A Short Line Between Writing Fact and Fiction

What I love about writing fiction is being able to create characters.  Character development is extremely important in any story.  If the characters aren’t convincing or interesting, readers won’t have that emotional connection that’s needed to enjoy a story.

One of the most important things I keep in mind when I am writing is how my audience may or may not perceive a certain character.  I am always concerned when I have a character going through serious issues.  Sure a novel is for entertainment but I believe compassion and care is necessary when addressing serious issues even in fiction.

Anyone can relate to “Giving up the Ghost” and at least one of the characters in the book. A psychopath is stalking my heroine, Bree Morris throughout the book. He terrorizes her and treats her life as if it’s his own chess game.  I felt this storyline not only brought tension but also showed how vulnerable Bree is. It reminds us that she is still a woman despite being a cop. I’ve read books with female characters that were supposed to be strong but couldn’t relate to the women because they were too untouchable.  I don’t care how strong a woman is, there are certain things that can happen to every woman that will break her down.

It was tough to write some of the stalking scenes. It wasn’t easy keeping a balance between vulnerability and strength while making sure I portrayed Bree as a normal woman.  Bree’s extremely strong but I wanted to show how any woman can go through this situation no matter who she is. How it can sneak up on you and turn your world upside down without warning. I wanted to capture the essence of how a woman would feel if she went through this and I hope I did.

Another big issue in the book is mental illness.  I can’t go into this too much because it’s a part of the major twist.  I researched the particular illness the book deals with to make sure I wouldn’t offend someone who has lived with this illness. I was proud when an author friend of mine who’d read the book said a loved one of hers suffered through the same illness. She said the scenes brought her to tears because the way I wrote them, was so realistic to the illness.

I don’t think I’ll ever receive a more profound compliment about my work than that.  I’m not trying to sour the moment or turn the mood gray.  But I felt it was important to let everyone know that I kept people who might deal with these things in mind.  While I do hope folks find the book entertaining and enjoyable, I hope they learn from it too.

There are so many misconceptions about mental illness so if I educated one person than I am satisfied.

Best Wishes!