing all the agony, is it possible to integrate these past events and place them on certain shelves of consciousness. The youngest sister tries to remove the blood and wipe the key but fails.
After the secret door is opened, Bluebeard becomes enraged and decides that the woman must die. But here the youngest sister calls on her brothers for help – the strongest and most aggressive forces of the soul: “The brothers represent the blessing of strength and action. With them, in the end, several things occur, one is that the vast and disabling ability of the predator is neutralized in a woman’s psyche. And second, the blueberry-eyed maiden is replaced by one with eyes awake, and third, a warrior to each side of her if she but calls for them.” (p. 47-48). The fairy tale ends happily for the youngest sister. However, we mourn for the murdered brides and the wonders that the inner bandit mercilessly crushed.
I still haven’t solved the devil’s puzzle and haven’t fully opened the doors to the secret chamber. Recognisable inner figures somewhat soothe me – the beginning is made. I feel that I will not escape from the inner world of trauma for a long time, although I want to write different texts. I believe that someday we will actualise a positive phenomenon instead of trauma – post-traumatic growth. But before that, the doors must be opened and the devil’s puzzle solved.
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
LINA BUIVIDAVIČIŪTĖ
Lina Buividavičiūtė was born on May 14, 1986. She is a poet and literary critic. Lina is an author of two poetry books in Lithuanian language.Aside from "Matter", "Masters", and “Proverse poetry prize" contest anthologies, her poetry is published in the following magazines: Drunk Monkeys, Beyond Words, The Dewdrop, The Limit Experience Magazine, Poet's Choice, HOW, Beyond Queer Words, Maudlin House Press, Cathexis Northwest Press, and Versopolis Review.Upcoming publications will appear in New Millennium Writings, Cathexis Northwest Press, Quillkeepers Press, The Stardust Review and Beyond Words Literary Magazine.
TRANSLATOR'S BIO
GABRIELLA ŽIČKIENÉ
Gabriella Žičkienė is a translator and editor born and raised in the United States, and currently living in Lithuania. With over a decade of experience, her work covers a wide range of texts, with a focus on ethnic culture and literature. Passionate about bridging cultural gaps through language, Gabriella brings diverse voices to new audiences through her translations and editorial work.
August 9, 2024
The Woes of Reading Romeo and Juliet: An Unpopular Opinion, 2024
Ah, The Woes of Reading Romeo (humor/sarcastic piece)
Morgana Faye
To quote the wisest philosopher of our time:
“It's always been about love and hate, now let me say I'm the biggest hater
I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress
I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct
We hate the b*tch*s you fxxk 'cause they confuse themself with real women
And notice, I said "we," it's not just me, I'm what the culture feelin'
How many more fairytale stories 'bout your life 'til we had enough?
Thank you Kendrick Lamar for writing the sickest bars of 2024. But more importantly, your words perfectly express how I feel about reading about a certain playwright and this one story that some higher-ups above insist every student must read. Whose play continues to plague the creative field with countless references and remakes that further justify my disdain for it. You know, the movies, songs and dime-a-dozen trashy novels you find in a typical drug store or supermarket. At its best, it is mediocre recycled trash. At its worst, it’s a complete waste of resources that could have gone into an original idea. I don’t know if this applies to all cultures but it is safe to say many want to treat the dead with respect, to let their souls rest in peace. I agree with that. I think it’s about time (it's 2024 already!) to let this story, Romeo and Juliet, rest in its grave, too.
I’m talking about William Shakespeare and his accursed Romeo and Juliet.
It’s always been about love and hate with Romeo and Juliet. It’s the literal theme of the godforsaken piece of ancient trashy tragic romance story that it is. Yes, that’s right. Here’s my “unpopular” opinion - it’s boring and overhyped. Maybe if I wasn’t forced to read this over and over and hear the same “raving” reviews praising it for its “insightful commentary and themes”, I might have viewed it differently-. Nah, that’s not true. My opinion of it then is still the same now. I’m tired of people thinking it’s “smarter” than it is. That it’s some highly intellectual material worthy of forcing people to analyze over and over when I don’t think it’s that deep. Like, sure, the blood feud between the Capulets and Montague is interesting enough, I suppose. I understand that it’s not supposed to be Romeo and Juliet's focal point. It’s supposed to highlight the tragedies of star-crossed love, violence, fate, whatever comes to mind.
But really, having some additional context behind the feud would have made the drama juicier. Because Romeo and Juliet as a whole is drier than the Sahara Desert. If anything, I feel we give Romeo and Juliet too much credit for essentially jumpstarting an entire subgenre of for-fun fanfiction and fanfiction-turned-monetized-trashy-novels. I know it’s not entirely Shakespeare’s fault school curriculum refuses to open up to varied literature from all over the world. It’s not entirely his fault people love to rehash old content and milk it (looking at you Disney and Hollywood!). At the same time, I certainly didn’t enjoy having to pull the same old “analysis” out of my ass while trying to explain why these two idiots’ “love story” (if you can even call it that) died as fast as they fell in love. Some things just need to die already, and Romeo and Juliet in 2024, is one of those things. Yeah, I'm the biggest hater of this story.
I hate the way this story’s plot walks. I understand that the rushed nature does serve a purpose, somewhat, for Romeo and Juliet. The lack of time meant a lot of pressure the characters weren’t able to handle, which contributed to their tragic ends. It’s what makes Romeo and Juliet a tragedy. However, that’s just not my cup of tea. I prefer material that has a lot more going on while also pacing properly. Am I being nitpicky and super critical of this play for what it is? Maybe. At the same time, I’d like to take this time to properly tear it apart because I’m a tiny bit petty like that (because schools are boring and only want people to think one way).
The way its format talks. Not a play girlie - though, to be fair, I’m not a fan of script formats to begin with. But also, I’m not a fan of Shakespeare. To his credit, though, I think schools have partially ruined what otherwise could have been my experience reading his works. I’m aware I’m not getting the full experience of his skill by just reading the plays. I have to see his stories reenacted live to watch the story unfold. Even so, I’m a Dostoevsky girlie to the end. I like his brand of madness in his writings. It’s dark and gritty in a satisfying way - like I was treated to a fulfilling meal that I still remember long after.
Something I cannot say for Romeo and Juliet because I wouldn't say I like the way its themes are addressed. Like girl, be for real. I’d be more convinced of the romance if :
Romeo was not slobbering over another girl before he decided on a whim she wasn’t worth it anymore
He wanted marriage right off the bat because that’s perfectly sane and reasonable
Surely Romeo couldn’t have tried harder to convince his dear friend not to start life-ending fights.
He committed suicide over a girl he could have just moved on because he had no problem forgetting Rosaline, who is Juliet’s relative. So no, I don’t care for the main attraction.
It cannot be stated enough how much I hate the way that the higher-ups managing the curriculum for schools sneak this into lessons. Like please just let this die in peace already. Because if I catch the flight of Shakespeare, it's gon' be on-sight from how much Romeo and Juliet continue to haunt me to this day. Again, I must emphasize. I hate the b*tch*s this godforsaken play birthed because these fakes confuse themself with real, respectable stories. I’m not at all convinced The New York Times Bestsellers aren’t just a bunch of publishers payrolling their way into these arbitrary lists. The countless references and/or remakes Hollywood chooses to prioritize instead of original content don’t help either.
And notice, I said "we," it's not just me, I'm what the culture feelin'
Because how many more remakes, even in 2024, 'bout Romeo and Juliet 'til we had enough?
Morgana Faye is a short story writer and poet. From thoughts to words, she weaves into a cohesive body of work. Writing allows Morgana time to slow down, collect her thoughts, and present them on paper. To catch those words before they slip from her grasp, forever lost during translation. Though recent, her blossoming interest in the publishing industry marks a pivotal change. Fall 2019 saw her poem “Closer” published in King’s River Review. However, it was not until 2024 that she would consider publishing a viable career path. Even so, Morgana seeks to showcase her skills to the world.
