 Drama: June 05, 2013 Issue [#5716] |
  Drama
This week: Family Ties Edited by: NaNoKit  
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You get to choose your friends, but not your family. And some of us come from pretty weird families...
This week's Drama Newsletter is all about this wealth of material ready and waiting to be used in your novels and stories.
kittiara |
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You get to choose your friends, but not your family. And some of us come from pretty weird families...
That is certainly the case for me. I only got in touch with my grandfather and his wife a few years ago, and it is even more recent that I discovered an aunt and her children, and got to know my great-aunt. Through these family members, unknown to me for the vast majority of my life, I learned more about my ancestors and their history. A lot of it is interesting, and some of it is quite dark.
I've also learned more about myself. You see, I'm pretty much the black sheep of my family. My grandmother – who I love dearly, by the way – used to say that if you're born a penny, you'll never be a pound. That's how most of my family members see it. I never believed that. Unlike the family I used to know, I decided to further my studies, I took a whole different career path, and twelve years ago I moved to a different country. I'm unmarried, don't have children, and my hopes, and dreams, and general lifestyle are not in tune with the others.
Don't get me wrong. My life these days is not that exciting. I'm not a rebel, though I used to be. When you get older, I guess that the call for adventure needs to be pretty powerful before you act on it. Perhaps I have one or two more adventures in me... I will have to wait and see.
Still, through the newer “additions”, I discovered that some of my traits are not that uncommon. That others have started up new lives elsewhere, and have lived unconventional lives.
Analyzing my life, and my family, makes me realize that family ties can form a good inspiration for a drama novel, or stories. It's not a new concept, after all. There is a lot of truth in the saying that during your twenties you try to discover who you are, and during your thirties you try to come to terms with your childhood.
A writer can use that material, either in fiction or non-fiction. I'm not much of a non-fiction person, but when taking part in the Tangent Universe Contest, I noticed that most of the darkness in my work had to do with family relations of my characters . I've had to make a conscious effort to change this, because the contest takes place over eight rounds and I didn't want to depress the judges  .
From Cinderella, through Jane Austen, through Lesley Pearse, the love and troubles between family members have formed the basis of captivating novels. The relationships with parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles can build you up and break you down.
These relationships can also add a touch of humor to an otherwise dramatic tale. Most people have entertaining stories remembered over the holidays when everyone comes together. You can edit and reshape those to fit your characters.
I can see why some people like to research their family tree. You never know what you'll discover. I have not attempted to research mine, but again, it can be a source of inspiration if you know about those who were around during certain events.
However joyous, however traumatic, there is a deep well of material ready and waiting to be used in a form of your choosing. Don't be afraid to tap into this. Even if it's dark, even if it's not pleasant, it can help to get past those events that haunt you, and it is likely that somewhere out there will relate.
If you want to stir emotions in your reader, and create believable characters, making use of something you have experienced can only help bring those scenes alive. That goes for the good as much as for the bad. And, hopefully, for any happily ever after.
kittiara
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Here are some of the latest additions to the Drama Genre:
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And for some inspiration:
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The Drama Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in! 
pinkbarbie - Hi Kittiara,thank you very much for this very useful newsletter.
Thank you for your kind words!
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Quick-Quill  - Thank you for picking my story. I am submitting it for the short shots contest. Working out any details before actual submission.
You are very welcome! Good luck .
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blunderbuss - Much enjoyed this newsletter. I recently joined a Friends Reunited site, trying to contact a former friend at school. No luck with that, but someone in my year group made contact and we recently met up when she visited her holiday home. Amazing recollections ensued AND she had copies of school photos which we pored over to identify pupils and staff. Maybe all that will provide inspiration for a short story?
Sounds like excellent fun, looking at all those photos and sharing stories! I'm pretty certain that there will be a story or two in there .
~~~
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Drama Newsletter Team |
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