WHY EVERY NOVEL SHOULD HAVE A PIECE OF YOU IN IT
I bet you're looking at the title of this post and wondering what kind of outlandish foolishness I'm proposing. Before you write me off let me explain. I'm currently writing my sixth full length novel and I think I've discovered some pretty amazing things as I continue to write and build my portfolio. What has occupied my thoughts lately is how every novel I've written contains a piece of me. What do I mean by that? With every finished novel I've either written about some past experience, a secret side to myself, my personality traits, a dream or fantasy I've had, my deepest pain or greatest desire and finally a chance to live life vicariously through someone else.
So what point am I making? Every thing you write should have a piece of you in. When you look back over your body of work, you should be able to see a theme, or pick out a certain issue that was on your mind when you wrote it. Let me give you a few examples.
GODDESS OF LEGEND
In my very first novel my heroine was so like me. Cameryn struggled with her self image and always felt that she was different or out of place. These are issues I've dealt with my entire life so while Cameryn Kane is her own woman, she is also very much a part of me.
GODDESS BY CHANCE
In my fourth novel, my heroine is strong willed and has a mother of an equally strong will. Arienne just wants to live her life on her own terms without feeling like she has to measure up to what her mother expects of her. Arienne is me. My mother and I are both strong willed women and we butt heads on the exact same issues as my heroine and her mother do. Life and art are truly one with this novel.
MY CURRENT WIP
In this sexy romantic suspense novel I'm exploring what it would be like to be a woman at the very top in a traditionally male domain, having the power to do whatever you want with no consequences and the joys of being with a younger man. This novel is all about exploring a fantasy and living vicariously through someone else.
Now do you see what I mean? With everything I write I can identify some subliminal thing that gets put into my novels. So when you pick up that pen or sit down at your keyboard, next time think about what little piece of you that you'd like to share with your readers. Sharing is caring and while you're creating your own little world you could be making a real difference in someone else's.
What are some common things or issues you've explored in your writing? What have you written that hits the closest to home in your life?
