I've decided in 2024, it's time for me to post more to my blog.
So for those of you who may be surprised to see a new post from me, that's okay, I'm surprised, too!
There's nothing wrong with a short, off-the-cuff post (at least that's what I'm telling myself), so here for your enjoyment is my last post of 2023, and it will be brief, I promise.
Us writers spend a lot of time trying to get better at describing exactly what it is we do. So, recently, as I've been working on a new middle grade fantasy (6-inch-people with magic facing tyranny! Don't worry, I won't try to copyright it), I've been thinking back on the 8+ manuscripts I've managed to complete, and I've been trying to notice patterns. Well, today, I noticed one.
In every manuscript and short story, my protagonists are trying to uncover the truth about their parents, siblings, or the past. These protagonists tend to be outsiders and they are mostly alone--either friendless or have a single friend, typically an only child or orphan, though they do sometimes discover their only-child status or orphan status is not entirely accurate. Sometimes they realize their parents or siblings are not who they believed they were.
Muse finds out the startling truth about his folk-singing uncle (he's Prometheus! And his dad!) Evie unlocks her shocking flying powers and realizes she's more than what she believed. Jaren discovers the autocratic ruler he's been trying to hide from is actually one of his parents.
In all cases, they search for answers to these deeply personal questions within a broader context of their damaged society that needs healing, and they strive to solve both problems.
Does this sound a little bit like my own brain on a day-to-day basis?
Yes. Yes, it does.
Has it taken me multiple years and stories to come to this conclusion?
Yep.
I find this amusing, and it makes me wonder about other writers' journeys into recognizing these things.
If you are a writer, how long did it take you to point to reoccurring thematic patterns in your work?
Was it immediate? Did it concern or excite you?
How many of us are creating work out of something deeply personal? How many of us are fully aware of this, and how many of us just think we're writing about dinosaurs or other planets or whatever when there's something much bigger under the surface?
How many of us learn how to live better through the stories we write?
Living in the questions for now. I feel like these are good questions for me to sit with as I shift into a new year of writing, editing, querying, and trying to become a better human being.
May you all have a beautiful, peaceful 2024.
Ah, yes, PEACE. That elusive thing I wish for every year.
What do we want? PEACE! When do we need it? NOW!