The Things We Find

careswen and I are finishing the selection of the stories that will go into the short story collection. The interesting thing is that, with both of us reading the stories again, we are noticing trends and tendencies.

The thing that I had noticed was that I seem to go through phases in types of story. I wrote mostly urban fantasy for awhile, followed by pieces that were nearly mainstream, then some space opera, drifted over into fairy tales, and right now I seem to be flirting with horror and ghost stories, though I do keep coming back to urban fantasy (and paranormal romance) on a regular basis.

But that's all window dressing, because the real dominant theme in my work seems to be broken people trying to make their way in the world as best as they can.

What careswen noticed was a lot of bittersweet. There seems to be, in several of my pieces, a theme of people pulled apart by paranormal--or at least speculative fiction--elements that invade their lives, and then finding their way back to each other, though not always (in fact, rarely) getting the happy ever after.

I'm not completely clear why I do this, but I think at least part of it is because the thing that interests me most about a story are the characters. I'll forgive a lot in a story if I'm engaged by the characters. Don't get me wrong, I like Big Ideas and Shiny World Building, and Twisty Plots, and all that. I do. But the thing that does it for me as both a reader and a writer are the characters in a story. I want characters who read like real people, with all the mess and noise and ugliness and beauty of a life lived.

After looking over the titles of my pieces and thinking about it, it seems to me that the real theme that runs through my work is seeking and finding the thing you need the most. There is a definite theme of decent, damaged, messed-up, lonely characters finding the thing they need to--if not be whole and happy--at least be content, maybe even redeemed, and no longer alone in the face of their personal demons.

So I guess the thing that runs through almost everything I write is: People need other people.

Make of that what you will.

The Things We Find

careswen and I are finishing the selection of the stories that will go into the short story collection. The interesting thing is that, with both of us reading the stories again, we are noticing trends and tendencies.

The thing that I had noticed was that I seem to go through phases in types of story. I wrote mostly urban fantasy for awhile, followed by pieces that were nearly mainstream, then some space opera, drifted over into fairy tales, and right now I seem to be flirting with horror and ghost stories, though I do keep coming back to urban fantasy (and paranormal romance) on a regular basis.

But that's all window dressing, because the real dominant theme in my work seems to be broken people trying to make their way in the world as best as they can.

What careswen noticed was a lot of bittersweet. There seems to be, in several of my pieces, a theme of people pulled apart by paranormal--or at least speculative fiction--elements that invade their lives, and then finding their way back to each other, though not always (in fact, rarely) getting the happy ever after.

I'm not completely clear why I do this, but I think at least part of it is because the thing that interests me most about a story are the characters. I'll forgive a lot in a story if I'm engaged by the characters. Don't get me wrong, I like Big Ideas and Shiny World Building, and Twisty Plots, and all that. I do. But the thing that does it for me as both a reader and a writer are the characters in a story. I want characters who read like real people, with all the mess and noise and ugliness and beauty of a life lived.

After looking over the titles of my pieces and thinking about it, it seems to me that the real theme that runs through my work is seeking and finding the thing you need the most. There is a definite theme of decent, damaged, messed-up, lonely characters finding the thing they need to--if not be whole and happy--at least be content, maybe even redeemed, and no longer alone in the face of their personal demons.

So I guess the thing that runs through almost everything I write is: People need other people.

Make of that what you will.