Final Stretch of Six
Posted Thu, 12/02/10
I'm getting near the end of Part Six: Hearts Desires in the Collective Obsessions Saga. I've had to kill off two characters because of their age, which was difficult because they've been with the story for a long time. They were brothers to boot.
Now that I'm almost finished with Hearts Desires, I have a quick description ready:
The fifth generation moves forward as Brose Larkin finds himself falling in love with a local "tomboy" who bests him at every turn. Despite having known her since high school, she is the antithesis of his ideal woman in her simple attire and direct manner. Brose knows he has met his ultimate match in Bridget Gallagher.
Shannon's son Jamie Page begins to understand his lifelong yearnings but fears his family will never accept them. His first love affair with a nefarious character nearly costs his life, but brings to light his hidden desires.
Jamie's sister Angela Page suffers an emotional collapse after discovering she cannot have children. She holes herself up in the attic at the Larkin mansion, much like her ancestors Molly and Patrick Larkin did before her.
Happiness continues to elude the family, as if a dark shadow of evil has settled over the family estate.
I'm not accustomed to penning violent scenes and detailing rapes, but Hearts Desires has all of those things. Writing the rape scenes was particularly difficult. I was surprised by my emotional reaction as I wrote the specific episodes, with anger and disgust being at the forefront. Second only to animal cruelty, sexual abuse and violence ranks high on my intolerance barometer. Rest assured, I didn't add the salacious content for shock value. However, the various scuffles were necessary in the development of a loathsome character that reappears in Part Seven: The Twilight.
Speaking of The Twilight, it is mostly-written already but needs some editing to keep consistent with previous parts (specifically The Keeper's Journal and Hearts Desires). After that, I'm onto finishing Megan's Legacy and writing the epilogue, whereby Collective Obsessions will be complete once and for all.
More than twenty years work is finally coming to fruition. It's hard to describe the elation I feel as the end draws near. Even if no one ever reads the story that follows Passion Forsaken, knowing that I plotted, wrote and finished a decades-long project is probably one of the most satisfying experiences I've ever had. I cannot think of anything else in my life – including personal relationships - that equals the sense of fulfillment that comes with a completed work.
What will I do when it's all said and done? Keep writing new stories, of course. I already have a few other projects that are in the planning stages, and I'm eager to dig in.