motivations for writing a book

Recently I heard a group discussing why they chose to write historicals instead of contemporary stories and their reasons were interesting and diverse. To many it related to escapism and sometimes wishing they had lived in a different time. Basically for a short time, they wanted to move away from the world in which they lived, the problems they had to regularly deal with and instead be in a fantasy world for just a little while. There is something to be said for that as when you write a book, you do move for awhile into a different world.

I didn't say much in the conversation other than that I've gone between writing historicals and contemporaries. I like writing each for different reasons. I am always exploring a subject that I find fascinating. Whether people lived a hundred years ago or today, a lot of the problems are the same for what we want in life. I've written stories of the ramifications of abuse in pioneer times and modern. More options for treatment are available today but does it change what can happen and what must be overcome for a happy life?.

They also mentioned in that discussion that some of them felt they were their heroines. I don't think of myself as any of my heroines with only one exception, and it wasn't a contemporary. I am not sure from where my heroines come. I think though it relates to the situation they are facing. I have the dilemma and then I think of what kind of woman could get into that situation and how would she approach it. That's what begins a book like Moon Dust.

Moon Dust doesn't deal with a pleasant subject but something that does impact a lot of lives. It's about healing and the ramifications of abuse. It's about life but it is also a romance which means it's got a bit of the fairy tale quality to it-- modern setting or not.

So more discussion of it in the video--



Moon Dust discussion from Rain Trueax on Vimeo.