Writing About What Hurts

Have you ever read a book that resonated with you on a deep, profound level?

Weaving trauma into storytelling can be a source of healing for both writers and readers and help us navigate through emotional pain. 

For me, writing fiction has become more than a creative outlet. It started with Micka in The 1/2986 Series. I found it pretty scary to sprinkle my own experiences into a novel that would be read by complete strangers. Even more unnerving was the thought someone I knew might read and recognise the personal crumbs.

Was it painful to write? Definitely. So much so that I kept avoiding it.

But I realised that storytelling is a sanctuary where I can explore painful memories that still haunt me, and dissect trauma without fear of judgment or doubt from others. I have no idea why it took me a full decade to figure it out. But yes, I'll be doing more of this in the future.

Books offer safe havens for both, writers and readers, where trauma and its echoes can be examined from different angles.

An author might decide to tell the story from the perspective of someone experiencing hardship, or from that of an onlooker witnessing events unfold from a distance. The writer might even step into the shoes of the person inflicting pain. Each perspective offers unique insights. None of this needs to be published — or all of it must. It's your choice.

That's the beauty of storytelling: Your story is yours alone. You shape it as you will. You decide how close to the pain you want to go, and whether your characters find healing, transformation, or simply reflect reality as it is or once was.

You don't need to be a writer to find solace in storytelling. Perhaps you've stumbled across a book that was therapeutic, even cathartic. Maybe you keep a journal where a character navigates challenges similar to your own.

I'd love to hear about the books that touched your soul. Please share them in the comments!

I'm on the final stretch to finishing Peregrine, the third book in the Keeper of Pleas mystery series, and I realised I might need to clarify what this looks like.

You probably think I'm going full blast like this:

But nope. The truth looks a bit more...apocalyptic.

One of the many things I enjoy when writing in the Victorian era is the gutter-speak swear words. Sadly, I can't use them all in my books, so here are some extras, just for you.

I started playing around with embossing and gilding letters and bookmarks. 

Prototypes of gilded bookmarks are now on the way to my long-time Patreon patrons as a small thank-you for their support.

Here's a sneak peek of the first version (a first draft of a scene for Peregrine, with gilded letters and edges) and the second version (character and cover art with gilded letters).

I'm designing a set for Peregrine right now, featuring the whole cast. They'll become available in my shop in November. If you'd like your own, let me know!