09/06/2014
These days, novels about vampires, werewolves, and zombies are all the rage. Books are filled with crime, suspense, fantasy, science fiction, and the list of genres go on. The writing world insists on genre and defining your work. Everyone wants things to fit perfectly into a box. Finding a niche is never easy and most new authors end up writing for sales or popularity.
As a writer, I know that what I write doesn’t necessarily fit well with the most popular genres. I write bittersweet novels, novels which blend the wonder and woe of life into stories meant to touch the heart. Life is full of those little moments which give us pause and provide the clarity to determine what’s really important. Life throws us curves and often when things are clicking along under skies of rainbows and unicorns we find ourselves suddenly facing the storm. How we weather those storms build our character and helps to bring things into focus.
Loss is something we all experience. Throughout life we will face loss. We will win some battles and lose others. We will lose our youth. We will lose others with whom we are connected. As humans with finite lives, we will face loss in more ways than we can count. But left behind in those losses are memories, moments, minutiae, and mementos which we will hold onto for the rest of our lives.
Life’s losses and disappointments often leave us with longing… longing for a love which has been lost… longing for a time which has past … longing for the sunshine when the skies are dark. Longing pulls at the heart and reminds us that we feel and are alive. Sometimes hurt serves as a reminder that we still breathe, that our nerves still tingle, and that our hearts still beat.
Life is about learning new things and leaving other things behind. Living is a growth process and as we see in the world, life often comes from death and decay. Organic matter which provides the nourishment needed in nature comes from what has been left behind by what has lived before. Plants feed off the passing of other plants and we feed off the lives of those who have come before us.
Above all, life is about love. Love fills the gaps loss leaves behind. Love binds the wounded hole in our hearts. Love transforms longing into contentment. Love reminds us of the beauty of those moments, the happiness in those memories, and the treasure in those mementos. Love endures beyond the loss and within the longing. Love allows us to rise above that which would otherwise pull us down. Love transforms the bitter taste of cocoa into the sweetness of chocolate.
Life is bittersweet. It gives us sunshine and brings us rain. Life has its ups and it has its downs. Life leads us and it pushes us. Life fills us with hope and leaves our hearts empty. Life isn’t a destination; it’s a journey.
Blending loss, longing, life, and love into stories which touch the heart helps me recognize what is important. It allows me to experience the emotions which remind me I am alive. The simple mix of bittersweet reveals the silver lining which lies beyond the surface and causes the reflections in life’s mirrors which allow us to see that which matters most. And so, though it may never allow me to sell as many books as the author who writes about vampires, I will write those bittersweet tales which blend teardrops and laughter – sadness and smiles – melancholy and triumph – shadows and sunshine. I will seek to touch that place in your heart which wants to be reminded of loss, longing, life, and love.