What do you believe about writing fiction?
Differing Essentials
In creative pursuits there are some does and don’ts but one of the traps is to feel that there is only one way. In fact, we all have our own process. Our writing and the process of it is affected because each of our lives and stories are unique. That means it is useful to follow established practices which will serve us well but we must also give ourselves the space to be who we are.
And Then There Is Where We Are Led
I’m a clinical psychologist which means I have spent decades relating to the personal lives of people. Inevitably it has its effect on me. Helping people with the difficulties in their lives and how they manage them means, in part, attending to possibilities. In writing then that means to me the story as it develops may not be laid down in hard type. We have to find out what being inspired means and what the effects are. And so for me, the novel is a search because it is born of the author, not just what is brought in from what we call the real world.
Life, Dreams, and Myth
Our stories are often born of both our experiences in life and our dreams. And then there are the fundamentals of life which for me involves my love of myth. To me myth is riveting and more than merely meaningful.
That being said, I can see a melding process in the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy I’ve written. The three books of this trilogy reflect decades of experience and development deep in my brain. Often it seemed I was on autopilot as the characters and their stories wove together to bring the story to life. At times it felt overwhelming. I found refuge in music which runs constantly while I’m writing. I prefer women jazz singers, romantic piano and technodance. Yes, technodance. I refer to my brain as still adolescent because I can do my homework and listen to music. When I turn the music off I find my energy flags. In short it is energizing me.
The Real World
And then there is the world as it is currently around us. Over the decades I found the stories in my practice led to a particular high regard for women. And currently we are seeing women rising in the world. These elements were brought together with many others in the Gaia’s Majesty Trilogy.
The process fascinates me as I found myself bringing discipline together with inspiration. Some of it related to established principles and some of it reflected an idiosyncratic process. The stories are all around us and within us and bringing them out and together is fascinating and fulfilling.
What leads and inspires you?