Name of fiction work? And were there other titles you would like to share with us? The name of this piece of fiction is called, Dark Secrets. One of the biggest pieces for me that I struggle with is coming up with an idea for a title. When writing this book, it was originally going to be called Family Ties, but I changed the title after I had completed the book. I didn’t feel as though Family Ties quite fit the ambiance of the book as well as Dark Secrets did.
What is the date that you began writing this piece of fiction and the date you completely finished the piece of fiction? I began writing Dark Secrets in June of 2019 and completed writing the book in August of 2020. After the book was completed, I began the revision and editing process, which was not finished until March 18, 2021.
Where did you do most of your writing for this fiction work? Please describe in detail. And can you please include a photo. I do most of my writing in my living room with my dog lying next to me on the couch. When I am struggling with a scene in my writing, I like to go outside for a walk. My brain can take a break and the change in scenery seems to help me come up with new ideas. It helps me to destress, and I can think clearly.
What are your writing habits while writing this work- did you drink something as you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop; specific time of day? My writing habits are pretty routine. My best writing time is in the morning. I like to write when it’s quiet before everyone wakes up. That’s when my juices start to flow, and my mind is clear from all of the responsibilities and chaos that will occur throughout my day. I make a cup of hot tea, grab my laptop, and start to write.
I write on a laptop for the majority of my writing time. When I go for walks or when something inspirational hits me then I write my ideas down on whatever I have available, paper, index card, post it, the back of an envelope, anything that I can find at the time.
Please include just one excerpt and include page numbers as reference. This one excerpt can be as long or as short as you prefer.
Pg. 267-268
Darcy on the other hand, did take the bait. “Well, Tommy, consider yourself lucky, I don’t have a single memory of my dad. It seems I was the last thing on his mind.”
Tommy stopped his horse and looked back at Darcy.
“That’s not true.”
Colin glared at Tommy. “Keep going.”
Tommy started up again then said, “I’m sorry. Is that what you want to hear, Darcy?”
Darcy could feel the rage she had suppressed for so long coming to the top. “Sorry for what, Tommy? Beating my mom? Kidnapping and punching my daughter? Disappearing off the face of the earth?”
Jack interjected, “Darcy, that man ain’t worth arguing with. He’s been this way ever since I’ve known him.”
Tommy scoffed. “What did I tell you, Darcy? This town won’t ever allow me to change. I’ll always be known as the bad kid, the one you don’t want hanging around. I have never been accepted.”
Darcy retorted, “That’s where you’re wrong. This town didn’t make you who you are. You did that all on your own.”
Tommy shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong, darlin. The beatings my daddy gave me when I didn’t bring home enough cash or steal enough valuables or hell, just because he felt like it, that’s what made me who I am. A no bit con man without a nickel to his name. I’ve only done two things right in my life: one was becoming your daddy and the other was leaving so you could have a better life than I did.”
Why is the excerpt so emotional for you as a writer to write? And can you describe your own emotional experience of writing this specific excerpt? This was an emotional excerpt for me to write because I can feel Darcy’s anger towards her father. I can sense her bitterness and frustration in feeling cast aside like an afterthought. Of feeling used and betrayed and uncertain of what her life was and what her life is. How can one person hold so much power? How can one person cause so much hurt and grief? How can you feel hatred after hearing the rest of Tommy’s story? And even though I can sympathize and understand Tommy more, I still feel Darcy is justified in her anger towards him. Therefore, as a writer I am angry for everything he has put her through.
As a writer I have to understand each character’s circumstances and what makes them tick. I had to learn to really take a look at Tommy and try to figure out why a person would do what he did. How can I make him more human and less like an evil villain? Everyone makes mistakes and do we try and find forgiveness or just live with the anger? In the end, the bigger question is… is it really possible for a person to change?
For me, I have built a relationship with these characters. I feel what they feel. I can feel the sense of abandonment Darcy has experienced from not knowing she had a father somewhere in the world that chose not to become a part of her life. I live in a small town, and I am well aware of small-town opinions about certain families as well as the rumor mill of small-town gossip. Where do we draw the line? Who do we choose to believe? How do we know we’re right in our opinions of others? This excerpt makes me, as a person and not just an author, evaluate how I choose to interact with others. In Tommy’s comment, “I’ve only done two things right in my life: one was becoming your daddy and the other was leaving so you could have a better life than I did,” my heart breaks for Tommy.
This book had several emotional parts for me which is why it took me so long to write. There were times when I’d become so frustrated with something my character did that I wouldn’t write for a week or two until I distanced myself from them in order to gain a better perspective. One thing many people don’t understand, is that a book takes on a life of it’s own, and the writer is merely the conduit for putting the story on paper. There are times when I don’t like something that happens to a character, but it must happen for the rest of the plot to play out.
Were there any deletions from this excerpt and can you share them with us? Surprisingly, there were no deletions from this particular excerpt. It was written straight from the heart and was my way of showing the conflict that each character was going through.
Connie Spanhake Biography: “I am a writer with a big imagination. An imagination so big that sometimes my kids accuse me of being a bit dramatic, of which I deny of course. I am a lover of animals and all things nature. I am a kid at heart and will still sled down that daunting hill with my grand-kiddos.
I am also an old soul that loves the feel of a book in my hand especially lying in a hammock under a tree. I am a learner of technology. I am a traveler whether it be physically to a new destination or mentally as I navigate through a great story. I am simple, humble, and true to myself.”
http://conniespanhake.wordpress.com
All of the Inside The Emotion of Fiction LIVE LINKS can be found at the very end of the below feature:
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/03/stephenson-holts-arranged-marriage-is.html
The images in this specific piece are granted copyright: Public Domain, GNU Free Documentation Licenses, Fair Use Under The United States Copyright Law.
The other images are granted copyright permission by the copyright holder, which is identified beneath each photo.
Some of the links will have to be copied and then posted in your search engine in order to pull up properly
The CRC Blog welcomes submissions. Contact CRC Blog via email at caccoop@aol.com or personal Facebook messaging at https://www.facebook.com/car.cooper.7