Walls

Sweeping my kitchen today I had another insight. (Maybe I don't need showers after all?) The outline of my book is not much different that hundreds of other books I've read. What can I do to make readers want to read the story; what can I do to make my characters human?

One of the things a would-be writer should do is read books in the genre they are attempting to write about. As I moved on to sweep the bathroom I thought about my favorite authors and the books I really love to read. Richard Laymon is a horror writer who crosses all boundaries and makes me cringe in fright. I often come away from his books feeling disgusted, but I can't wait to read the next one. Another favorite author is James Lee Burke; different genre but he is a genius with the English language. He plops me down in the swamps of Louisiana and takes me on a wild ride with characters I either love or hate. I often feel emotionally exhausted after reading one of Burke's novels.

It occurred to me that in order to write a successful novel in the genre I have chosen (or it has chosen me) I will have to write about greed, evil, love, hate, and secrets. I not only have to write them, I have to show them. What a scary thought! If you read my first post you will know I am very shy. I recently attempted to write a sex scene. I was very excited at the prospect. I created my characters, set the scene, and ran headlong into a brick wall. I was incapable of describing the sex act in words.

My conclusion is that it's time to tear down some of the walls that are of my making. I am a very old structure; many of my walls are crumbling and crawling with kudzu. Some of the more recent ones are steel with barbed wire around the perimeter. It's going to be quite a feat to begin the process, and I'm terrified that I will be unable to budge them. I'm terrified, as well, to see what lies behind them.