Wicked Good Guest Post!
Today, I am pleased to share a lovingly written post by Amy Lewis Faircloth, a mom and co-author of Wicked Good. Amy and her sister, Joanne Lewis collaborated on the book - more on that later. First, let me share Amy's post...
My Sons, My Muses: How My Writing Got Us Through the Teen Years
In Greek mythology, the muses are the goddesses who inspire humans to create art and literature. They are the source of knowledge. Divine beings, they were believed to inspire mortals to do their best.
It is hard to imagine, as muses, people who laugh uproariously at The Three Stooges or at the sound of flatulence. However, my muses do just that. My teenage sons are the source of angst, joy and pride. They inspire this mortal mom to do her best.
My oldest son struggles with developmental and learning disabilities. He is the inspiration for Rory, the teen-age protagonist, in Wicked Good. My youngest son struggles with accepting the special needs of his older brother. My time is disproportionately divided between them.
My oldest son struggles with developmental and learning disabilities. He is the inspiration for Rory, the teen-age protagonist, in Wicked Good. My youngest son struggles with accepting the special needs of his older brother. My time is disproportionately divided between them.
Writing Wicked Good became cathartic for all of us. I talked to my sons. I asked my younger son to remember incidents of the past. He helped me write scenes and come up with dialogue. I asked my older son how he might react in certain fictional situations. The three of us laughed together remembering his sincere questioning of the color of zebra’s testicles. We are able to laugh at ourselves and at each other. The three of us recalled incidents when he was out of control. We all admitted to being afraid of it happening again. We have accepted that some things are funny and some things are scary. We have accepted that things are not perfect. We are not perfect. Without Wicked Good, we would not have spoken aloud these feelings we shared but kept to ourselves.
The teen years are difficult for parent and teen alike. In my family, we have blundered our way successfully through the teenage years with honesty, humor, and acceptance. I suspect that would not have been the case without Wicked Good.
The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, believed that to be content one must act in accordance with his or her own nature. It is impossible to feign perfection with my muses around. I must act in accordance with my own nature. And I am content.
About Amy and Joanne -
Having lived in Maine, I understand how the Muse speaks during those long, cold winter days and nights. So, it is no surprise that on a chilly day in Maine, Amy received a call from her sister, Joanne, asking, “Wanna write a book together?” Amy said yes and the journey began.
About Amy and Joanne -
Amy is the older sister who loves her 2 sons and nephew, dogs, volunteering at the Bangor Humane Society, running, hiking, snowshoeing, surfing the web, her brown poodle Teddy, Lola, writing, reading, cycling, going to bed early, spending time with her friends and family, being outdoors when it’s nice outside and indoors when it’s not, and editing Joanne’s writing. She is a pescatarian (Amy eats fish but not meat.) and a lawyer in Maine.
Joanne is the younger sister who loves her 3 nephews, her grey poodle Frisco, writing, hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, cooking, traveling, Florence, Italy, anything to do with the Italian Renaissance, Michelangelo, spending time with her friends and family, and being edited by Amy. She is a vegetarian and a lawyer in Florida.
Two sisters, both attorneys; as sisters, Amy and Joanne have learned to play to each others strengths—an important lesson for any co-authors.
Author Websites:
Website: www.amyandjoanne.com
WRITING CONTEST!!
Have you ever said something that totally stopped conversation? Maybe it was insightful. Maybe it was weird. Maybe it was the thing everyone was thinking but was afraid to say. Rory, the teenage character in Wicked Good, is the master of conversation stoppers—his family calls them “Roryisms”.
WOW! is hosting a “Roryism” contest; the winner will receive a $100 prepaid Visa card and their Roryism will be published in the next book in the Wicked series. Full details can be found on The Muffin. http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2011/09/wicked-good-by-amy-lewis-faircloth-and.html
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Comments
Welcome, Amy and Joanne!! So thrilled to have you with us.
I am enjoying your blog tour with Joanne
Blessings!