Guest Post: Linda Hawley (Author of Dreams Unleashed)
Today I am pleased to introduce ya'll to Linda Hawley the author of Dreams Unleashed. I really loved the fabulous guest post she has written for my blog, and am eagerly awaiting the chance to read Dreams Unleashed (when it comes out in paperback). Hope ya'll will give her a warm welcome.
Today in this guest blog I’d like to talk about what it’s like to write a “clean read” as an author, and why I did it.
First, we need to look at the genre I’m writing in. The Prophecies trilogy is classified as dystopian. TheFreeDictionary.com defines dystopia as: “An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.” This awareness of this genre has been increasing the past couple of years. Besides my novel, Dreams Unleashed, being dystopian, it’s also been classified (by book reviewers) as a paranormal thriller, and a suspense novel. All of these genres usually include a good deal of profanity, and sexual aggression.
I wanted to write a strong trilogy without any profanity, nor sexual aggression, nor premarital sex. Why? I believe that we (authors) have been using these things as a crutch, instead of relying upon strong characterizations, plots, and our writing skill itself. It takes a lot more thought and skill for an author to craft a scenario where two characters have a conflict, without using the profanity crutch. Some would argue that people do actually cuss when they’re angry. I would say that some do—but not all. The truth is that for half the reading population (including tweens, teens, and adults) profanity is offensive. I specifically didn’t include sexual aggression or premarital sex for the simple reason that I wanted anyone—of any age—to read my stories. Because of my dedication to this, I have had a good following from teens who are reading Dreams Unleashed.
Now…with all that I’ve just stated…I must say that the main character, Ann, does have a Taser (actually more than one), and she does use it in her defense!
You would think that with my swimming against the tide (when it comes to writing a “clean read”), that I would take some heat from book reviewers, right? Well…not so far. I’ve had only positive feedback from book reviewers, who have said that nothing was lost by making it a “clean read.”
I am a fan of the old Alfred Hitchcock suspense and psychological thriller movies. He would withhold information to persuade an audience. Hitchcock didn’t show it all, but instead let the viewer come to their own conclusions. I’ve taken his approach and applied it to my trilogy, to create suspense. I haven’t given it all away. I certainly have kept it clean, allowing my writing skill to stand on it’s own merit.
I hope that you—the reader—will appreciate how I have fleshed out the characters in Dreams Unleashed, and that you will be hooked enough to want to read the rest of the trilogy.
Thank you for reading my stories,
Linda Hawley
Thanks Linda!
I (for one) am beyond excited that Dreams Unleashed will be a clean read. I'm not a fan of swearing and sex in the books that I read and would be ABSOLUTELY thrilled to find more books that DON'T have either of those things. :)
Dreams Unleashed (The Prophecies, 1) by Linda Hawley, 2011).
Topic: Writing a “clean read” trilogy.These characteristics have made their way into the pages that you read. My head is filled with stories, and The Prophecies trilogy is only the first that's on paper. Book 1 was published May 2011, Book 2 will be published Summer 2011, and the final book will be published December 2011.
Writing The Prophecies trilogy is one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Many of the plots and subplots of the trilogy came from my own life experiences as a vivid dreamer, an Air Force veteran, a former employee of a certain government agency, a corporate citizen, a wife, a mother, and a news junkie.
I could tell you all about my education, experiences as a freelance writer, and a bunch of other professional stuff, but do you (the reader) really care about that? My guess is that you care more that I write compelling novels that take you into a new world, if only for a short while.
Today in this guest blog I’d like to talk about what it’s like to write a “clean read” as an author, and why I did it.
First, we need to look at the genre I’m writing in. The Prophecies trilogy is classified as dystopian. TheFreeDictionary.com defines dystopia as: “An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.” This awareness of this genre has been increasing the past couple of years. Besides my novel, Dreams Unleashed, being dystopian, it’s also been classified (by book reviewers) as a paranormal thriller, and a suspense novel. All of these genres usually include a good deal of profanity, and sexual aggression.
I wanted to write a strong trilogy without any profanity, nor sexual aggression, nor premarital sex. Why? I believe that we (authors) have been using these things as a crutch, instead of relying upon strong characterizations, plots, and our writing skill itself. It takes a lot more thought and skill for an author to craft a scenario where two characters have a conflict, without using the profanity crutch. Some would argue that people do actually cuss when they’re angry. I would say that some do—but not all. The truth is that for half the reading population (including tweens, teens, and adults) profanity is offensive. I specifically didn’t include sexual aggression or premarital sex for the simple reason that I wanted anyone—of any age—to read my stories. Because of my dedication to this, I have had a good following from teens who are reading Dreams Unleashed.
Now…with all that I’ve just stated…I must say that the main character, Ann, does have a Taser (actually more than one), and she does use it in her defense!
You would think that with my swimming against the tide (when it comes to writing a “clean read”), that I would take some heat from book reviewers, right? Well…not so far. I’ve had only positive feedback from book reviewers, who have said that nothing was lost by making it a “clean read.”
I am a fan of the old Alfred Hitchcock suspense and psychological thriller movies. He would withhold information to persuade an audience. Hitchcock didn’t show it all, but instead let the viewer come to their own conclusions. I’ve taken his approach and applied it to my trilogy, to create suspense. I haven’t given it all away. I certainly have kept it clean, allowing my writing skill to stand on it’s own merit.
I hope that you—the reader—will appreciate how I have fleshed out the characters in Dreams Unleashed, and that you will be hooked enough to want to read the rest of the trilogy.
Thank you for reading my stories,
Linda Hawley
Thanks Linda!
I (for one) am beyond excited that Dreams Unleashed will be a clean read. I'm not a fan of swearing and sex in the books that I read and would be ABSOLUTELY thrilled to find more books that DON'T have either of those things. :)
It’s the future year of 2015, where technology governs life. No one on the globe is free from being tracked through government RFID. The worldwide underground organization, GOG, is the one group equipped to fight against citizens’ loss of privacy. Ann Torgeson is a technical writer working for a tidal energy company—living a seemingly normal life in the Pacific Northwest—when her vivid dreams turn real. Is her training as a paranormal CIA agent when she was nineteen years old now altering the doorway between her subconscious and reality? When Ann starts to dig into her past, her present begins to unravel, leading the reader through events that twist and turn everything upside down. Question everything you know is essential in this dystopian trilogy.You can read a free sample of Dreams Unleashed at Amazon
Wonderful post. Thank you for sharing today.
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