During an author showcase I did with The World Of Ink Network on Monday, the writers and I discussed the brutal slaughter of 50 people in Orlando Florida on Sunday morning. This group of writers was made up of a few different genres. Romance, Children's books, Young Adult, Occult fiction and Horror to name a few. The incident in Florida this weekend was equally disturbing to all of us however.
One of the writers, politically active and socially conscious was especially passionate about his views and made an interesting statement that stuck with me.
When speaking of feeling powerless in these terrorist attacks, he said, "The writing is our voice. We speak out against the things we cannot change when we tell of the changes being made with in our worlds."
I write suspense and romance. At first, I felt a bit chagrined at my 'voice' being about love and romance when so clearly there are larger things at stake.
As our conversation expanded, we spoke of our books, our writing and our motivations. I began to understand this author's earlier statement.
My world view is that pure love, understanding, and acceptance of all people will heal even the deepest wound and bring about joy and peace. Those are the stories I tell. Of people who face tragedy, disease, death and heart break. Individuals who take their darkest moments and heal through the power of love. I believe Love is the answer. The world's I create inside my novels are meant to show how taking our differences, finding common ground and loving despite the things that separate us is the answer.
As you write the things that you believe in, notice that the healing hands and hearts of your readers will change. The world is a bigger place. But one soul, one heart, and one friend at a time your contributions toward a better world will change everything.
Find inside of your self what you believe to be the answer and then figure out what question the readers in your genre are asking.
God bless the family and loved ones of those lost, injured and traumatized in Florida. We pray for you, mourn for you and love you for your courage.
Hold on to what you believe in and heal the world one heart at a time. In the meantime, keep reading and writing!
