What we write about

Interesting conversation in critique group last night about the emotional/psychological roots of what we write. Of course, it was, as always, a fairly brief conversation because all five of us were there last night and even pushing back our start time til 6, the 2nd floor librarian is still always tapping on the conference room window by 8:45, telling us to get our collective assi outa there...

But back to the roots thing. I guess you can buy into it or not, but personally, I do, if only because now - three different novels in - I do see some patterns emerging. Clearly I've got issues. And I'm hammering them out over and over again. Hopefully not quite so obviously that my gentle readers will be saying "Hey Joy! So and so is just Ethan but in the form of a thirteen year old female lacrosse player who made a really huge mistake when she was eleven and it's haunting her and stopping her from moving on with junior high" or things of that nature.

Still I see it. It's quite clear that for whatever reason (cough: distant past rebound boyfriend issues: cough) I think people some times make destructive choices when it comes to love and relationships. I think losing someone you love really really changes you. Sometimes in ways you don't expect. I think it's easy to make mistakes. I think love is a messy business. That girls need to be strong and strive for their dreams. I think this for guys, too. Only since I'm a girl, I think about that a little more. I think people are too often crappy to each other. Conversely, I think people usually want to do the right thing. That they can strive and push and sacrifice and do so on a regular basis because it's the right thing to do. But I also think we often fail miserably at that sometimes. And I guess most of all, I think that being human is not an indictment but a challenge to live as fully and as well and as honestly as we can.

And okay, I also think that if I read one more news story or tabloid report about Jon and Kate, Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson, Danielle from Real Housewives of New Jersey or Lindsey Lohan , I will become a raving lunatic, but other than in this sentence, I don't typically write about that.

Okay, maybe not Lindsey Lohan. And maybe not Danielle. But Jon! Dude! I know it's not my place to judge, but you've got eight kids. Do you need the million dollar bachelor pad in NYC? Seriously?

Til next time...