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Digging Into The Entrails

January 4, 2015 by scarletdarkwood

 

Flannery O’Connor said many things in her short life. This particular viewpoint I found quite interesting:

  • Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay. I’m always irritated by people who imply that writing fiction is an escape from reality. It is a plunge into reality, and it’s very shocking to the system.

Luckily, I have not found writing a terrible experience. My teeth have not fallen out, thank goodness. My hair . . . Let’s just say I was not blessed with luscious locks, but I have what I have! I must admit, however, that the more I try to fine-tune my writing ability, the more I have to agree with O’Connor. I’m finding authors who write moving prose have shown an ability for digging deep into the psyche, into reality, and into the darkest shadows of human thought and experience, and have brought out those mental pictures beautifully onto the page.

Such an ability doesn’t require just talent alone, but a willingness to travel deep into the guts of what makes us, for better or worse, human. As I write different stories, I’m finding I must do that too. Sometimes I hit the bullseye. Other times, a swift kick in the pants from a beta reader reminds me I failed miserably. Usually a comment of “this left me dry,” or “you just pulled me out of the story” means I failed in digging into an experience or exploring how someone might feel in the situation I’m trying to portray on paper.

I must admit, I’m one of those people who hates digging into emotions, expressing deep feelings, though I’m opinionated as hell. I’ll go a step further and state that I actually hate feeling sometimes. Life’s so much easier if you have a stiff upper lip and can go on about your business without getting too involved in the human condition. The only problem, not feeling robs you of being human, of showing compassion, love, fear, hate, and as a result, of fluently pouring out meaningful prose where it counts most.

People subjected to severe trauma often shut down, detach from life, and feel nothing. The world is a painful place and they avoid it now. Desperate for any feeling at all, they’ll sometimes inflict pain on themselves so they’ll feel something. Anything. This pain reminds them they exist, that they are still alive, still human with a future ahead of them, if they can just hang on and keep going one more day. Something inside tells them they must feel and acknowledge the good, bad, and ugly, or else go blindly through life like an automaton–or worse yet, die.

For a writer, one who writes without thinking, feeling, blindly typing out words on a screen in hopes of getting a good thought or story across, this lack of attachment or understanding can be a death knell. A good writer takes a moment and considers the many faces of human nature, the good, funny, odd, dark, eccentric, and perverted so they can tell their version of a story that’s burning inside them, and hopefully one that will leave readers more enriched and questioning their own attitudes and the world around them. For a writer, delving deep into scenarios where angels fear to tread can be scary. It means looking deep into yourself and your own attitudes. It means dredging up old pain, reliving the past, or in some cases, imagining yourself in situations you’ve never dreamed of.

It means opening yourself up and feeling. For me personally, that’s difficult much of the time, and if I’m not careful or don’t have beta readers who keep me on track, my stories risk lacking that human element, or leaving a reader wanting more. Like a person undergoing psychotherapy, a writer must also explore those uncomfortable aspects of life, those instances where one squirms a little, or a lot.

No genre is exempt from this type of self-study. In erotica, one has to consider sex, the arousal evoked, and in some cases, the willingness to incorporate some the kinkiest activities in the sex arsenal. For me, that was hard, especially when it came to using some of the lingo that went with it. I have a personal prejudice again certain words. My very first release showed that prejudice in the form of flowery, what may be considered more Victorian, language. For most readers, that will be a deal breaker. When I went back and tweaked the story again, the language was a little more palatable, but still not hard-core. However, I wrote it they way I wanted to, like it or not–and it sells the best.

In my erotic short stories, I let my hair down, closed my eyes, and let the “nasty” words fly. To my surprise and amusement, there was something rather liberating in that act, just letting it all hang out and dangle, if you will. My current WIP is different, altogether. Because the main character is suddenly thrust into an insane asylum, I’m forced to capture what a person in such a horrid setting may feel when they see unsightly scenes and insults to humanity. I have to capture how a woman feels when her old life has ended and she’s forced far from her home, and must build a new life with no family, friends, or relative who can help.

I’ve got some ideas for some horror stories. Likewise, I’ll think about what motivates people to harm others or what drives their world, what makes them think and act they way they do. During Christmas, I wrote a short story in the sci-fi genre, which is totally out of my element. Talk about rationalization! Both my characters found themselves rationalizing just to survive an unpleasant mission and continue in their privileged lifestyle. This experience as a writer was amazing and valuable. It taught me how to think differently and how I might tackle elements out of my usual genres.

Like we say today: “It’s all good!”

If you’re a writer, what things bog you down? Do you find it difficult to search deep inside yourself, your experiences? How does this affect your work? Do you struggle with tackling the dark sides of humanity? Do the negatives of today actually drive your work, encouraging your plot lines? I’d love to hear about it!

 

 

 

Filed Under: General Writing Tagged With: experience, Flannery O'Connor, human nature, writer, writing

The Dark Night Of The Soul

January 24, 2014 by scarletdarkwood

The dark night of the soul. They say we’ll all go through one at some point in our evolution, but as for me, that’s one part of my spiritual development I’d love to avoid. But the whole purpose is to rely on spiritual help (and earthly help when it’s available or given), and to learn that the cosmic power and intelligence will help see you through. It’s almost like a forced surrender, falling off that high beam backward, rope around your waist, and expecting the one waiting below to come through and provide the balance you need so you don’t come crashing down to the ground and end up badly hurt. 

Takes a lot of faith and trust to do that, doesn’t it. I really doubt my ability to pull through hard times too gracefully. But I’m creating this post in honor of a wonderful person I know, whom I’m hoping others of you, my dear subscribers and others who find this blog, can help her in a desperate time of need. Nymph Du Pave has been a writing companion of mine ever since I published my first novel, Pleasure House. She beta reads for me, gives me advice, and answers all my crazy questions when things come up. She’s truly been a blessing for me, and I’d be lost without her support.

Just a few days ago, her spouse had a horrible motorcycle accident, making her acutely aware that life can change in the flash of an instant. She’s undergoing her own personal trauma as she helps her spouse on the long road to recovery. The whole nasty affair has left her feeling like one in a dream. Also, she’s dealing with the physical aspects of trauma: nausea, poor appetite, decreased energy (which I’m sure flairs up when the adrenalin kicks in). However, as a result of the accident, her spouse is unable to help bring in income. As a result, my friend is trying to sell her writing and jewelry  so she can support the two of them. Her jewelry is fun and bohemian, and if you’re looking for some fun gifts for yourself or someone else, supporting her Etsy shop would be a great way to help. She’s also a writer, and her works can be found on Amazon under her name, Nymph Du Pave.  I’m including links below so you can see what she’s all about. Not only would she appreciate it, I would too. I appreciate all you readers who have purchased my books, and as a fellow writer, she’ll deeply appreciate your support as well. I want to say thank you in advance if any one of you choose to help. My hope is that you’ll be doubly rewarded!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/freehippie?ref=si_shop

freehippie

www.etsy.com   Quality Hippie Bohemian Jewelry and Accessories.

Nymph Du Pave On Amazon

Filed Under: General Writing Tagged With: Amazon, beta read, companion, dark night of the soul, Etsy, evolution, freehippie, Nymph Du Pave, Pleasure House, spiritual, trauma, writer, writing

Sassy Lusty Character Takes Over Erotic Dreams!

March 6, 2013 by scarletdarkwood

I’m sure I’m not alone in this experience, and that would be one where a writer has dreams about one of their characters. Let’s face it, our dreams are usually symbolic and people, real or created, can represent things in your life when you dream. In Dance of Desire, one of the main characters is Daren, my red-headed sexy attendant who works at The House. One night, after I’d been writing about him, creating him in my mind, I fell asleep and began dreaming about him–about us. When I woke up, I had to laugh, and then I wondered, do any other writers do this? Apparently it’s not that all uncommon for writers to have night-time experiences with their characters, especially if you write romance or erotica. After all, these characters are real to us. We conjur them up in our minds, and as we write out their scripts in our novels, they begin to take on what feels like a real walking, talking person.

Sometimes when I hear certain songs, I wonder how Daren, in his day and age–the 20’s-30’s–would react to the song. Would he like it? Would it make him want to sing or dance? How would he look in modern day clothing? After all, in my novels, he’s wearing nothing but a loincloth–or nothing! I can hear his voice in my mind when I write dialogue sentences for him. I can see his smile, his teeth, feel his touch. I wonder what he likes to eat. In my novels, he likes fruit, probably because it’s erotic and can be used/eaten in may ways! I think Daren would describe himself as a vegan or a health nut. He cares for his body very much.

Now for the big question as it relates to dreaming about your characters. Since Daren engages in lots of sex, have Daren and I had sex in a dream? Well . . . all I can say is It was good for me, and I’m hoping it was for him too. Oh, wait, he’s only a fictitious character, and I was just dreaming. Anyway, it’s an interesting concept as we writers breath life into each one of our characters, creating the way they walk, talk, dress, swagger . . . and fulfil our naughty desires.

What about everyone else–readers or writers? Do you ever dream about characters in novel? If you have, and you’re not too shy, tell me about it.  I’d love to hear your experience.  

Filed Under: General Writing Tagged With: character, Dance of Desire, Daren, dream, erotic, lusty, sassy, The House, vegan, writer

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