Next time I promise to discuss Querying literary agents, query letter formats, tips and tricks I've learned about trying to get published and some of the pros and cons of being self published. But for today here are some of my thoughts.
Faith
So before anyone freaks out, let me just say that I am not a religious zealot. I was raised in Romania, where religion was basically considered "the opium of the masses" (they were communist, what can I say). Because of this reason, we always made sure to turn off the lights at night before we prayed, and kept our faith in the home. I'm not saying religion was outlawed, but those with faith were considered high risk and watched because they had a high potential for rebellious acts.
These days I haven't been to church in years, honestly, at least not in the way Americans define it. I spent the last year traveling through Europe and visiting cathedrals, chapels, monasteries, and any religious structure I could. Romania, I would say, has more monasteries per capita then any other country in the world. Seriously, they're like Starbucks (is that a Starbucks across the street from a Starbucks?). In these amazing places, overflowing with art, culture, and a sense of otherworldly wonder, I rediscovered my connection to God.
So I am going to define what I believe to be true. Firstly, Jesus is only my particular way to a Supreme Being, that is not to say that the Muslim religion, or Buddhist religion, or really any other kind of belief is wrong. We all find our own way to God, this is mine. I believe God will never turn away love, no matter how He receives it. So all faiths deserve not only respect, but understanding. Secondly, and most importantly, faith is a choice, not a gift divined from above. We, the faithful, make a daily decision to be so. Atheists and agnostics sometimes belittle it as ridiculous to believe without proof; they use faith as evidence of backward thinking and narrow-mindedness. In fact it is exactly the opposite. It takes courage to believe in something you have no proof of beyond your own convictions. I really love to use this example because it is the best version of how I feel about my faith.
Who did not love the show LOST? (if there is one of you here, I require you watch it again immediately) In the beginning of the second season, John Locke, a man well known for his unshakable faith has an argument with Jack Shephard, a doctor and man of science. In this argument, John asks Jack to believe, to have faith. John says; "Why do you find it so hard to believe?" to which Jack responds "Why do you find it so easy?" To that, John rears up and answers with what I believe is the best written line about faith in history:
"It's never been easy."
Charity
Some of these thoughts on faith propelled a discussion between my boyfriend and I about the American spirit. He believes, like many Americans, that we are not doing enough to help the little guy, to give to those at home. He, and many others I know personally, or have read about in the news, believe that America is backsliding as a world power, that we are arrogant and imperialistic, and those countries who despise us have a right to do so. I have a very basic argument for that. In my job, I am responsible for donations to various charities and auctions. In the last two months I have received (and answered) over two hundred donations from charities all across my city, for organizations that support education, children, animals, health care, lower income families, the homeless, and a myriad of others in need that I can't even remember due to sheer volume. This is the reason I love my country so much. Where else in the world do people do so much, give so much, and yet still feel like they're not giving enough? America is a world leader, a wealthy country with great social programs and still every day we hold ourselves accountable to make good decisions and help ourselves and the world more. This feeling is what makes me truly believe we are the best place to live in the world. (More on my experiences in different countries later).
Archive of Our Own
So now that I've come off as a lunatic Christian with serious patriotism issues, let's talk about smut. I recently became a contributing member of the Archive of Our Own website, an independent database for fan fiction. So I finally gave in (let me tell you I fought it like Robert Baratheon vs Rhaegar Targaryen) and read Fifty Shades of Grey, a book which appalled and disgusted me and none of it had to do with the mediocre sex scenes. Since I was a hormonal young teenager, I've been reading romance fluff and smutty stories. I cut my teeth on A.N. Roquelaure (a pen name for Anne Rice) whose Sleeping Beauty trilogy could easily be defined as the most grotesque and audacious interpretation of BDSM since the Marquis de Sade. I read the story of O and many others who left a deep mark on my budding sexuality (probably why I'm dating a long haired manly man who looks like he's been plucked off a romance novel cover). But the difference was that those authors made debasing sexual acts into an art, they used their talent like a magic spell, convincing you that maybe it was okay to be drug around the bedroom by your hair as foreplay. E.L. James succeeded in none of these things. Not only did the book feature a disappointing amount of e-mails, but there was no magic, no enticement, no spell. She plopped the whip on the table and told you to take a ride. Even worse, she was marketed as such an innovative, provocative and controversial writer when in the end, (spoiler alert for anyone who even cares) THEY DON'T EVEN DO ANY OF THE BDSM STUFF THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT IN THEIR E-MAILS. If Christian Grey was an ugly man with no money, saucy Anastasia Steel would be running from his basement to the nearest police station.
Anyway, like any good reader, I did my research and saw that both these "novels" and the City of Bones trilogy, started as fan fiction. I've always loved fan fiction, been reading it since I was a kid, and knowing that fan fiction writers are now being considered as true writers, I decided to join the ranks (not that I imagine I'll be the next Porn-Fic box office smash) and there is something freeing and wonderful about taking characters you've fallen in love with on journeys devised entirely by your own mind. Of course 85% of the stories involve Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy going at it Brokeback style in the public bathroom of platform 9 and 3/4, the writers really do get involved. Even if it's just mindless, smutty porn, some of these writers have entire novels in there, with character arcs, journeys of self discovery and original plots. I think what makes them so interesting is that people are writing what they love and putting as much care into it as possible. I am dabbling with my own few series, and have decided it's the perfect spot to write the book I've been thinking about for ten years: the story of Lilly and James Potter at Hogwarts. I am in the process of studying the history and re-reading the books but I will be working on some of it throughout the year, while focusing on other projects.
These are not books that will ever sell, nor writing that will stand the test of time, but seeing so many people, novices and skilled alike, putting so much work into writing and reading, is a balm to my aching heart. I had started to lose hope in the written word, but now it is renewed, even if it is by mindless porn. So thanks Fifty Shades of Grey (even though you are still the worst book in history), because you got people to READ.
If you're interested in Archive of Our Own click HERE for their website.
Until next time when I tell you how to navigate the scary world of Publishers and Literary Agents, I look forward to your thoughts on this and anything else.
READ ON!
No comments:
Post a Comment