Gah Be Gone

Letting go of my gah has been one of the best side effects of writing the Wilfair stories.

I'm so grateful that I've been able to write for a living. I'm also grateful that I get to say exactly what is on my mind in what I write. And hoo boy, do I. I rarely hold back while trying to present my viewpoint in a professional and positive (I hope) manner. Sometimes I get a little too voice-y. Let's be honest. I go there, for better or worse.

But put me, personally, under the spotlight on certain topics, and I go mum, preferring to let what I write speak for itself. Meaning that sometimes I'm a bit "gah" when opening myself up.

This is not charming. I know that.

So there comes a time when the gah has got to go.

Because I want to talk about what's beneath the surface in Wilfair. The books are pretty light at first glance, yes, but there's other stuff inside. Like? How it feels to end your teens when you feel you never actually began them. Making a friend out of a foe. Working with your parents, in every sense. Owning your power. Staying kind while not ceding ground. And, of course, I like to think about love and heat and mystery and magic, too. We all do.

That's my very long prelude to a post about an interesting discussion in the comments section of a recent Forever Young Adult book review.

The topic: To wait or not wait?

If you've waded into Wilfair or its follow-up Redwoodian, you probably sensed some of my feelings about what is, no doubt, a very complex topic for almost everyone at some point. (At least regarding these particular characters and their journeys.)

So. That said: Do you like the pace that's being set for Fair and Gomery in Wilfair? Do you feel some of their natural shyness and caution is realistic to their age, or at least some people in their age group? Is it okay to be an old child?

I'm curious and I love feedback.

When I set out to tell these stories I assumed I'd write them and then share related photos and links on my blog and that would be that. But using this blog to occasionally discuss the larger and deeper threads of the stories feels much more satisfying and true. So let's do that, too, k? I'm grateful for the great readers who have weighed in and I've been taking what you say to heart and mind.

Goodbye, gah. I'm so over you.