I know everyone who reads this will, like me, want to send loving thoughts or prayers, and condolences to the victims of the horrific attack in Aurora Colorado last night.
I cannot begin to imagine the shock and pain of the wounded, and the families of all the victims.
If only there were some sort of magic spell we could cast on all of society so bad and crazy people would all change their ways, and everyone could just be happy and live in harmony.
The sad thing is–if anyone were to write about a world like that, it would be a fairy tale–and readers would get bored.
In the fantasy world of fiction,and even stories based on true events, readers thrive on conflict and tension.
It can be romantic tension, where we live through the minds of the lovers, willing them to kiss, or take the next step, longing for them to touch one another.
Tension and conflict are also present in the lives of people who have to make choices, because we can never be sure if we are making the right choice. Even in our own lives, we all go back and wonder what would have happened if we had chosen the other path.
I know I don’t have to describe the tension created by horror or fear.
Sadly, most of the ideas for suspense novels come from real life events and people. Truth is stranger than fiction, so they say.
Maybe if we all wish for a world without evil our wishes will one day come true and evil will only exist in fiction..
Trish Jackson, Author 