DIGGING DEEPER
Have you ever wondered why a writer chooses a particular genre? It may not be important at all, especially if the biography of a writer does not add to your enjoyment of their work. Maybe it is only other writers that are curious.
I was at the local authors day at the Wichita Advanced Learning Library back on August 20. It was being held for the first time since 2019 and it was an honor to attend. Sitting near me was a gentleman who I believe had two published works in the science fiction field. He told me of his background as an engineer of some sort and his chosen genre makes sense.
Now, I do not have a background in law enforcement, have never been arrested or involved in any police business (outside of my local Neighborhood Watch), am not a gun owner or aficionado, nor do I associate with known criminals. Why, then, do I write crime fiction?
Additionally, I am not an extremist, drug-user, or alcoholic, and have no leaning toward sexual deviance or overtly wild behavior. Yet, I do write transgressive fiction.
We cannot simply associate a writer’s background with their genre, cannot account for a lifestyle or personal experience as the motivation behind a style or pattern of writing. Roland Barthes, in his essay “The Death of the Author” argues against the use of biography for the purposes of determining a writer’s intentions within literary criticism.
For the longest time, I would joke that the reason I write crime and transgressive fiction was due to my work in customer service. At this point, for over forty years, I have plied my trade within a variety of fields. Whereas I do not presume to have seen human horrors worse than policemen, firemen, doctors, or psychiatrists, my view of human nature is based on so-called “normal” people. It’s the guy or gal calling in about their bill, their service, their order. What may start out as a basic inquiry becomes a bitter battle of wills.
Perhaps they call having already been disappointed and frustrated and immediately set out to destroy the next voice they hear. Without passing any judgment, I have wondered how human beings can be pushed to such extremes. Therein lies my motivation.
The thing is that while considering these people and their emotional journey, I am forced to look inward. When do I get frustrated? What or whom pushes my buttons? What are the circumstances under which I go to an extreme, willingly or unwittingly, completely disregarding the courtesies I was raised with?
In this case, it is my own personal “biography” I use to explore themes in my writing. There might be an occasional reminder of an event from the distant past, the one better left unremembered, that oozes to the surface of your consciousness and reminds you that you, too, are capable of being pushed off center. To that end, I can become aware and do my best to maintain a more healthy approach to life, while at the same time crafting a whale of a story.
However, to dig that deep is something that can be dangerous. Slipping off the precipice into the darkest elements of your psyche is always a possibility. You just hope to have the strength to dig yourself out and come back into the light.
