Musings of a Sparrow….
My thoughts about God, writing, and life in general….
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Stop Child Abuse: My Desired Takeaway from “Filling the Cracks”
One of my purposes in writing fiction has been, of course, to entertain my reader. I want them to enjoy or at least appreciate what they’ve read and desire to return to read more of what I’ve written. I feel secure in saying that’s a desire of most if not all, fiction writers. That’s not all the takeaway I want from my writing, however. In almost everything I write, I discuss an issue to provoke a reaction from my reader, hopefully inspiring them to take action. If I provide a good time without making a statement or some difference in my writing, then in my estimation, I’ve fallen short of my goal….
The Main Characters of Filling the Cracks (and How I Developed Them)
On Wednesday, August 2, 2023, I will debut my novel Filling the Cracks on my blog here at Jenniroman.com. While I’m excited about it, I’m also nervous. There’s no way of telling how the story will be received, and I’m hopeful yet also cautious. Despite having moments of adventure, this story is character-driven instead of plot-driven. My focus in writing was on the development of the characters; they were important to me, and I spent time developing them both ‘on paper’ and in my head. In this post, they will be briefly introduced to you (I don’t want to give too much away before the first chapter is posted), and I’ll explain my process of creating them…
What Is Narcissistic Abuse?
In the last blog post, I wrote about domestic violence: what it is, how to find help, and why I write about it in my stories. I mentioned that domestic violence or abuse is pervasive and destructive not just to the victim of the abusive partner but to anyone else in the family and society. I also said that this week I would discuss a type of abuse commonly found in domestic situations (though not exclusively so): narcissistic abuse. In my stories, I also write about narcissists and the abuse they cause others. For that reason, I will briefly define what it is here…
Domestic Abuse—What is it, and why write about it?
In the novel I’ve written and am in the process of pitching to literary agents, Ashes of Injustice, the female protagonist is a survivor of domestic abuse. This is a theme in other manuscripts and short stories I’ve written. One might ask what is behind my preoccupation with domestic abuse. The simple answer is that I’ve witnessed family and friends who were abused or are still in abusive relationships. I’ve seen its long-term damaging effects on individuals and families and feel the need to expose and explore it in my writing. I am a survivor of abuse—physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, spiritual, and financial. It’s a problem of epidemic proportions, not only in the part of the world where I live but in humanity. For these reasons, I expose it as a problem in my writing through the experiences of the characters I create. I strive not only to show the pervasive evil that domestic abuse is but also that it is possible to find freedom and healing from it…