Shakespeare, time to re-experience.

 “The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns.” No, not a line from Star Trek VI, it’s William Shakespeare.  

            It has been said that every writer must at some point return to what he loves, and what I love is Shakespeare. Anyone that knows me well could tell you that the writings of William Shakespeare have always been important in my life. His plays made me the bleeding heart romantic that I am today.

By the time I was half way through my high school education, I had read almost every play written by Shakespeare. I drew on his writings then and I still draw on them now. I may not be the greatest poet or writer the world has ever known, but the influence of his work has made me better. You can find small quotes, here and there in my writing. Sometimes the scene just aches for a little poetry.

If you had Shakespeare forced on you in school and all you’re thinking right now is how crazy you think I sound, please do yourself a favor and read Hamlet just once. Shakespeare is for the experienced in life. Those who have never loved and lost or faced death have a harder time embracing the joy of the writing. I love it and I think you will too.    

Development

When I begin to write a novel, short story or novella, I first try a come up with a character people can relate to. I write about people that are close to me, people that have aspects that mean something to me. This allows me to write deep, personal relationships that feel natural. The characters are not completely fictional to me. I connect to them as if they were the people that I have known for so long. Unfortunately this does have a down side. If I create an important character in a story, and if something happens in my personal life to change my view of that person, it can make it very difficult for me to keep writing about that character. At times it could be downright impossible, but it’s my process and it works well for me.

Now I’m not saying this is what every writer does or should do. What I’m saying is that every writer reveals him or herself in his or her work in some way or another. Writing is a window into one’s soul. I don’t recall who first wrote that, but truer words were never written.

First person in

Someone asked me why I prefer to write in first person rather than third person in my novels. Well I am most definitely a fan of using both, however I believe that, if written well, first person narratives can connect you to a character so much deeper than third person. You can feel more emotion and motivation as the tale is told directly to you, instead of through the omnipotent third person.

One great example of this is Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is an amazing tale told from the point of view of a teenage girl living in a post apocalyptic society. The character Katniss Everdeen is one of the most well told characters of the last few years. Seeing her world though her eyes is an incredible experience, one I suggest everyone should take. This is told in first person and because of this you feel the pain, torment, love and loss that she endures in this violent and jarring, high-charged novel.

Now I have talked about James Patterson before, so I will not really get into him much. I would like to say that his character, Alex Cross, is a great example of first person narrative. Patricia Cornwell is another strong first person author. Her character, Kay Scarpetta, is a fantastic, strong, female character that anyone could relate to.

The true master of the first person narrative is, of course, Anne Rice. The way she can make you feel when you read through the eyes of her characters is amazing. Her craft has been honed to a fine point and has been an inspiration to me, and I am sure to others as well.