You Imagine discussion

Maybe this will get you thinking. What do you know the most about? Write it out for us here, and maybe we can encourage eachother, and help each other distill it further.

No worries about anyone copying what you know. They haven't lived your life, and writing is non-proprietary. Only you can tell your story best. That's what you're here on this planet for.

Mostly I write through personal experience as and give it a fictional twist.

Two things I know a lot about. I know a lot about my hometown, New Orleans. I have my first book on Amazon. It's about New Orleans. I also know alot about being a military wife as my husband was a career Naval Officer who was a pilot. Boy, moving across country every ten months or if we were lucky every two years with three chldren, a cat, a dog, a guinie pig, and two goldfish was very interesting. But I loved every moment of it.
Now at almost 80 years old I look back and wonder how'd I do that?

I love mythology, but by far Egyptian myths & legends are my forte & my favorite thing to write about.
As far as life experiences, I have a story planned about my life as a survivor of abuse. I'd like to give beaten & abused women a glimmer of hope & eventually help them find the courage to break the cycle. If they could see that life can be wonderful through the eyes of someone who lived it, maybe it would inspire them to free themselves. That is a story I'm saving for my later years though as it brings up too many bad memories for me to want to write it now.

Peace,
Lynn

Hi Lynn,
I am so sorry that you had to endure abuse in your lifetime. I also am a victim of abuse, by two different people. I have to say it was difficult at first to move on, but I did.

I spent many evenings and long nights sitting with my Mother-in-law who had dementia. Through her I was able to visit times and places in her life as she revisited them. They were so real to her that I could almost see them myself as she talked. I have been writing (slowly) a book about some of her early life adventures. She lived in a time and place where abuse was the norm, and unbelievable things were told to me during our long nights, and you know I wouldn't change that for anything. My husband was shocked at some of the revelations that came from this.

Thank you for sharing, and I for one would love to read your book.
Kristy

Hi Lynn and Kristy,

I've written a book about domestic violence set in my childhood home town. Although I've been blessed to never experience abuse personally, the story was inspired by a woman (from that small town) who was being regularly beaten. She eventually met her death in extenuating circumstances to the domestic violence, and I promised her memory I would tell her story.

It took me six years before I got it published. And I doubt I will ever be more proud of any accomplishment.

It has been such important work for me - I've learned so much from people's reactions, and I have been stunned how deeply the voices of domestic abuse NEED to be heard. Publishing houses don't think so, but the general public really does. I have had amazing response from both men and women, and especially women who've experienced violence.

So I encourage you both to please tell your tales. It is extremely important work. Your courage and strength are an inspiration.

Hi Kristy & Ann,

Too many women do die from abusive spouses and it's discouraging to hear especially in this day and age. Abuse has so many forms and, unfortunately, I think I've experienced them all in my childhood. Strange though is I don't think I would change anything because then I wouldn't be the person I am today. When I was finally free of the abuse, I swore no man would ever do that to me again and none has. It's so very hard to break free of the memories & fears that invade like demons in the night. It's a continual struggle & you never really get past it. You just have to re-learn to love yourself & know that the people who did what they did will eventually get their Karmic retribution.

I finally told my mother, after she divorced my step-father & moved away, about everything. Sadly, she ended up drinking herself to death and died of liver failure in Dec. 1999 & never got to meet her grandson. My grandmother was the strongest woman in our family, but even she was abused by her husband who was also an alcoholic. A lot of my ancestors were alcoholics. Some were even bootleggers. My mother's family has an interesting history. I never knew my father.

Despite all this I survived.

Today, life for me is peaceful & full of love, but for most the cycle is never broken and they endure it out of fear. I have a loving, devoted, & supportive husband, a wonderful child, & finally my life feels safe.


Ann,

It is definitely an accomplishment to be proud of and is extremely important work. Glad you found a publisher for it; it's inspiring in itself. Women will appreciate all they learn from reading your story; some will even relate. I should make time to write my own story soon but I have to prepare myself for the nightmares & uncontrollable crying to surely follow. I don't want to expose my son to that until he's old enough to understand. At least now, it's the nightmares I fear instead of a mortal demon.

Surprisingly, some of my life experiences end up in my Egyptian web-comic. In a way I do re-live bad memories & good.

Blessings & Peace to all,
Lynn

Lynn,

Thanks for the insights into your journey. As I said before - you are an inspiration and a beautiful source of courage and strength!

Love,
Ann

The best thing that I know is : I know nothing!
But it's good As our great poet - molana- says:
whoever knows that he know nothing can come out of his ignorance
but
whoever doesn't know that he know nothing will stay IGNORAMUS.

Hello, I'm fairly new to Goodreads, love what I have seen so far!

In the past six months I have gone from I should write a book, to I'm planning to write a book, to actually writing a book! Have an outline, a few characters, the opening sentance, and a possible title, and have written a couple dialogs... not a bad start.

more detail can be found at: http://thebloggedsink.blogspot.com/

Lynn, Kristy and Ann:

We all speak the same language. So wonderful to read what you've all posted. So sorry I haven't been on goodreads much. I've dabbled here and there, but haven't felt very top o' the morning the past few months.

I've started an organization called the Heard World Organization, for the express purpose of exactly what you're talking about. If any of you want details, please dash off a message to me.

Here's a link to my story, and, like you, what I know a lot about: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/4...

Karey,

Went to the link. Thank you for sharing your story.

much love,
Ann

Why would I want to write what I know best-a disabled, out of work old lady sitting around worrying about finding a job? I write about what I'd like to be--young, physically able and beautiful again--and the man I'd love to be with! (Might as well be truthful about it; that's all us old folks have left...truth.)

Dear Ann,

Thanks, friend.

Lots of love back at you,
Karey

Hold on now, Toni! What about Water for Elephants? The story is narrated by a man in a retirement home...He reminisces about his younger life at the circus, and it makes for a fantasic tale!

It's a best-seller. Dream big, honey! Let me know if you ever write that book :)

Karey

I usually write fantasy..probably because I have read so many books from that genre that it's just natural for me.

Hi Tirition:
I think it's great that you're writing about something you love which is fantasy. I think a book is usually very good when the author writes what he/she knows best and is most passionate about.

I'm like that with historical novels. I can't get enough of them, so of course that's what I write about. Life way back in the 1800s and even further back has always held my interest, even as a child.
I've had a very interesting and unusual life and many people who have heard a little about it tell me I should write a book about my life, but that's not for me. I always tell them "I lived it, and survied, I sure don't want to write about it". Once around the block was enough. Not that there was anything so really terrible about it, but it just doesn't interest me to write about it.
Keep writing, and you'll be successful.

If I want to write a short story it usually is nonfiction. Like on the story that I posted on Goodreads, It is called Wind Chimes and it is just a short little 5 min. thing that happened and I went inside to write about it.
I love to read fiction or fantasy and when I want to write something longer then I will usually write in that genre. Like Arlette said "I think a book is usually very good when the author writes what he/she knows best and is most passionate about."
I totally agree. If an author doesn't like let's say historical fiction as much as fantasy, then he/she will definitely enjoy writing about fantasy more. And if you enjoy what you are writing, then it will definitely be a lot better when you are done.