Family Villains [Book Writing Blograimge 18-20/30

      Every story needs a villain. In a story about oneself, deciding a villain is difficult. In my case, some of my biggest struggles included family members. Almost all the people I minister to in my Pastoral position at a church have the majority of their issues stemming from family dynamics. Family is a big catalyst for growth, education, and pain. My story includes all of those characteristics. As I write my story, I find myself censoring, holding back, and diluting my perspective because I don’t want to hurt the people I describe. In the book, “Memoirs of a Geisha,” I believe the main character asked the story not to be told until a certain main character passed away. I always have friends that told me they would write a book about their life once a family member passed away. Especially in a culture of honor, like with my Sri Lankan family, it is important not to shed bad light on our name. In an individualistic American society, we often don’t protect family names and honor, but it is still an unspoken rule of eastern influenced families. I believe my story will help people. Much of that help will be in seeing that there are others who might be going through the same things they are, and it’s okay to talk about sensitive and personal issues. So, I don’t want to over vilify my villains, but I definitely want to showcase conflicts from my perspective. And maybe I don’t have all the facts write, but as a writer, I have to believe my perspective and feelings are valid enough to share.