Monday, November 23, 2015

Life: The True Stuff Our Stories Are Made Of by Margo Hoornstra

Ever wonder what the world would be like if you were never born? In the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey got to see the impact he had on the lives of others. For the rest of us, we’ll just have to calculate our own worth.

As authors, never been ties right in with those what if questions that drive our stories.
Where would the romance genre be without the secret baby trope?

In my first book, Honorable Intentions, I got a lot of mileage out of the teenaged daughter of a single dad hero. She was the product of a one night stand, and I built an entire book—heroine and all—around his desire to take care of her. Keep her safe and in his life.

In another, One Fateful Friday part of the Saturday in Serendipity anthology, the hero is sterile yet he and the heroine come together to adopt two orphaned children. In that same book, a secondary character and her husband who can’t conceive, live their lives as foster parents.
It might be I come by these storyline ideas naturally. My own mother was an unplanned pregnancy BEFORE my grandparents were married. *Gasp* Back then, in the early 1900s, such a thing was frowned upon and then some. Though Grandma and Grandpa eventually married and had another daughter, my grandmother was actually disowned by her family for having and raising the child conceived out of wedlock.
But think about it in a real sense. If my mother hadn’t been born, I wouldn’t be here, nor would my children or their children or…well, you get the idea.
My how times have changed though.
Married with two soon to be teenaged children, moving steadily upward in my career, with money in the bank and empty nest on the horizon, I had my own unplanned pregnancy. For me, inconvenience wasn’t a sufficient reason to not have and raise the resulting twins. Long story short (ahem!) my life has been better for the choice I made.
To each his or her own, but you can see what I mean about how some events in life shape the events in our stories. Scads of historical romances have been, well, born, with the unexpectedly pregnant circumstance as the inciting moment that drives the protagonist into action and on to what we term the heroine’s journey.
Here’s another true life occurrence that has me thinking fiction. My husband’s maternal grandmother left two children in the old country, never to see them again, while she sailed to the new world and a new life. And where she subsequently married and bore then raised three more children. That’s a book I’d love to write someday. I even have a title in mind - Emma.
What would the world be like if you had never been born? Certainly something to ponder now and then, isn’t it?
The 11th and 23rd are my days to blog here at the Roses of Prose. For more about me and the stories I’ve written so far, please visit my WEBSITE

25 comments:

Leah St. James said...

Now you've given me something else to wonder about, Margo! It is fascinating, though, to think how all the pieces of your life's puzzle would be scattered, or nonexistent. I'd love to hear Emma's story sometime.

Margo Hoornstra said...

Oh, Leah, I'd love to write Emma's story. I have the first chapter in mind...now to find the time. It's true, if you think about it, so many events and people have to come together for any of us to have been born in the first place. Real life and make believe, how they both co-exist!

Rohn Federbush said...

My memoir-novel "Home from the Woods" includes two numbing years of being without my boys while I fought a custody suit--in unconventional ways.

Barbara Edwards said...

I've often thought about where my decisions have taken me. Lots of stories there. Glad you shared tday.

Margo Hoornstra said...

Rohn, those stories based on true life do hold a lot of emotion.

Margo Hoornstra said...

Life's happenings and our decisions. We can't do much about the former, but do have a say about the latter, don't we Barb?

Diane Burton said...

What a great post, Margo. Often on long trips, Hubs & I will talk about decisions we've made over the years. And we've come to the same conclusion--if we'd made different decisions, our lives would be so different and we like the way it is.

Margo Hoornstra said...

We do the same thing, Diane. I agree. It's nice to get to this place in life and still in tune with the decisions we've made.

Rolynn Anderson said...

Like Diane, my husband and I think we're lucky we're where we are, together. We met on a blind date...I agreed to go out with him because he was taller than me...a very important factor. I'm 5 foot 10 inches; he's 6 foot 4 and calls me 'petite.' You see, it's all relative, in the end :-)

Jannine Gallant said...

Can you write Emma so that she gets to meet those children again someday? A nice thought if improbable. Your grandmother sounds like a woman who knew her own mind and didn't care much about the criticisms of others. Good for her!

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

What a great post. While all my children were planned, not all my grandchildren were. A couple were born out of wedlock. One the reason for a wedding. And one with a defect many would have aborted, but my son and his wife chose to continue with the pregnancy. I love and dote on them all. They are mine no matter the circumstances of their births. And, yes, Emma's story sounds awesome...a real heart tugger.

Margo Hoornstra said...

Love it, Rolyn. Absolutely love it! It is all relative. I'm 5 foot 8 and was always so jealous of the petite five foot twos in my class, but ended up with a 5 foot 11 husband. You obviously made a good decision back then!

Margo Hoornstra said...

Good idea for the Emma book, Jannine. Wouldn't that be neat. OR OR she meets them in the first chapter and the rest of the book is flashback! You're right. My grandma sure was progressive for her generation. A woman with a mind of her own. Shocking!

Margo Hoornstra said...

You are so right, Vonnie. Mine no matter the circumstances. Hmm. I think Emma is calling to me!

Melissa Keir said...

Wow... great post. I often wonder about the what if's in my life. And while I'm in a good place now, there were times when I wish it had been easier. I used to yell at God about how much he gave me to deal with. I do know that if I hadn't been born then I wouldn't have been able to influence so many children in a positive way. That's my legacy I hope.

Alicia Dean said...

Very thought-provoking post. It's mind-boggling to think of how things would be had we not been born. And, yes, all of our decisions and events in life impact where we are right now. I try to look on some of my mistakes as things that led me to where I am, and I'm happy with that, so I try not to look back with regret. Definitely think you should write that story!

Susan Coryell said...

Interesting concept. Hubs and I often discuss--what if my great great grandma hadn't married great great grandpa who almost perished in the Civil War? Where would WE be? Are we all accidents of birth? Interesting concept for a novel...?

Alison Henderson said...

I don't think about what would have happened if I'd never been born, but I do think about what my life would have been like if I'd taken different paths, made different choices. So many things wouldn't have happened. That's why I can truly say at this point I have no regrets. With all the ups and downs, I wouldn't change a thing.

Margo Hoornstra said...

We all have a purpose in life, Melissa. How great yours is to positively influence so many. Congratulations. Pleased you enjoyed the post.

Margo Hoornstra said...

I do hope to write that story. Someday, Alicia. Wouldn't it be great to have the opportunity George Bailey had to really see a world without us in it. Just pretend, of course.

Margo Hoornstra said...

My mother's first husband died in World War II. Then she married my dad. So many what ifs to ponder.

Margo Hoornstra said...

Meant that last one for you, Susan.

Margo Hoornstra said...

That's usually the way I feel, Alison. Lots of ups and downs but basically wouldn't change anything either.

Lucy Naylor Kubash said...

It is something to think about, and our family histories can be fascinating, if sometimes sad. The book I'm working on now is a "secret baby" story of sorts, and I'm trying to work in some of the family relationships and circumstances that led the couple to make the choices they did. Trying to make it believable as well as something readers can relate to. I hope someday you will write the Emma story.

Margo Hoornstra said...

Your story sounds very emotional, Lucy. I'm sure you'll get the details right. Our histories can sometimes contain sad elements. As I said up top, reality is the stuff of fiction.