Free writing thoughts: Writing development and fiction

I am in the middle of a lesson in my on-line class and I decided to pause for a moment to reflect on what I am learning. The overall purpose of this class is to get me to consistenly write -- every day. I don't care if it is for 5 minutes or 5 hours. I want to keep writing. I want to grow and build my innate talent of creating real feelings and imagery with words.

I have learned some techniques to free write creatively. One thing is for certain that I have learned about myself: I don't have any problem getting words onto paper when I am writing about my personal experiences or thoughts. It just comes so natural to me. There are no pauses or moments of painful debate about what I am writing. It's simple to keep going.

Maybe this is an indication that I am in relatively strong touch with my emotional interior. For years, on and off, I have found myself writing journal entries. Unfortunately, many of these journal entries have been scattered among random notebooks, diaries and MS word documents across several computers since the early 1990's. So it is difficult to see my writing from a journaling perspective develop and change over time.

Another thing that is for certain that I have learned: Writing excellent fictional pieces is and will be difficult. That's where I get stumped.

I completed reading my first novel in quite a while a couple of weeks back entitled Human Capital, by Stephen Amidon. I found by accident in a discount bookstore while spending the holiday season in Pittsburgh. It is an excellent piece of fiction. The characters are brilliantly developed. The plot is intriguing. The symbolistic use of imagery in the upscale communities of Fairfield County, Connecticut to advance the characters' lives is compelling.

Having lived in this area for a few years, I had a special interest in Amidon's creation of the affluent setting. This is the type of fiction I dream to write. It is about the human condition. It is about people struggling to gain wealth, or simply protect great wealth, largely at the expense of their family and personal relationships. It is about the natural desire to be perceived as successful, and the fulfillment that some people take in having a reputation for success -- regardless of what it does to their family life. It is real. It is poignant.

Another reason I enjoy the book so much is the point of view choice that Amidon so effectively mastered throughout the story. My lessons in class tell me that it is third person, multiple POV. Amidon uses four major characters' stream of consciousness to push the story forward: Drew Hagel, Shannon Hagel, Carrie Manning and David Warfield. In each chapter, one of these four characters' viewpoints serve as the lens of the reader.

I started my second novel this year: Immoral by Brian Freeman. Mr. Freeman gained loads of critical acclaim for this, his first, novel. I am only four or so chapters in to the book so far. The story is a suspenseful "whodunnit" with a detective as the main character. The characater development so far is strong and the plot is enjoyable.

However, I am learning that that I am more interested in Amidon's type of fiction, which focuses on real people issues and their humans flaws to seek what they think will make them happy, only to find it can destroy them. Not that murder isn't real or intriguing. Nonetheless, there is something acutely provocative about people who appear to have it all on the surface, and then make life-altering decisions to try to reach even greater degree of supposed love, happiness and success, only to drive their lives into a dark hole of despair, crime or death. Somehow, it is really fascinating to me.