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| provided by D. Jones |
Heaving bosoms? Throbbing members? Sorry, but that’s not
where I’m going with this. I’m talking about the passion that drives us to do
the things we do. In my mind passion is a must for authors. We have to have
passion for the writing itself and passion for the things we write about.
I also believe that our writing reflects our passions and
they are revealed when we see them on paper. This came as a bit of a shock to
me when I looked back at what I had written. My intent was to write an
entertaining novel of magic and romance. I didn’t know it would grow to four
books before the “happily ever after” ending. Nor did I know, when I began,
that my books would touch on a number of serious world issues.
Rereading my novels is an exercise in discovery. I see that
teaching and teens play significant roles in each. I was an educator and most
of my career was spent working with grades seven to nine, so I guess that’s not
so surprising. I criticize anyone who denigrates teaching. Teachers get the
whole world started. And I refuse to accept the answer, “I’m just a teacher” to the question, “what
do you do?” I believe all children should have a solid education base and I
wish I could wave a magic wand to make it so. Yes, I’m passionate about
education.
I also rant about war, the media, rich versus poor…. How
could I not after having lived in Mali, traveled extensively in Africa, not to
mention all the time I spend in Mexico? If I were to make a list of injustices,
it would be a long one. The problems are much too grand for any one individual
to solve, but we can impact the whole if we make our own little corner of the
world a better place.
A recent survey asked people to rank the things they looked
for in their fiction reading. I was surprised to see that “learning something”
was number one. On reflection, I realize that the books I love best are ones
that teach me something. In Domingos
Angel I learned about conditions in Spain during Franco’s rule. In The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor I
learned more about Canadian history. In The
Winter Pony (an amazing story told from the horses’ point of view) I
learned about the trek to the South Pole. The list could go on and on, but what
is most interesting is that the books I learned something from are the ones that
remain most vivid in my mind.
I, too, try to get readers thinking while they are being
entertained. Perhaps that’s yet another passion. I do hope my stories will be
vivid in readers’ minds long after they have finished reading them.
For more from Darlene Jones, check out these links: www.emandyves.com and AmazonAuthor Central.
Thank you for taking
the time to read this post. Click below to share your Reactions and more. See you next time, Toi Thomas.
#cursescanbebroken
