Sunday 28 April 2013

The journey begins...

I'm not a huge fan of Twitter.  That maximum-character-count thing does nasty things to my insides - I think I'm allergic (I also think it's genetic).  Facebook is great, except you only get to see a few sentences before the dreaded blue text announcing "see more" appears, which is similar to the music beginning to play when someone's accepting their Oscar.  Your time's up, dude - get off the stage.

So, I thought perhaps a blog might give me a little more freedom.  I'll be linking my Facebook page back here, which should keep my Facebook posts short and to the point (which is what the techy geeks say would be best).  Fine.  Who am I to argue?  I'll jump on board there (mind the gap).

Post 1: The upcoming release of my book, "Absolution".  Needless to say, I'm pretty excited!  The journey began for me roughly four years ago, when an idea seeded itself in my fertile mind.  But before I get into that, let me just add right here that I've been accused of being a dark horse by family and friends since the announcement of my publishing contract.  Yes, I agree there - the fact that I like to write is not really public knowledge.  I've mentioned it in passing, here and there, now and again, but I don't go around wearing "I AM A WRITER" t-shirts.  It's a private thing - something I've enjoyed for a long time (probably since I was about ten or eleven years old, or thereabouts).  I took a long break from it when life got busier (travel, marriage, kids - aka: shortage of "me time"), but about four years ago I decided I'd like to give this writing thing another crack.  I write at night, usually.  When the house is quiet, and everyone is in bed, accompanied by coffee, my beloved companion (hence the title of this blog).

But back to "Absolution".  I've found over the years that a story comes to me from a single, often simple, idea.  A question, usually.  With "Absolution", it was this:

What would happen if you felt so guilty about something, you ran away?

As in, disappeared.  Dropped off the grid - no goodbyes, no farewell parties, just left.  Poof!  Gone.  Drove off into the night, never to be heard from again.  Started a new life somewhere else - your own version of Witness Protection (sans FBI involvement).  I think we've all had this fantasy at some point in our lives - you do something stupid/embarrassing/downright painful, and you don't WANT to face the music.  You wish you didn't have to.  Most of the time you do, but it's not easy.  You figure leaving would be easier, but you don't.  You stay, you work through it. 

But what if you chose what was behind door number one instead?  And so, an idea was born.  Characters were created almost immediately.

Jack - the Houdini in this story.  Guilt grabbed hold of him by the throat and no matter what he did to fight it, he couldn't breathe. Before his brain had even begun to contemplate the ramifications of his decision, he was gone - leaving everyone and everything he knew behind.

Ally - the strong one.  This is an ironic statement, considering everything she's been through.  She should be the one who's been circling the drain after Jack's sudden departure, but she isn't.  She's possessed of a fighting spirit - an attitude that has pulled her back from the brink more than once. 

Callum - the gladiator.  Callum's used to fighting, too.  He stepped in to pick up the pieces after Jack disappeared.  He's loyal and direct.  He doesn't do grey areas - Ally needs him, he's there. After what Jack did, he can go to hell - that friendship had an expiry date.

Tom - the glue.  Tom's the unfortunate soul stuck in the middle.  Jack kept in touch, but he never knew where he was, exactly.  He never gave up on Jack coming home one day, but in the meantime, there were people here who needed him.  Weakness was never an option.

Maggie - the dependable one.  Maggie fought just as hard to keep things on an even keel as Callum, but she did it far more calmly.  Jack was dead to her.  Anyone who left the way he did wasn't worth her time - she had enough on her plate.

Jane - the supporting player.  Her relationship with Callum suffered as a result of what happened, but she's a big girl.  She knows when to call it a day.  It's not like it was his fault.  Ces la vie, right?

So, these characters cemented themselves in my head.  Each of them was fighting for something - sometimes it was the same thing, sometimes it was something else entirely.  Each of them found a strength inside of them that they never knew existed.

And for my first post, I think I'll leave it there.  More to come soon, including a full synopsis of the story so you know what to expect.  As for me, I'm going to finish this coffee, tidy up after my family (apparently loading the dishwasher should be listed under 'special talents' on my CV/resume), and get some shut-eye.  Coffee only works for so long, you know ;-)

~Amanda

PS:  If you feel so inclined, feel free to leave me a comment below or on my Facebook page.  Thank you muchly!

6 comments:

  1. Sounds intriguing Amanda, I can't wait to hear more about it! :)

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    1. Thanks Pam! I'm glad you're enjoying it :) More sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes musings over the next wee while. I'm going to try and post every couple of days (wish me luck LOL!)

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  2. Love the whole premise and love that there are enough differing POV's involved to give every option involved a voice!

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  3. Very intriguing Amanda it has given me inspiration to pick up my pen again so to speak.
    It has an air of mystery which is just yearning to be unfolded ... so excited for you x

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    1. Thanks so much Tracy :) Glad I have inspired you and that you like what you see! x

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