Untouchable or Not

Everybody has their favorite genre to read and write. It is a given fact. Some will prefer either fiction to nonfiction and so on. But almost every written work has one thing in common.

Is it considered an untouchable truth?

Now why would I want to speak about untouchable truths?

Yesterday was our first Monadnock Writers’ Group meeting of the year. Our speaker was Mary Johnson. Her published work – An Unquenchable Thirst. It is a memoir about her life as a Missionary of Charity, and a story of her search for love, service, and an authentic life.

So when she spoke at our meeting yesterday her topic was about Untouchable Truths. What’s the big deal?

Well this is the topic that churns around why books can make the banned book list. When a story that is written tells about a subject matter that the public, or some groups of individuals in general don’t want anyone to know about.

This can happen in fiction as well as non-fiction. This can happen if someone has found the story offensive even in some silly way.

Per the Huffington post:

Recent Banned Book list top 10:

1. Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

3. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

4. Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

5. And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

6. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

7. Looking for Alaska by John Green

8. Scary Stories (series) by Alvin Schwartz

9. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

10. Beloved by Toni Morrison

The majority of these titles were banned due to offensive language or subject matter. They all also share another thing in common, they are undoubtedly fantastic stories. “Society defends Untouchable Truths” and people respond.

Why? They may find it painful, against conventional wisdom, fearful, uncomfortable, exposure, success, or the fact that you say what you mean.

Mary went on to say that if you feel any fear when writing a story, then it does need to come out. As long as you are not doing it to seek revenge against someone. Then it becomes malicious, and you are looking at a legal matter.

She went on to touch base about how difficult it can be to write such subject matter, especially when it is a memoir. And she also talked about not only the writing difficulties involved with such works but also the publishing aspects and legality.

It was all pretty interesting.

ROW80 Check-In:

Last Wednesday was the end of round 3 of our Round of Words in 80 Days Challenge. Technically I don’t have to post a check in for today, but since I am practicing writing discipline this year I will post how I only edited a couple of chapter this week of Witch Book.

I don’t think it is because the story is that badly edited. I believe Witch Book is one of my better early works, or so the reviews of it seemed to say. It has to be more about the fact that I am trying to make note as to the story plots and such so I can remember where I left off in the story line. I don’t want to send Aaron accidentally off with the Book of Hestate. (LOL) Though that could make the story line different…

Maybe by the next Check In, which is on Wednesday, I will have worked through a couple more chapters and close in on beginning the next book in the series.

In the meantime, my daughter has requested me to make my 3 year old granddaughter a new sweater. She even picked out the crochet pattern for me to follow. It looks fairly easy and I have been thinking about doing something like it for quite some time.

If the pattern works for me, I will post a picture, when it is completed, for all to see.

How is your writing going for this week? I would love to hear.

Do you like to do other craft projects, as well?

I have a crochet pattern I have been looking all over for. I haven’t found it yet. It is for a large crocheted chicken or duck Easter basket. The original pattern is done in some sort of chenille loops, but I have also seen the basket done in crochet with regular Red Heart yarn. Someone was selling them at a local chicken swap a few Easters ago. The baskets were adorable.