Depending on how that sentence is finished will convey a sense of rosy euphoria or, at the other end of the spectrum, a sense of doom and gloom. Writing engaging characters and their relationships with others is a complex, often rugged odyssey. Perfect friends, those true-blue-to-the-bitter-end friends, are not very interesting, as far as storytelling goes. As a writer, it’s much more riveting to explore those imperfect relationships we’ve all experienced in our own lives. A friend who ingratiates him/herself into your life, only to steal you blind. A friend who abandons you in the wilds while you’re having a panic attack. A friend who wages a secret war behind your back to pump up his/her own pathetically deflated ego. Now those kinds of friends suggest some compelling storylines, even if the realities are far less captivating.
From my humble perspective, the problem with today’s society is that these negative behaviors have been normalized. Beyond normalized. It’s OK to lie, cheat, and steal, so long as you get away with it, which is synonymous with winning. And never saying you’re sorry. Yeah, that, too.
As a prodigious reader/writer since my wee years, I have always engaged in an intensive, behind-the-scenes study of people. Not just of their actions. For me, what makes them tick is where my brain obsesses. My empathic sensitivities, a blessing and a curse, have been a driving force of mine to understand people’s deepest, most interior thoughts and feelings.
After K and I binged House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones, the thought that nothing has changed in millennia hit us like a Mack truck. I know, we were a little late on the uptake, but we finally found the series while bouncing off the walls during the rainy season’s crescendo days, which are still crescendoing, BTW.
But holy shit. The parallels between the current geopolitical situation and the days of the dragon wars are shockingly, oh-so dishearteningly similar. Greed and ego are the primary motivators, regardless of the cost. How did we, as a society, fail to evolve, even a smidge? Is there any hope for the future? Without a crystal ball, I guess there’s no choice but to keep on writing till the ink runs out.
All of this to say, writing a deeply compelling story depends on the reader connecting with the protagonist’s internal struggles. This simple but life-altering epiphany has sent me back one more time for a final (I proffer optimistically) polish of Pura Vida the Hard Way.
Judy Richter 