Hi Everyone!
I am excited to be here today with a guest post from Helga, please help me give her a warm welcome! :)
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Guest
Blog for Helga Gruendler-Schierloh
Author
of “Burying Leo,” a Novel
“Burying Leo,” my recently released women’s novel,
developed rather gradually—and predominantly for the following three reasons:
1) I abhor any kind of violence
To me, there are very few legitimate reasons for
hurting—physically, mentally, emotionally—any living creature. I am especially
concerned with the still rather prevalent mistreatment of women and children in
our so-called civilized society.
I strongly believe that sexual assault is one of the
worst things to happen to a female. Besides causing physical pain and injuries,
it cuts deeply into the very essence of a woman’s being. It messes with her
psyche, tarnishes her self-image and mutilates her soul. Even if some of the
perpetrators are eventually held accountable, whatever punishment they receive
can never undo their vicious deed.
It also cannot be pointed out often enough that rape
is first and foremost a crime of “violence.” Trying to shift the blame to the
victims by accusing them of dressing or behaving inappropriately seems a lame excuse
for assaulting other human beings. That’s also why people in power should never
use their superior position to hurt or humiliate anyone who depends on them—be
it in a private or a work situation.
2) I am in awe of people’s resilience in their
quest for survival
Throughout the years, I have received the most
favorable responses to my human interest stories, such as memoirs and personal
essays, which either contained uplifting messages or at least ended on a
positive note. I credit the success of those shorter pieces to my tendency of
writing “what you know”—even in fiction.
In developing my characters and storyline, I tend to
fall back on personal experiences and some of the more unforgettable players in
them. However, once I review my memories through my literary lens, and emerge
them in an imaginary tale, they are reflecting a new reality. Only my
geographical descriptions remain predominantly untouched, which allows my
readers to become acquainted with places they may never get to visit in
person.
3)
I am intrigued with life’s
unpredictability
In addition to my preoccupation with human interest,
which automatically seems to be imbued with a touch of suspense, I am also a huge
fan of mystery and detective stories with a heavy dose of “Who’s done it?”
I had a chance to incorporate all those elements in tackling
the distasteful subject of rape in “Burying Leo.” The novel depicts rather
unabashedly how being sexually assaulted not only dashes a young vocalist’s
heroine’s hopes for a singing career, but keeps influencing her mind and
actions for years to come—personally and professionally. Only after Ingrid finally
finds the courage to confront her worst fears is she able to get back to
pursuing her life’s dream.
I have to admit that the assault scene was the hardest
part for me to construct. Not only did I “literally” suffer with my heroine
through her incredibly brutal attack, I even internalized to some degree the
degradation that churns within her for so many years.
As already mentioned, “Burying Leo” developed
gradually. After several revisions, along with some title changes, I put the manuscript
aside for a while before unearthing and submitting it again. Ironically, about
the same time the book was finally released for publication, the MeToo movement
burst onto the public stage and dominated the media—coincidentally turning “Burying
Leo” into a very timely read.
This novel is definitely a standalone. However, I
linked it loosely to a story dealing with the subject of child abuse, which I
am currently in the process of wrapping up.
After that, I am more than ready to exit the dark
world of abuse—at least for a while—to dive into something lighter, more wholesome.
Writing a memoir about growing up in Germany could not only turn into a
restorative trip down memory lane, it might also prove to be historically
informative, thought-provoking, and heart-wrenchingly nostalgic.
*****************Thanks for being here!
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