What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear
“fall”? This time of year, I still
automatically go with a Currier & Ives image of a perfect New England
foliage explosion.
Out here in the Pacific Northwest, fall is quieter. In town,
yard trees are selected for spring flowers, summer shade, and fall color. Our
mountain place leans toward towering evergreens, although we can do sepia tones
quite nicely. (Le sigh – I keep planting Aspen and the deer keep eating them.)
“Fall” can conjure other images: People fall up and down the
stairs, in and out of love. We choose to free-fall on carnival rides or in any
number of outdoor sports. We enjoy the beauty of waterfalls and falling leaves.
Emotional falls can be beautiful, romantic, sad, painful,
and exciting—or “d” all the above. Those emotional triggers seem fraught with
so much more peril. A broken bone heals, but is a broken heart ever truly
mended? What’s a writer to do? Remember the phrase going around for a while?
Want to write? Open a vein and bleed onto the page. That’s emotional vulnerability.
In my current WIP, I’m struggling to knock my protagonist
down emotionally. I’m taking bigger risks, digging deeper into the character.
And in digging deeper, I’m risking revealing more of myself as I tap into my
own emotional reserves. In order to entice my readers to fall in love with my
character, to follow him along and through his internal and external journeys,
my character has to not just face down challenges, he has to fail—and fail big,
falling flat on his face. He has to hit rock bottom and leave the reader
wondering if he can get back up. As I push myself as a writer, I’m pushing this
character to peel back layers, figure out what he really wants, and go for it,
even if at times he’s hanging by his fingertips over a chasm that will kill him if he falls.
What about you? Fall/falling–love it or hate it? Are you
taking risks—as an author or personally?
9 comments:
Love this post, Cathy - and the pics!
And I guess, if I had to choose, I love fall/falling, too. After all, great risk and times of turmoil can bring great reward and growth. You have to have the fall and winter before you can have the spring and summer. ;)
I always take risks in my writing. Rarely in my life.
The pictures are great. I do like fall. Here it means empty beaches. We do have a change in colors- on license plates!
Currier & Ives! I haven't heard a reference to them in years. My New England background warmed to the names. Actually falls in New England, Rhode Island, were glorious. I'm sure they still are. Here in Florida, there're a bit more subtle. We go from 92 to 87 degrees. And the leaves on the trees stay green, no reds, oranges, golds and browns. Ah well, Florida has its compensations. Thanks for the reminders to what was and is.
Fall is the best season, where I live, Cathy. Cool nights. Warm days. Good sleeping weather, my dad would say.
It is a season of beginnings and endings....
Don't be afraid! Let your character have some of you....
@Anne Marie - We all hope the risk/reward metric holds true :)
@Rita - I can remember people complaining about the "lack" of winter when I lived in SC. I can only image how it is in Florida! I do love the SC beaches in the fall :)
@Jean - are we showing our age with the Currier & Ives?
You & Rita - well, do the the palm trees do something with their fronds?
Thanks J - We love our place in the mountains (all the time!) but it's great in the fall with open windows and a down comforter.
And an extra thanks re the character...
Cathy, I like to think I take risks. But some stories demand more risks than others. Some characters have further to fall and climb back up than others. It makes it fun writing. I hate writing the same book over and over--we already have (for me as a Romantic Suspense writer) the romance and suspense to entangle with the HEA at the end. I like that, but I don't want to have the same kinds of people constantly populating my novels. Makes for a fun time in my head though :)
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