Writing with Passion
Writing with emotion and passion can be hard sometimes. It's a struggle of what is enough and what it too much. Is it realistic or am I being melodramatic? Do I sound enthusiastic? Or do I sounds distant? I usually go on the heavy side...but it's because I feel it.
Recently I wrote a scene where my character found out his little sister had died. He handled it with a few questions, some tears, and a heartache. It didn't hit him until later. Then he got the shakes, flood of tears and pain siering through his chest. He visited her grave and talked to her... apologizing, pouring his heart out to her. She was only 3.
I found myself crying with him. My hurt literally hurt. My friend was writing with me and we both were either choking back tears or crying. We felt the pain and it would not go away.
It seemed silly. It's just a story, right? They aren't real people. So why does it hurt so bad? Love? Oh come one, now that sounds sappy. But hey, it's true.
We are authors. Our characters are our children. They are the result of our sweat, blood and tears. Our deepest thoughts and feelings were placed in them. They aren't just names on a page. To us, they are as real as you and I. And as are parent loves their child, we love them. We spend hours developing them, guiding them into the men and women we want them to be. Since it's love...then of course it hurts when we bury them. A creation of ours died, left us forever. There won't be a first kiss or a first love. There will be no high school graduation. There will not be any more birthdays. They are gone...and we are left with memories and a hole in our heart.
You can ask, is it worth it? Oh yes. I can't imagine life without them. All thoes memories that couldn't have happened if they weren't there to make them. All those adventures? The mysteries uncovered? Yes, it is worth it.
She wasn't the first to leave me...and I'm afraid she won't be the last. But that doesn't stop me from creating more. It makes me look forward to loving another child.
Now that is passion.
Recently I wrote a scene where my character found out his little sister had died. He handled it with a few questions, some tears, and a heartache. It didn't hit him until later. Then he got the shakes, flood of tears and pain siering through his chest. He visited her grave and talked to her... apologizing, pouring his heart out to her. She was only 3.
I found myself crying with him. My hurt literally hurt. My friend was writing with me and we both were either choking back tears or crying. We felt the pain and it would not go away.
It seemed silly. It's just a story, right? They aren't real people. So why does it hurt so bad? Love? Oh come one, now that sounds sappy. But hey, it's true.
We are authors. Our characters are our children. They are the result of our sweat, blood and tears. Our deepest thoughts and feelings were placed in them. They aren't just names on a page. To us, they are as real as you and I. And as are parent loves their child, we love them. We spend hours developing them, guiding them into the men and women we want them to be. Since it's love...then of course it hurts when we bury them. A creation of ours died, left us forever. There won't be a first kiss or a first love. There will be no high school graduation. There will not be any more birthdays. They are gone...and we are left with memories and a hole in our heart.
You can ask, is it worth it? Oh yes. I can't imagine life without them. All thoes memories that couldn't have happened if they weren't there to make them. All those adventures? The mysteries uncovered? Yes, it is worth it.
She wasn't the first to leave me...and I'm afraid she won't be the last. But that doesn't stop me from creating more. It makes me look forward to loving another child.
Now that is passion.