FEAR AND REACTION

Deeply buried fears can help generate exciting plots. Who or what am I afraid of? Snakes. Really violent men. Someone waiting for me inside my home late at night. Something happening to my husband or children. Cancer. Memory loss. I guess I have more fears than I thought.

Who knows what writers fear that creates their plots. It seems that my favorite authors either have a lot of fears, or great imaginations that need no outside stimulus. Whatever, they come up with outstanding plots, where detectives or brave amateurs are each driven in his or her own way to find answers.

I love to read (and write) mysteries. I don't usually have detectives as my main characters in what I write--I go for the amateur detective more often than not. But when I am reading, my favorite characters are detectives, PI's, forensic experts, etc. I want these characters (theirs and mine) to strive to solve the crimes or catch the criminal. Why should they do that? Because many of them fear not being in control and, therefore, must be the ONE who creates the outcome for a criminal or mystery. Others fear failure, or losing authority if they don't find the culprit. Many I read about, and hope to write as well about, drive themselves to meet the problems, even the murderer, head-on or face-to-face.

What should my characters fear in the deepest part of their mind or soul? How do they deal with that fear? Through avoidance? Compulsion? Anger? Depression? Pretending not to have any fear by taking chances of who they meet or where they go? Seeking out the perpetrator? Or finding the hero to cling to because he is stronger?

Can this be used, this way my characters handle fear, to create plot or new ideas? It seems like the best place to start if I were beginning a new mystery. Hmm What did I say I feared the most--snakes? Forget it, I can't write a book, especially not a mystery, including snakes. That is one fear I don't want to face.