The smell of flowers is another one that can be a problem. I
love flowers, especilly if they are blue.
But there are two I cannot cope with. Gardenia and lavender both
have a similar effect on me. I know many people claim lavender is calming and useful
for relaxation. Some people sprinkle it on their pillows to induce sleep. Not
in my household. All lavender does is
give me a violent headache. And as for eating lavender ice-cream and biscuits
as I have read about in books, Never in a million year is that going to happen!
The whole sensitivity to smell issue started me thinking
about how people react differently to things and how some smells leave a distinctly
unpleasant aftertaste in the mouth. Perhaps
it’s no different with writing. What impression or aftertaste is left with readers
after reading one of our blog posts or one of our books?
Recently I read a
novel which, while skilfully written, left me with a peculiar aftertaste. All I
could think of was I was glad I had not lived with such a family of
disagreeable and selfish people and why had I invested time in reading about
such horrible people. That has actually been my reaction to a few novels
lately, which is sad.
How much better it is to leave people feeling hopeful or
feeling thankful for what they have. That doesn’t mean everyone in the story
has to be so nice they come across as not real. That can be just as much a
problem, as it is too sugary sweet. It’s
okay for characters to display negative characteristics. They need them so they
are real and complex rather than one dimensional. It’s okay for them to have problems
they need to work through. In fact without them and without displaying some negative
characteristics at times there will probably not be much of a story. But the
ending needs to leave the reader satisfied and feeling hopeful that the character
has learned something. If a character doesn’t change at all during the course
of a novel, then what is the point? That doesn’t mean it has to have a happy
ending where every problem is solved. Sometimes
that can be unrealistic. Sometimes its better to leave some issues unresolved
for the character to work on. But it does mean there should be a glimmer of
hope and satisfaction.
Have you ever read a book and it’s not grabbing you but you
keep reading, thinking it must get better. Then you get to the end and feel
like throwing it against the wall. ‘What was the point?’ you mutter.
These days I rarely bother to keep reading unless a book
involves me. All the pretty writing and beautifully constructed sentences in
the world are not enough to keep me reading if I cannot engage with the
characters. What we want as writers is for people to become so involved they don’t
want to put the book down. They want to know about those characters and what
happens to them even after the story is finished. A book that can keep people thinking
about the characters after they have closed the last page is a treasure indeed.
Thankfully, I’ve read a few books like
that. What a joy it is! Isn’t that the
type of effect we would like to have with our writing? I know it is with mine
which is why I keep tinkering with the opening chapter and working so hard to
get it right on my next novel, Sandstone Madonna. You can read a little about
that work in progress on my blog. The same applies to the nonfiction project I’m
working on. I need to get it right.
Don’t we want to leave a pleasing aroma behind us? In our
lives and in our writing are we spreading ‘the fragrance of the knowledge’ of Jesus. Whether we write fiction or nonfiction,
poetry or prose I would hope we are ‘an aroma of Christ.’ That doesn’t mean
that everyone in our books has to become a Christian but we should be able to
show people who clearly live out their faith and how that affects the choices
they make in life, as well as those who do not and the consequences of their
choices.
Some of the books that have left a positive lasting impression
on me recently for different reasons are Soul Friend, Tangled Secrets, The
Greenfield Legacy, The Last Runaway, Unsaid, Love Anthony, Friendship Bread, One
Breath Away, and Bethlehem’s Baby Warrior. Some are aimed at the Christian market others
are secular books but they all left a beautiful aroma and something to think about behind
them. I’d love to hear what books have had that effect on you recently.
Along with her husband, Dale was for a time
houseparent for a family of twelve boys. She has also been a manuscript
assessor and book reviewer and run creative writing classes. She has also
written bible studies and Sunday school lessons. For several years she wrote
about Christian living, marriage and home related topics for www.families.com. She has a BA in Literary
and Australian studies. More information about Dale can be found at www.daleharcombe.com or on her Write and
Read with Dale blog http://www.livejournal.com/users/orangedale/
