The main characters in my writings tend to be reprobates, sinners with tarnished wings, saints with broken crosses, unrepentant narcissists, manipulators and malcontents. These are the bad boys and girls of my literary world.
I’ve occasionally self-analyzed myself about this tendency to write from the viewpoint of characters who are deeply flawed. I like to think my flaws are rather superficial and haven’t burrowed too deeply into my psyche, but when I think about how horrible some of my characters are, I have to wonder about myself.
My writing is based on the real world as I see, experience and understand it. When I ask myself the eternal writer’s question of “What if,” I base the answer (which influences how I write) on what bad things might really happen. While I’ll still write about death, disorder, murder and mystery, I’m making 2013 the year I slowly turn over a different colored leaf.
I’ll try to write more often about life and less about death. Although death is a part of life, for too many years it has dominated mine. I’m ready to drive in a direction I rarely take. A new baby in the house is persuading me to write about the power of life.
Of course, this doesn’t mean I’ll start writing romances. Ughh. No. Or if I do, they’ll be so offbeat you’ll have to really read between the lines to see it as a love story. But, I may try.
I’ll probably finish some of the straight fiction I’ve been working on for, uhm, many years. I might finally get to the bottom of this four-foot tall pile of unfinished literary symphonies.
One more resolution I have for this New Year is to compile several works-in-progress into an anthology. Fun times ahead
So, in honor of my resolutions to drive down different literary roads and to actually finish old projects, I’ll leave you with a piece I wrote:
J J Dare is the author of two published books, several short stories and triple digit works-in-progress.
Current enthusiasm is sharpening intangible knives and co-authoring at Rubicon Ranch