Let The Words Flow

I'm beginning to write my own fiction : ) After almost four years of fan-fiction writing, I'm finally being able to garner inspiration for my own independent work and it's a great feeling.

My first actual independent writing is a short story about a trip to Georgia that I took in April. I guess you could say it's romantic, but it's honest and that's a big part in my writing. Another thing about writing is being truthful, especially when you're writing about personal experiences.

My insatiable love of writing and words seems to just flow through my body. I carry as many stories in my mind as my body carries blood cells (at least that's what it feels like). I've never been one to write fluffy, shallow, teenage romances and science fiction has never been my forte. My work will probably be little adult and mature, not family friendly.

Not to say it's going to be the next >> Millennium Series<<, but there's so much in that storyline you can definitely pick up and use for your own work. I have always wanted my writing to be controversial; I want it to make people think and question what they believe. Exactly what that work will entail, I have no idea. It's coming though.

"Write what you know" has always been the supposed key to good writing. That's understandable and I totally agree, but I think "Write what you're most passionate about" should be just as important. I hate sexual abuse among girls and women. Which is why I was so intrigued my Stieg Larsson's, Millennium Series.

Now, I have never read the books and probably never will. I have never seen the movies and probably never will. Thanks to this little site called Wikipedia I basically know the entire storyline. It's rough, it's gory, it's painful, and very dark. Yet, there's hope at the end.

Lisbeth Salander is an unlikely badass heroine, but definitely not someone I would consider a role model. Her form of 'justice' is maniac and yet in a corrupt government run by corrupt politicians it seems to be the only way she can get her point across. She goes to the law and the law fails her. So she takes justice into her own hands and succeeds.

Sexual abuse against women and girls is one of the most unreported crimes in the U.S.A. possibly most of the world. Second to that is the abhorrent favoritism of boys over girls in foreign countries like China, Japan, India, and any country that's predominantly Muslim. To these countries, girls are just tools and slaves to men. They are considered worthless and unnecessary. They're killed at birth or kept alive only to be beaten, starved, and eventually killed. It's disgusting. Nothing will bring out the feminist faster in me than when the world will turn a blind eyes to the suffering of innocent girls.

 World magazine posted an article called Worthless on the terrible abuse and annihilation of baby girls in India. I almost cried when I read the reports of newborn girls thrown out the window. Little girls who are abandoned in the streets. Young married girls who are beaten by their husbands and their in-laws if they don't give birth to a boy. By that time tears were turning into rage. Won't anybody do anything? The correspondent did an incredible (and enviable) job at reporting this news.

A few magazines later, World had posted reviews and opinions for the magazine articles in the issue where I had read Worthless. I looked through the pages in some hope that other people would have written in expressing the same anger and feelings that I felt.

All I read was this: This was the saddest thing I have ever read!

That was it. Nothing else was said. I was angrier than ever. Like five people had written reviews about the main article Are You Bored? And yet World posted one simpering comment on Worthless. My mom tried to console me, saying that a lot of people probably felt the same way I did and World had to choose what opinions to post and not to post. It didn't work. Yes, a lot of people probably did care, but it obviously wasn't important enough to World or it would have posted more opinions on this article.

I'm being being unfair and biased. I know. I have always loved World magazine and their writers are exceptional, but that was a total and epic fail on their part.

Have I gotten off topic? Probably, but you have gathered by now my utter and intolerable hatred against  abuse towards women. I'm venting and it feels really good right now. When I came across the character of Lisbeth Salander I couldn't help but feel an intense sense of satisfaction. For a while at least. If I was to write about the same topic I would probably extend a little more grace.

"Write what you're most passionate about" Passion is a strong thing. It can intensify the simplest of feelings. I'm passionate for woman who are abused and want to help, but not at the cost of seeing that all men are monsters and should be destroyed and that women should rule the earth (God forbid). For now I'm letting the words come a little at a time. The more I study and explore this topic, hopefully the right words will begin to flow and I can finally voice what is meant to be said.

That will be a great day.

-Ivy