fiction

What began as a favor to a friend (sure, I’ll read the first book in that series by the end of November so you will have someone to see the movie with even though I’m not sure if I will be interested or have time), has turned into a two week long fascination (I’ll read every spare moment I can find until I finish this book because I am so incredibly interested).

I should have told myself this would happen. Because when Myself gets involved in a story, Myself cannot put said story down. Well guess what? Myself has gotten herself involved. So involved, in fact, that what was supposed to be one book has turned into four.

I have now read all four books in the Twilight series. I know.

I’m still processing what I think of them and will talk about that in a separate post (sorry to drag this on for you who haven’t read these books). But one thing reading so much fiction lately has me thinking about is what makes a good story.

Stephenie Meyer says on her website that the idea for Twilight came to her in a dream a little over 5 years ago. The morning after her dream, she was compelled to record as much as she could remember of it, only to discover as she went about her day, more of the story would unfold.

The story continued to demand an outlet: “Bella and Edward were, quite literally voices in my head. They simply wouldn’t shut up.” Her fictional characters came to life in such a way for her that the very mind who conceived them could hardly keep up.

Writers of fiction are fascinating to me. I believe with my whole heart that fiction is the most difficult genre to write. Rephrase: good fiction is the most difficult genre to write. To create a story that is compelling, that moves, that is both believable and magical: grounded in the facts while flirting with the fantastic. It feels risky and vulnerable, the thought of writing fiction. I think we owe a debt of gratitude and respect to those who are willing to take that risk and allow their imaginations to be exposed to a world full of critics.

Now I’m off to work on my critique of the Twilight series.