“Hey Jake, did you get through Twelve Months yet?”
A buddy of mine, evidenced by the use of a childhood nickname, reminded me of a pre-order I’ve had sitting in my Audible account for a week:
Twelve Months. The latest Dresden Files novel by Jim Butcher.
Nearly 17 hours at x1 reading speed, narrated by the excellent James Marsters. If you haven’t discovered this series and are a fan of urban fantasy, I have to first ask how you haven’t heard of it (the series is old enough to rent a car, and saying that is making my knee and back hurt for some reason) and to recommend going to a bookstore and picking up Storm Front, the first book of the series.
When my buddy checked back in with me, two days later, I had just finished listening to the audiobook and was getting ready for the re-listen.
Mr. Butcher, I’d say I’d tip my hat to you, but that’d involve leaving the desk. You’re a master of the craft and I hope to, one day, evoke as much emotion from my stories as you did with this one.
I chuckled, felt introspective, and cried a couple of times (which confused my postal customers, seeing their mailman staring off into space with tear tracks on his face, let me tell you) during the listen. In this series, those usually only happen at key points in a couple of books, but this one was one steady therapy session.
From my experience in writing, evoking emotions is both key and difficult and are typically restricted to the emotions of the genre. Twelve Months, however, evoked emotions for which I know I don’t have the skill level: release. Without spoiling the story, I can tell you that if you’re holding yourself in check against some stress or trying to ‘keep a brave face’ going, you won’t be able to while following the plot… and that such isn’t as bad as you might think.
At one point, I realized that I wasn’t holding my shoulders so tightly, that there wasn’t a feeling of pressure from the corners of my eyes, that I was breathing deeply. For nearly two days, I wasn’t able to worry as much as I usually do. Granted, once I had finished the book and thought about what Butcher had done, the stress did return but didn’t have as firm a grip.
It did, however, throw me off my stride on my own writing. I’ve held to my daily writing, so it’s consistent in that manner, but I shifted over to essays on some background elements that have been just in my head. I don’t know if I’ll make the challenge’s deadline, but once this is posted and my weekly letter is written, I’ll be working on it…
… after I get the chicken in the oven. It’s going to be a rough week, weather-wise. I’ll be needing a lot of food.
Stay safe out there, folks.
-JB Swift
Swift's Corner 