A
writer once told me that all first-time authors write their autobiography, even
if tagged fiction. While I don’t believe that’s completely true, after all,
some first-time authors write about vampires and shape shifters, I do think
there’s a modicum of truth to that statement. In other words, even if an author
writes a work of fiction, there are usually many elements of the story that are
factual, and I’d venture to guess that at minimum, a new author will probably
pattern characters after people they know.
When my professor suggested to “Write what you know.” —a quote often attributed
to Mark Twain, but some say it is much older—I wasn’t certain if I really
wanted to do it. After all, who would believe me?
Here are a few subjects I know:
Child
abuse
Sexual
abuse
Drug
abuse
Alcohol
abuse
Abandonment
Rape
Suicide
Depression
Belief
in God
The
power to over come
Love
at first sight
Stalkers
Crime
Tragedies
Police
A
new family
Happily
ever after
Hey, I'm married to a cop; I've seen a lot. The
problem is…does anyone want to read that? Well, I guess that depends. If you
put it into a story, add a little as Hollywood refers to it: Based on a true story, but dramatic
elements have been added for the sake of artistic expression. Then, yeah,
some people will believe because more than likely they can identify with a
character and/or a situation. And while they can enjoy an escape into a
fictional story, they may take something from it.
The
funny thing is most of the stories throughout history are based on a couple of
key elements. Though they may not all be in the same story, ‘love at first
sight’, ‘family tragedy’, or ‘a vicious crime’ are often the basis of a work of
literary fiction. Fairy tales did it, suspense-thrillers do it, it’s a great
start.
So
if you don’t believe one or more elements of a story, does that make it a bad
story? You may not believe in ‘love at first sight’, but readers love it. In
fact, even movies that aren’t tagged as ‘love at first site’, usually have a
hero and heroine thrust into an incredibly unbelievable situation, and they are
all of the sudden willing to die for each other. Of course, there are many
classics, Romeo and Juliet,
‘all the fairy tales’, even the The
Godfather.
Well,
as I mentioned in the above list, these are all the things I write about. Why? Because it’s what I know.
So,
let me share one tidbit of information with the unbelievers of the world: I
called my grandmother after my first date with my husband and told her I’d just
met the man I was going to marry. Thirteen days later, he asked me to marry
him. Thirty days later, we married, and we’ve been married twenty-three years.
Yes,
I believe in 'love at first sight', yes, I write modern-day fairy tales filled
with tragedy, mystery, suspense, hope, and above all, romance, because I’m
living one. I’ll leave the rest of ‘what I know’ to your imagination.
If
you would like to read a little more about what I write, follow the links
below. My stories are available in print and eBook formats at your favorite
retailer. You can download my mini-mysteries with a paranormal edge absolutely
FREE or start with my romantic-suspense bestseller She Belongs to Me for only .99 cents. From there, all my stories are
priced 'less than a latte', so READ UP and enjoy!
Until
next time, happy reading, friends!
Carmen
I
love talking about all things books, so please connect with me via one of the
links below.
Carmen,
ReplyDeleteI saw this on twitter and clicked the link to look at She belongs to me, but the link is broken.
Must have just been an internet glitch. It's working now and I just bought a copy. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou are lovely, Carolyn. Thank you. I truly hope you enjoy, hopefully knowing it all comes from the heart. Cheers, my friend.
Delete<3
This was such an informative article and I'll share this with my writers group, if this is okay with you:)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked it, Marie. I was hoping it came off as informative and not a rant, but I did pick an image that looked like "rant" just in case. LOL!
DeleteOf course you can share. I just shared with thousands of potential readers. :)
And thank you for your unwavering support, awesome friend. <3