Written
I grew up with bed time stories. Did you? As a little girl, I loved the pictures. The way the colors were mixed to perfection, in order to build an image that told the story-- even without words. As I grew older I fell in love with the sound of the pages whispering as I moved on to each new chapter. The words now filled my mind the way the colorful pictures used to. Each page had an adventure to offer and each character was so intricately written, each had their own persona. Books offer an entirely new world, a universe that has yet to be explored. One question always rings in my mind after closing a good book.
Question: How?
How does an author select the perfect words that create a perfect story. Perhaps the better word here is imperfect. No story is ever really perfect; however, it is perfect to the author, and that is what truly matters. Still, the question remains: what makes a good, powerful story?
Answer: The Author
It goes without saying that an author has their own unique perspectives and opinions on life. Whether or not the author writes fantasy, biographies, even scientific journals-- the author's personality shows through. How? Based on the main characters of the story or the topic of the essay. The character traits of the characters reflect the author in some way, and the content nearly always represents something more.
Question: How?
How is an author represented through their writings? Take J.K. Rowling for example. Oh how I love the Harry Potter series! Let's think for a moment about the dementors. Dementors suck the joy out of a human in order to feed themselves. They remind you of your worst memories in order to create such hopelessness that eventually, there is nothing left. Dementors are sightless, destructive creatures. How could a successful woman dream these monsters up? By battling with depression. To J.K. Rowling, depression is what the dementors represent. She built the characters based off of her own experiences.
Answer: Through their personal Stories
So, if an author writes out of their hearts, using their own stories, than are we not all authors? Do we not each write our own biography day by day? With the circumstances we find ourselves in, and the choices we make, are we not in a true story? This leaves us with one last question.
Question: How?
How will your story play out?