What I Want Readers to Take Away From WHEN STARS DIE
by
Amber Skye Forbes
As readers, we all have our
differing interpretations of every novel we read. We all take away something
from the books that we do read. The Fault
in Our Stars by John Green is my most favorite book of all time. What I
took away from it is that sometimes you have to resign yourself to your fate,
but that doesn’t mean defeat and that you can’t be happy as a result. Other
readers of this book will most likely take away something different. Yet, as a
writer, you do have to ask yourself, “What do I want readers to take away from
this book that makes it meaningful enough for them to want to read it?
Essentially, why should they read it?” In the world of marketing, though I’m
not in charge of that aspect for my book, people want to know what advantages
they’re going to get by buying the products they buy. Books are no different.
Why should they buy just another paranormal book when they’ve probably read
plenty?
I’ve
been asked this question a few times before: What do you want readers to take
away from your book? My answers were succinct then, but now I want to go into
further detail.
What
I want readers to take away from my book is to question everything they know.
Why do they believe what they believe? Why do they like what they like? What
makes them them?
In
Amelia’s world, people blindly follow a book called the Vulgate, which just
means bible in Latin. In this book, it tells them to hate witches. This book
indoctrinates them from the time they’re old enough to read. Even before then,
children are indoctrinated by the time they can understand words. Those who
hate witches don’t question why they are supposed to hate them. They think
hating them will allow them a place in Paradise, but they never once take a
step back and say, “What has a witch done to me to deserve being harmed? Why
must I hate in order to transcend into Paradise? Why would a loving god, as the
Vulgate claims him to be, want this from us? Why are we so judgmental? Why are
we so hateful?” This is true to real life as well, sans the witches part.
The
people in her world never ask these questions. The only people who ask these
questions are witches themselves, as they are most affected by the cruelties of
the world. When Amelia finds out her younger brother is a witch, they flee
their home to a cathedral where Amelia hopes that by becoming a nun in the
Professed Order and her younger brother a priest, Deus will forgive them. She
does this because even parents will destroy their own children when they find
out they’re witches.
Thus,
what will be the ultimate outcome of this trilogy? It isn’t a spoiler to say
that the ultimate outcome Amelia wants is that everyone begins to question
everything.
When
you read my book, I hope that is what you will take away from it. Questioning
everything you know can be a frightening thing, but it is also very
enlightening. It leads to being a more compassionate and sympathetic person. Ultimately,
you will become a more loving person, a person who listens more than speaks,
and a person able to easily make friends. This is what I want my books to do
for people.
That's great, Amber! Thank you for stopping by today. :)
Guest Blogger Bio
Amber Skye Forbes is a dancing writer
who prefers pointe shoes over street shoes, leotards over skirts, and ballet
buns over hairstyles. She loves striped tights and bows, and will edit your face
with a Sharpie if she doesn't like your attitude. She lives in Augusta, Georgia
where she writes dark fiction that will one day put her in a psychiatric
ward...again. But she doesn't care because her cat is a super hero who will
break her out.
Author Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmberSkyeForbes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmberSkyeF
Amber's Books:
Coming Soon:
Available:
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