While working on my novel I was thinking about its content and thematic concerns. I then thought about another novel idea I have in development and ideas I have for a couple of short stories and noticed there was some similarities in regards to their thematic focus.
My stories are not about people who are broken, because we all are broken, and I like to explore that aspect of people in what I write. My stories are about those who are unable to express themselves, are marginalised, the outsider, the forgotten.
In particular, seeing my mother working with people with disabilities at the art studio where she works, has influenced the focus of what will be my second novel.
In part I am also influenced by the parables in the Gospels and the stories that revolve around the dispossessed and those considered “outsiders.”
I wrote down some statements to clarify my thinking about the purpose of my writing and what I want to achieve from it. These statements will inform the basis for my writing.
I am yet to fully explore what this all means, but I am excited by the prospect of what it can do for the focus of my writing. Perhaps in a later post I’ll explore the connection between speaking the voiceless and the innate ability for everyone to be creative.
- I write because I want to tell the story of those who are not heard.
- I write because I want to tell the story of those who cannot speak.
- I write because I want to tell the story for those who cannot.
- I write because I want to tell the story of those who are disempowered.
- I write because I believe that telling a person’s story is integral in understanding who they are.
A Fullness in Brevity - Adam Byatt 