Wanted:Frail Characters

I have had a great few days of writing productivity, finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with one of my projects. It is a great feeling, realising that this year I will at least achieve one of my own personal writing targets and that thought alone is giving me impetus to do more.

We have been truly blessed with clear blue skies and sunshine here and that has also lifted the fog of winter from my soul and I find I have an almost permanent sunny disposition to match.

Taking a few days to recharge the batteries and visit my mum, I have also been reminded just how fast time is flying. I see my mum grimacing with her aches and pains as she gets up and begin to realise that this powerhouse of energy has suddenly aged before my eyes.

One of my favourite photos is of my brother and I in our old back garden in Ilfracombe, me balanced on his hip as he strikes a pose for the camera (think  I was all of 4 at the time) and being in shock a few weeks ago when I realised just how much older he is. Why don’t people age to us? I still think of many of my nieces and nephews as little people when they are now fully grown with families of their own.

Putting my writing hat on, I have been trying to recollect any mention of frail older people in the books that I have read and can only recall two and both times they appeared old but were full of fire and could hold their own in a fight despite their age.  Is this an oversight in the world of fantasy writing or is it just that my brain filters it out? In that way you don’t hear an overhead projector humming until someone mentions it.

Can you recall older adults having a frailty or a vulnerability due to their age in a fantasy novel without them suddenly being able to repel the enemy with some inner youthful energy?

Is there a fear to explore this vulnerability in fantasy novels or am I just blanking it out because it can be such an emotive subject? Perhaps it’s because it makes us realise that our time on this earth is so limited,that those ahead of us on this journey have even less time and we do not want to think about such things whilst dipping into a book.

But sometimes we need to be reminded of this, to give us the kick we need to spend more time with those that are so important to us whilst we still can.

As a writer we can observe people and take notes of all their little mannerisms, how they smell, how they feel, how they speak and that is a precious gift when you want to remember those that are dearest to you.

This week I am going to create some more memories with people I love dearly and hold those memories very close to my heart.