Book 4 - Chapter 11: Writing fiction is not for sissies

Today I began chapter 11 of book 4 (still untitled). Here's an excerpt from the writing I did before the writing:

Okay, this chapter scares the hell out of me. Is this how it's going to go now, scared every chapter? Yes, probably. Because here's the rub--you are falling fast now (momentum is a good thing) into the dark, meaty depths of Huntington's Disease with the O'Briens. You know this family now, and you like them, and bad things are happening to people you care about. What they are about to face is hard and heartbreaking and cruel and scary, and you have to go there with them. And not only that, you can't go there with any armor on. You can't go as a tourist. You have to be as vulnerable as possible, holding their hands, hugging them while they cry. You're going to cry, too. And while we're all exposed and suffering together in the dark, it will be your job to keep an eye open for the pinholes of light, moments and words and spaces where there is the possibility for hope and inspiration, change leading to deeper love and connection and meaning despite this horror. So deep breath. Here we all go.

And that led me into chapter 11. Writing fiction is not for sissies.

This also reminded me of a quote from "From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction" by Robert Olen Butler:

"You have to go down into that deepest, darkest, most roiling, white hot place….Whatever scared the hell out of you there--and there's plenty--you have to go in there; down into the deepest part of it, and you can't flinch and walk away. That's the only way to create a work of art."
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Published on November 05, 2013 12:43 Tags: huntington-s-disease, lisa-genova
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message 1: by Carmen (new)

Carmen Blankenship Wow. Intense. I never realized how many layers you need to peel back to make us care about these people. When you create characters do you ever let there lives play out in your mind?

The blood sweat and tears shows in all the book you've written.


message 2: by Roberta (new)

Roberta Besden I love your books. Finished Still Alice and Left Neglected. Just got Living Anthony out if library today. Can't. Wait for book 4!!
Keep writing!
Bobbi


message 3: by Roberta (new)

Roberta Besden Would love to read about bipolar disease. Maybe Book 5?


message 4: by Amanda (new)

Amanda McCool I love your books! I've read all three and am so glad you do what you do!


message 5: by Elaine (new)

Elaine Wilcox You scared the daylights out of me with Still Alice. I have so many family members with AD and I always felt that was the worst disease ever. Now I read Inside the O'Briens and I'm convinced that HD is worse. Keep writing...I learn so much from each on of your books, and they really make me think (and cry).


message 6: by Kathryn (new)

Kathryn Hallett Ph.d you are the best and your latest book is our star of the month at
our book club you write about disease with grace and poetry


message 7: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Carmen wrote: "Wow. Intense. I never realized how many layers you need to peel back to make us care about these people. When you create characters do you ever let there lives play out in your mind?

The blood sw..."


Thank you so much. Because I do so much research and come to intimately know so many people and families living with these diseases, I feel an enormous responsibility to get the story right. And the research helps breathe so much life into these characters. The characters' lives don't play out beyond the book for me, but I do have much more of the backstories or pasts than the readers see.


message 8: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Roberta wrote: "I love your books. Finished Still Alice and Left Neglected. Just got Living Anthony out if library today. Can't. Wait for book 4!!
Keep writing!
Bobbi"


Thank you so much, Bobbi! LOL--I've just figured out that I can reply to comments here, so it's been a looooong while. Book 4 is INSIDE THE OBRIENS and book 5 comes out March 20--EVERY NOTE PLAYED!

xo


message 9: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Roberta wrote: "Would love to read about bipolar disease. Maybe Book 5?"

Bipolar is the subject of my next book! Book 6. Book 5 is about ALS--EVERY NOTE PLAYED comes out March 20.

xo


message 10: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Amanda wrote: "I love your books! I've read all three and am so glad you do what you do!"

Thank you, Amanda!! Sorry it's taken me literally years to respond! LOL--I just learned today that I can respond to comments here! :)

Book 5 is EVERY NOTE PLAYED and comes out March 20! :)

xo


message 11: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Elaine wrote: "You scared the daylights out of me with Still Alice. I have so many family members with AD and I always felt that was the worst disease ever. Now I read Inside the O'Briens and I'm convinced that H..."

Hi Elaine! Thank you for having the courage to read these scary books. My next book, EVERY NOTE PLAYED, is about ALS--so it's a heavy one, too. But I hope some aspects of the story are actually uplifting.

xo


message 12: by Lisa (new)

Lisa Kathryn wrote: "you are the best and your latest book is our star of the month at
our book club you write about disease with grace and poetry"


Thank you so very much, Kathryn! I'm sorry it's taken my forever to respond here--I just realized today that I can reply to comments here! Hope you had a wonderful book club-please thank everyone for me!

xo


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