LIVING LIFE ON LIFE’S TERMS BLOG

Blog # 1

Potential Impact Of Psychological Thrillers on myself and potential readers of my novels. 

These blogs are an attempt to help all of us, me included, find ways to make healthy choices as we live life on life‘s terms.  Outcome of studies regarding psychological impact is split.  Some theorize it’s creating and/or increasing anxiety in its readers.  Others insist it gives an opportunity for release of anxiety and fears in a controlled environment.  I am in this camp.  As a retired psychotherapist, the last thing I would ever do is write something that I thought would create a negative inner environmental impact upon my readers.  More on this later in subsequent blogs.

In this ongoing blog, we will learn together ways to reinforce this truth about life. While we have no control over other people‘s behaviors, we have full control over the way we respond.  In my novels, a controlled environment (at least for my readers, not so much for the characters) gives you the opportunity to witness abuse in its many forms, while paying close attention to the characters’ personalities and environments that played a role (only one role) in their decisions and responses to the decisions of others. 

I will discuss in depth the differences between reacting and responding.  At the end of every novel, I ask probing questions to help the reader sort out thoughts and feelings and even memories that were provoked by the reading of my novels. 

Briefly, reaction is instinctual, a basic survival skill, which is sometimes, not always, a gift from God, in that it helps a person cope with trauma until he or she is able to seek help, while responding takes into account an awareness of our strengths and weaknesses. 

It is fun (and often helpful) for me to write novels. Writing psychological thrillers gives me a release from anxiety…about world events and personal relationships gone awry.  

I get a chance to express my frustrations at what’s going on around me at any given time. Whether I’m reflecting on decisions that I have made in the past, or struggling with current decisions, letting my characters make those choices and watching the consequences of their choices is a real eye-opener.  Choosing how a character reacts or responds gives me insight I never dreamed I would have.

Sometimes, a character in one of my novels might choose exactly as I would have chosen. Other times, a character might choose the way that I might have wanted but didn’t (because of the consequences) but opens my eyes to the fact that I might have chosen if I could’ve avoided the consequences.

I will disucss more fully in future blog entries how the “parts” of us are often in conflict, vying for attention, and it’s interesting to see which one we choose to listen to in any given situation.  Why did we let that particular need win at that particular time?

I will also, in this blog, discuss the good inside all of us and our sense of urgency in bringing our goodness to light. We will learn to develop a deeper sense of awareness.

We all yearn to be recognized as valuable. Dallas Willard, in his book Divine Conspiracy, reminds us of the words of Saint Augustine.  

We need to be recognized as important. It is a very human desire.  It is as natural as water running downhill.  CS Lewis also explains this very human phenomenon. Our basic human desire is to love and be loved.

My characters are no different than any reader in that regard. Humanity wanting love.

The sense is that if we are loved, we are valuable. If we have the ability to love someone else, we are valuable. As a Christian, I believe our true sense of worth comes from knowing we are created by God for many purposes and we are loved immensely.  Our self-worth cannot be contingent upon the expectations of others.  Yet, in our humanity, we struggle with this every day.

Psychological thrillers allow us to be afraid, angry, sad, joyful; to feel and to express all the feelings in between those four core feelings. So many feelings. I will expand on these multitude of feelings in subsequent blogs.

Readers of psychological thrillers want to see the bad guy or gal pay for their sins. and if they are the bad guy, and develop remorse, as we (hopefully) do when we have sinned, we want to see them (us) have the opportunity to be forgiven and be able to forgive themselves. “Sinned” in Greek means “missed the mark.”  I will talk about this more in future blog entries as well. 

Further Impact of Psychological Thrillers:

Psychological thrillers have emerged as a significant subgenre in contemporary pop culture, captivating audiences with their intricate narratives and deep explorations of the human psyche. This genre, characterized by its focus on mental states, moral ambiguity, and suspenseful plot twists, has evolved from classic literature into a dominant presence in film and television. The impact of psychological thrillers extends beyond mere entertainment; they reflect personal and societal anxieties, influence other genres, and shape cultural conversations.  We, the readers, have the opportunity to be entertained, to fully feel and fall in love (or hate) with the characters depending on how we relate to them.  It’s truly fascinating to me how that all happens.