Give a secret of yours to a character you've been working on. How does it change him/her? Does he/she behave differently with the something you've been hiding? I know this could potentially be painful but we, as writers, shouldn't be afraid to go anywhere as long is it is honest.
Because this is painful for you guys, I am going to relay some of my truths on here for the world to see. Things that, I swear, are 100% real and are very personal. If I can do this, you guys can turn your truth into fiction where no one has to know but you.
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I don't speak of it widely but I was sexually abused as a child. I was around nine or so and it was a family member. He used to live with other relatives I would go and see a lot and, one summer, it happened. It started with little things like touches, glances, and other small incidents I first brushed off as accidents. I shouldn't have. There is more than once time that summer where I was sorry I didn't say anything sooner. When I finally told my mother, I didn't tell her the whole story, just enough to get him to go away. No one around me knows the extent of it, even now. I still have nightmares.
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This has nothing to do with the other thing but, sometimes, I hear music at night. We live on the main street in my town so it shouldn't be surprising but I don't mean music from the nearby bars. It is music like I have never heard on a radio. It is like a mixture of wind through trees, drums, wood flutes, singers voices pressed in hums. All my life, I have told myself it was just the wind. If I can't convince myself of that, I just tell myself I am crazy. Sometimes I wonder what it is I hear. Sometimes, it contains more instruments and depth than others. I don't know why, but I get restless after listening, like I just want to wander around. It has happened that way since forever. I can't describe it and I am willing to face the fact that people will find me strange. I don't hear it every night but I have heard it living different places and rooms... I just don't know what it is.
Great idea for a prompt! And indeed, secrets is what drives characters. Take care!
ReplyDeleteAlways secrets. Opening up our own and exploring them makes for a more genuine experience when it comes time to write.
DeleteI'm so sorry you had to go through that as a child. It takes a lot of courage to even write about it. As far as the music, maybe you're just in tune to some things that other people aren't :) It's only a great thing. I put a secret in one of my characters and it's helped with her relationship.
ReplyDeleteP.S. It's very inspiring how you've managed to overcome adversity and turn it into art!
ReplyDeleteI figure just about every person in the world knows someone who has lived through abuse, if not is the person in question.
DeleteI wonder what it is I COULD be in tune with to hear the music. It may explain more about me than I thought if I just knew. lol
Hi Jennifer! My sister in law went thru something similar as a child. It really messed her up and she's been anorexic and bullemic for years, as well as subjecting herself to self-inflicted injuries.... forgot the name of that. Anyway, it's a lot to deal with. I'm sorry to hear you've been thru that.
ReplyDeleteAbout the music you hear, I'd say the songs are chasing you and you should try to play. DO you play piano or another instrument? If not, you should start. :)