Tuesday, April 7, 2015

F is for Family: A to Z blogging challenge


Family, in one sense or another, is one of the most important aspects of human life. Whether we mean our parents, our children, our significant others, our pets, our friends, or something else entirely. Family was a vital part of writing Going Through the Change, both for me as the writer and for my characters.

For me, writing this novel represented a change in our family dynamic. If I was going to take myself seriously as a writer, I needed to finish things and submit things. That meant I needed a shift in home life. I needed my children to respect my writing time, and my husband and children to help balance home responsibilities to free me for some writing time. I definitely could not have written this book without the loving support of my family.
http://www.shannonscustomcreations.net/images/products/detail/FamilyWordArt.1.jpg

For my main characters, family was a major theme. Linda Alvarez was a forty-eight year old grandmother when her life took a super-heroic turn.  Adjusting to the changes in her life was no small feat! Helen Braeburn's family had recently gone through changes of another sort--divorce and estrangement. So, she was vulnerable, without the support she might once have relied upon when her changes came. Patricia O'Neill had always been a lone wolf, but her best friend, Cindy Liu, was her sister under the skin. When Cindy betrayed her trust, it hurt to the core. Jessica Roark's children saw her fly, and it changed their world and hers.

Family shapes who we are. How the people closest to you react can change your life, for the better or the worse. Lucky for me, I've got a good one.

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This posting is part of the A to Z blogging challenge, in which bloggers undertake to post every day in April, excepting Sundays, which amounts to 26 postings, one for each letter of the alphabet--preferably along a theme. My postings will all be about my debut novel and my experiences writing it and seeing it published.

Blogging A to Z is a great opportunity to connect with some excellent bloggers and interesting people. I encourage you to check out other participating blogs, too!

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8 comments:

  1. I couldn't do this without my family either; having supportive family is so brilliant.
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

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    1. Yeah. That lonely, tortured artiste thing is not for me. I need the love!

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  2. Agree wholeheartedly on the importance of family.
    And congratulations on your debut novel!

    Chantelle @ Cocktails & Memories
    www.cocktailsandmemories.co.za

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  3. I completely agree that family is the most important part of our social fabric. How a person shapes up in life depends as much on the family members, as it depends on the person himself. The story of your novel sounds interesting, and so does the title. Congratulations Samantha.

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    1. Thanks so much! Family is the heart of us, for better or worse.

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  4. I agree that it's very important as a writer to have a good, understanding support system. In my case, my family is the one I've made for myself. :)

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    1. Sometimes the family you've chosen is the very best kind.

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