Tonight when I found myself distracted from the book I was reading, I decided to peruse the archives in this blog, and found this post from 2010. The photo (above) is one of me back in my early social work days:
In my novel “An Accidental Life,” I focused on a local phenomenon in the Central Valley of California – methamphetamine abuse. In the early nineties, I was working in child welfare services for the County of Fresno, and a proliferation of substance abuse cases (related to methamphetamine or “crank” abuse) became a regular aspect in the life of the social worker.
Years later, when I decided to pen a novel that featured these issues, I chose to zero in on characters that were composites of those I met during this time in my professional career. I also added my own personal take to the story by creating characters from my own history.
As a result, we have a bird’s eye view, as it were, into the lives of social workers and their clients.
To spice things up a bit, I added a subplot that featured a stalker/murderer, a nod to another aspect of Central Valley life – homicides. We have had our share of unsolved mysteries in this Valley city, but in my novel, I chose to reach a solution to the stalker/homicide that focuses on one of my characters.
Finally, because I do not believe in “happily ever after,” I did make one concession to this familiar theme: I chose what I call a “hopeful ending.” The characters are left with the faith that the “journey” in life is really what it’s all about. Finding themselves on the path of self-discovery, with its complexities and obstacles, allows the characters to persist – to believe.
In the end, that’s really all we have.
I’m a realist so I like the sound of a ‘hopeful ending’
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Thanks, Cleopatra, a hopeful ending feels real to me. Glad you could stop by!
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You must have had a fascinating yet scary and sad list of cases!
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Oh, yes, Patty…sometimes I still dream about them! Writing the books helped “purge” my soul of the darkest and scariest….
Thanks for stopping by.
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