Today I’m participating in a mass blogging! WOW! Women On Writing has gathered a group of blogging buddies to write about family relationships. Why family relationships? We’re celebrating the release of Therese Walsh’s debut novel today. The Last Will of Moira Leahy, (Random House, October 13, 2009) is about a mysterious journey that helps a woman learn more about herself and her twin, whom she lost when they were teenagers. Visit The Muffin to read what Therese has to say about family relationships and view the list of all my blogging buddies. And make sure you visit Therese’s website to find out more about the author.
***
Anyone in the world is shaped by their family (or lack thereof). Seeing a person’s interactions with their family can give you get a glimpse into why they behave the way they do. The more people in the family, the more complex these relationships can be.
As a writer, it is almost impossible NOT to mine your insights, whether conscious or subconscious, when creating characters. Should you have the guts to look into your own, family relationships are fascinating. I like to think I’m most knowledgeable about my own family relationships because I’ve been in them all my life. Whether or not this is true, you can be sure that I draw on this knowledge when exploring relationships in the fiction I write. Let’s face it, writing cardboard characters is as unsatisfying as eating a rice cake.
Viewing family relationships from the outside can also be instructional. For me, it helps that my wife is a mental health professional. She is a wealth of knowledge on how relationships work that are useful in our real lives, as well as on paper. Her insights into the give and take of relationships, self awareness and growth go a long way to better understanding myself. I think that is key for understanding others and writing believable characters.
Pingback: Twitter Trackbacks for Don’t Let Them Eat (Rice) Cake « Words and Coffee [jonathandanz.wordpress.com] on Topsy.com
Wow, your wife would be a great resource for a writer! Though, with a little journaling about our own family tree and its dynamics, some pretty unique character traits can emerge for our fiction ; )
I like to have her read my work to see if the interpersonal stuff works — she’s also got great intuition when it comes to people. I’ve always wanted to be a better journaler (alright, not a great word), but I’ve never been able to regularly keep one. This blog is about as good as it gets. I’ll bet it’s cool when you see that stuff bubbling up in your work!
Back when I used to show a lot more of my writing to my family, I noticed they would look for themselves in the work. Sometimes, they’d even say I wrote them different from who they really are, and then I’d have to remind them that 1) it’s fiction, and 2) even if they inspire a character I’m not trying to recreate them.
You’re right that it’s hard not to mine our own insights. I notice that some of my best writing stems from family memories that I then twist in a hundred different directions.
I can’t remember where I read it, but someone (Maybe Orson Scott Card) came up with a reply to those who asked if certain characters were supposed to be them. It went something like, “Thanks. I try to draw from as many sources as possible when developing characters, but they are wholly fictional. I’m glad you could relate to my character(s).” I’m sure it can be said better than I presented here, but I thought that was a reasonable way to address that. Taking what you know and drawing out the interesting stuff and molding it and twisting it sure is fun! That’s one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. Thanks for stopping by.
Jonathan,
I didn’t realize I’d written a story inspired by my own family dynamics until I thought hard about it. I think you’re right–they’re there at some level whether consciously meant or not.
Thanks so much for participating in my blog tour!
Therese
I think that’s so cool that you didn’t realize it at first. I guess we can’t help but be influenced by what we know. It was fun to be part of the blogging community blogging about The Last Will of Moira Leahy. Thanks so much for stopping by Words and Coffee!