This time last year, I entered my first RWA short story competition. Although my entry didn’t place, I managed to step out of my comfort zone. That story, along with one other, would later go on to become ‘First Christmas’, my first foray into the world of sweet (ghostly) romance. Even though I had fun writing both those stories, when my book was published in November, I felt happy to go ‘home’.
And where is that, exactly?
They say ‘home is where the heart is’, and for me that place is a spooky old mansion, full of dark shadows and forbidden secrets. My home, my real home, is among the darkness. Like many journeys we take, we sometimes need to spread our wings, but we always return to our roots.
In her book ‘Dear Writer, You Need to Quit’ (which I recommend for all you writers out there), Becca Syme says that we need to quit focusing on our weaknesses. Instead, we should focus on our strengths. Once we know what they are, development is the next step.
I recently finished reading Stephen King’s ‘Full Dark, No Stars’, and one of the things he had to say in the afterword resonated with me. ‘When it comes to fiction, the writer’s only responsibility is to look for the truth inside his own heart’.
Yes, I’m a bit of a hopeless romantic, but the dark side is my comfort zone. I have always been drawn to the horrors of what human beings are capable of, as well as the paranormal. I have come to accept it and learned to embrace it.
As we head into 2021, my path leads me into the shadows. I hope you’ll join me.
Where is your natural ‘home’ as a writer? Do you plan on writing in a different genre this year? Have you experimented with other genres, only to return where you’re the most comfortable?
Home for me is simply a story with a dark edge to it, and I always make sure to incorporate that regardless of the genre, so I’m always home! 🙂
I’m mainly focusing on fantasy writing this year versus the scifi and horror I’ve done to date.
Hi Jonny. I love stories with a dark edge! It’s good to hear that you’re branching out. Fantasy sounds like it could be a lot of fun. Best of luck with it! 🙂
I find comfort in the dark side of literature, either as a writer or a reader. It’s like I’m letting all my anxieties from the real world pour into the poor protagonist on the pages. Besides, if he or she is battling a flesh-eating zombie, that’s probably NOT as bad as the flat tire I might have gotten that day, and it puts things into perspective.:-)
LOL. I can relate to putting all the anxieties into the protagonist. I guess it’s that old piece of writing advice of making them ‘suffer’. We’re a sadistic bunch! 😉
Loved this post! I feel that I’m still a newbie writer. Trying to write my own path. Although I know I’m eager to write fantasy where I can build worlds with endless possibilities.
Thank you for sharing your home with us 🙂
Thank you, Ash. Writing fantasy sounds like a lot of fun, where the possibilities are almost endless. Thank you for stopping by – it’s lovely meeting you! 🙂