It's the first Wednesday of the month so it must be time for a post from all the folks in the Insecure Writers Support Group. What is IWSG?
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
After visiting here, please take time to hop over to other blogs and hear their voices. You can find a list at Alex's IWSG page.
Writing About Our Fears
by J.Q. Rose
Are you afraid of things that go bump in the night? Have you ever tried writing about them? Does it help when you face them head-on and vanquish those frightening images, diseases, persons?
I wrote about a topic that scares me--Alzheimer's disease, a form of dementia. It was one of the most difficult scenes I have ever written. I know the scene is not complete, but at least I wrestled with my fear of the disease and body-slammed it down on paper.
In my WIP, the mother of the main character is afflicted with Alzheimer's, a monstrous disease capable of stealing a person's personality and memories. The brain is attacked until it is rendered useless. No speech, no problem-solving, no reading, no recognition of loved ones. Eventually even the ability to brush your teeth is forgotten. Frightening? Yes! And worse is the fact that there is no cure, no turning back the inevitable loss of thinking, memory, and behavior.
Now you understand why I'm afraid of Alzheimer's, because it may attack me and/or someone I love. So I have chosen to fight it through my story. I hope the novel will bring awareness to dementia and bring about efforts to continue research to find a solution.
If you care to share what scares you, please leave a comment below. Have you written about it? How did you feel?
Thank you for stopping in.
