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IWSG Question: Other than the obvious holiday traditions, have you ever included any personal or family traditions/customs in your stories?
Not specifically, no. Does thinking about it count? lol Actually, I've planned on weaving one or two old family traditions into stories before, but for one reason or the other it's never worked out. A matter of bad timing or wrong story or whatever. Having said that, I think everyone's writing is influenced by personal experiences one way or the other, and I'm no different. I've written a past experience into a story before - changing it to fit the character and scene. I've also incorporated holiday traditions in a story, but those are excluded in this IWSG question.
Honoring family traditions and/or customs was a big part of my life growing up in an old-fashioned Southern family. And I've carried many of those traditions over into my life today along with making new ones with my family. I think traditions can be the glue that holds families together in today's madhouse world - giving children roots and a sense of belonging that is often missing in their young lives. And just like that, an idea about how to use one of our family traditions in a scene just popped into my head . . . maybe the "glue" I've been searching for in this story. Huh. Weird how permitting my thoughts to flow without thinking about it - letting my fingers race across the keys, converting thoughts to words on the screen - opens the floodgates allowing ideas to slip through without censorship. It's an eyeopener when that happens. One of those Ah Ha lightbulb moments. Has that ever happened to you?
What family traditions/customs have you used in your writing?
7 comments:
Inspiration always pops up when unexpected - it's hanging onto it that's the trick! I agree - personal experiences influence our writing. How could they not unless we write in a vacuum? That's what our books their individual flavor.
Lol and here you appear to have thought this writing exercise wouldn't be fruitful...and an idea emerges. I like your use/idea of the 'glue' that holds families together. Good luck on the use of the idea in your story.
Traditions do hold a family together, and I love that some pass from generation to generation. Glad you did some free writing and opened those floodgates.
Hanging On...that's what I'm always trying to do, Nancy! lol By the skin of my teeth! And I agree, we don't live, work, play or write in a vacuum. Our experiences make up the whole and it's in everything we write.
Helen - you're absolutely correct! I didn't think this question was going to lead me anywhere. I started to skip it. lol And look what happened! Thanks for stopping by today!
Traditions have always been important in our family...part of our Southern heritage, I think. And it brings me joy to share the same traditions I observed as a child with my family today. I had forgotten how good it was to just free write, Cleemckenzie. Thanks for stopping in!
I think we definitely insert our own experiences into our stories, even if it isn't on purpose!
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