I like to write stories about the things people go through. I also like to read stories about the things people go through. These days, I do more reading (mostly listening to audiobooks) than I do writing. One thing I have noticed about the way I write is that my writing is very much informed by the trauma I've suffered. I'm not sure about the authors I read, but it seems like they are extremely knowledgeable in their subject matter while having the ability to remain somewhat detached from the things they are describing. Some of them can go into so much depth that you feel you are sitting right there in the middle of the story with them...and that's no easy feat. In my stories, admittedly, you probably won't feel that sort of closeness with the characters (until you reach about book four of the Rona Shively Stories). This is likely due to the fact that I write from inside my trauma and my inclination is to protect the reader rather than involve them. I sometimes wonder...is this a good strategy?
Usually, I listen to authors like Lisa Scottoline, Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich, and Sarah Strohmeyer. Over the last couple of years, however, I found several great authors that have held my attention. Linwood Barclay, Kevin O'Brien, Ezekiel Boone, Dervla McTiernan, and Freida McFaddin are just a few that I've enjoyed reading lately. Most recently, I've found Karin Slaughter's books to be highly entertaining. I tend to like mystery and thriller novels, so when I found her, I was ecstatic to see that she had a series that would keep me occupied for at least a couple of weeks. As I've listened to her Will Trent series, I started thinking about the differences between how Slaughter develops her characters and the way I basically fail to develop my own. I'm not being overly critical of myself here, I'm being realistic. I like my books, but I wonder if my writing mostly reflects a story wrapped around a purpose more than a purpose wrapped around a story. And then I wonder, which should it really be? Can it be both?
As a trauma survivor, I make it a point to weave some of those emotions into my stories. In Bloom and throughout the Rona Shively series, you'll notice that I talk about things like miscarriage, family domestic violence, alcoholism, and more. These are all things with which I'm very familiar and as I healed, I wanted to find a way to reach out to others who were or had been going through something similar. I have found that reading stories about others who have survived terrible things is often extremely helpful to those who have no easy way to process what they have been going through. I found that when I was younger and had little control over my own situation, when I found a book where the main character was dealing with similar issues, I could take some solace in knowing that at least it wasn't just me. And as I got older, I was able to think back to some of the more empowering stories I'd found and remember that I, too, was capable of rewriting my story. All I had to do was pick up the pen.
Higher Ground Books & Media has some great stories written by authors who have had experiences just like the ones you may have gone through or may be going through. Whether it's fiction or non-fiction, our writers share words of encouragement and empowerment while baring their very souls to you, the reader. You can find them all in the HGBM Shop or on Amazon. And, if you prefer, many of our awesome books are also available on Audible.
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