On the importance of Family
With this holiday season approaching I felt it was time to talk about family a little bit.
They are vastly important to the life of a writer. Not only are they a support system and a constant source of encouragement in a profession that is designed to crush your spirit, but they are also important to shaping you as a person and a writer.
I'm sure that many of you--like me--have used fictionalized incidents from your youth in books. The first types of personalities that we witness are that of our family. These traits help make up some of the characters in our own stories.
Thomas Wolfe famously wrote, You Can't Go Home Again, which details his return to his hometown after the success of his first novel. The book was based on his friends and neighbors (and yes, his family) and it was not a glowing depiction. As you might expect the homecoming (both in the book and in real life) was not a very warm one.
I know my wife sometimes gets a little peeved at me when I include some small snippet of our life into a book. Though I've never dug as deep as Wolfe did. I would probably be divorced if I did.
She takes it all in stride though. The same way, I suppose, that a comedian's wife will take the personal jokes in stride.
Creativity is not a magical power. It's a tunnel that connects the dream life with the real life. To construct this tunnel, you need experiences from your own life.
I would just suggest that any writers out there take a lesson from Thomas Wolfe and not reveal too much when you're building your tunnel.
So during this Thanksgiving season, instead of rolling your eyes at the thought of your Aunt Edna or Uncle Mort coming to visit, turn on your powers of observation and figure out what kind of unique outlook they have. What is it that makes them so weird?
You never know, a small bit of their personality could really add to that character that just seems lifeless.
One more note before I go: Before the Mask (a prequel to Beneath the Mask of Sanity) is going very well. Almost halfway through and feeling very good about things.
This book will examine the psyche of Bentley in a little more detail and give some clues as to why he is the killer we meet at the beginning of Beneath the Mask of Sanity. I hope that you will all love it.
On that note, have a great Thanksgiving everyone and thank you for continuing to read.
They are vastly important to the life of a writer. Not only are they a support system and a constant source of encouragement in a profession that is designed to crush your spirit, but they are also important to shaping you as a person and a writer.
I'm sure that many of you--like me--have used fictionalized incidents from your youth in books. The first types of personalities that we witness are that of our family. These traits help make up some of the characters in our own stories.
Thomas Wolfe famously wrote, You Can't Go Home Again, which details his return to his hometown after the success of his first novel. The book was based on his friends and neighbors (and yes, his family) and it was not a glowing depiction. As you might expect the homecoming (both in the book and in real life) was not a very warm one.
I know my wife sometimes gets a little peeved at me when I include some small snippet of our life into a book. Though I've never dug as deep as Wolfe did. I would probably be divorced if I did.
She takes it all in stride though. The same way, I suppose, that a comedian's wife will take the personal jokes in stride.
Creativity is not a magical power. It's a tunnel that connects the dream life with the real life. To construct this tunnel, you need experiences from your own life.
I would just suggest that any writers out there take a lesson from Thomas Wolfe and not reveal too much when you're building your tunnel.
So during this Thanksgiving season, instead of rolling your eyes at the thought of your Aunt Edna or Uncle Mort coming to visit, turn on your powers of observation and figure out what kind of unique outlook they have. What is it that makes them so weird?
You never know, a small bit of their personality could really add to that character that just seems lifeless.
One more note before I go: Before the Mask (a prequel to Beneath the Mask of Sanity) is going very well. Almost halfway through and feeling very good about things.
This book will examine the psyche of Bentley in a little more detail and give some clues as to why he is the killer we meet at the beginning of Beneath the Mask of Sanity. I hope that you will all love it.
On that note, have a great Thanksgiving everyone and thank you for continuing to read.
No comments have been added yet.
