Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You

I have been working furiously on a new novel, The Breaker, which I hope to publish later this year.  Writing is an interesting, solitary career choice.  You can bounce story ideas off of others, but most of the work is done inside your own head, in which you question your character actions and the way the tale will progress.  Since the book is located in a place I have vacationed twice, I am paying attention to the geography of the area even though I already changed the location of one location, in a move to add more detail to the chapter in which the event occurs.  It is interesting to write about things empathetically when you have never experienced them in your own life.

The Source

I have an interesting philosophical question for everyone out there.  In writing, it is better to draw on one's own experience, or rather is it preferable make it all up and let your imagination to drive the story?  Perhaps a combination of the two is better?  So much of my writing--about 99 percent--has been pulled from thin air.  I am having fun living vicariously through my characters, taking them to places and putting them into situations I can only dream about experiencing.  I suppose it all depends on the type of writing; in this blog I draw upon my experiences as I share my feelings with you.  If I were writing, say, a sci-fi novel, much of the science and technology I discuss would have to be fiction in order to make the story function properly.  Empathy is an important quality for an author to possess.  You must have empathy for other people and their situations in order to have empathy for your characters.  Through empathy you gain understanding, which is another important quality in writing. You must understand your characters and settings implicitly, since in many cases they will be your own.  Finally, inspiration is different for everyone.  We all draw on a variety of
experiences, sources, and feelings when we create our work.


Currently listening to:  "Help Me Remember" by Rascal Flatts