When I was studying writing in college, there was sort of a disdain communicated about allegorical writing. I’m not sure now exactly why, but it probably had to do something with the form being overly contrived—and certainly not a modern formula. Books, however, most of us who are writers have discovered, often have a mind of their own. I envy those authors who can outline a book and stick with it. Mine always seem to become what they want to become no matter what I plan. I’ve learned through the years to pay attention and realize that I am basically a midwife at the creative process. This baby will be what it is designed to be. So when people referred to the stories in the Kingdom Tales Trilogy as allegorical, it somewhat surprised me, because I didn’t consciously sit down to write John Bunyanesque spiritual allegories! I was experimenting with writing stand alone stories that carried a complete narrative thread. At that time, some 30 years ago, there were few books that had taken this approach, James Joyce’s “The Dubliners” being one (please, I am making NO comparisons; the effort just struck me as an intriguing creative knot to attempt to untie). But despite myself I wrote three children’s books that can be legitimately described as being allegorical. However, I have become content with this once surprising outcome. Allegories are written to reveal hidden meanings, typically moral dilemmas. This gives parents and teachers the opportunity to communicate values and the choice of virtues to the children whom we raise and teach. Conversations about those hidden meanings often evoke intriguing (even heated) discussions about real life situations. The stories that are allegorical come close, but the meanings have to be discovered. Sort of a literary treasure hunt. The danger to allegories is that they can become contrived and manipulative. Perhaps it’s better not to know you are writing an allegory when you write one. The creative child has its own way of making its personality and character known. Karen Mains Director Hungry Souls #KickstartTales https://bit.ly/KickstartTales
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 02:03:25 +0000
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