Category: Uncategorized

A MASH-UP OF SOME OF MY FAVORITE BLOGS

1 November 2026

I don’t follow a lot of blogs, but I’m most excited when I see an email notification that these great thinkers and writers have a new post available.

Who: Barbara Jean Miller is a prolific author of fiction and nonfiction on her blog.

Why I like this blog: The variety of fiction and life experience posts Barb shares is refreshing and enjoyable. I love her authentic voice and honest appraisal of everyday life on her rural farm in Pennsylvania.

Link: https://barbarajeanmiller.substack.com/

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Who: Lynn Slaughter is a wonderful fiction author with several terrific mystery/suspense tales to her credit.

Why I like this blog: Lynn is very gracious with her blog space in that she regularly interviews other authors.

Link: https://lynnslaughter.com/blog/

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Who: Regrom (Regency Romance Blog)

Why I like this blog: This blog shares an amazing amount of terrific research about Regency England, and it’s written in a very accessible format for history buffs and writers.

Link: https://www.regrom.com

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Who: Melanie Bates is a true shero and a fabulous writer.

Why I like this blog: It is so real.

Link: https://substack.com/@melaniembates

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JOY E. HELD is an author, educator, editor, book coach, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents. She is the author of

Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020)

Writer Wellness Workbook: A Guided Workbook and Journal to Accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2023)

The Mermaid Riot (Headline Books, Inc., 2026) Young Adult Historical Fantasy

Saving Marietta: Journey to Freedom, Book 1 (Headline Books, Inc., 2026) Adult historical romance

She writes spicy historical fiction under a pen name.

She is the winner of multiple writing and book awards:

West Virginia Writers, Inc. Annual Writing Contest, Honorable Mention, Novel, 1998.

New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Writer Wellness, 2020.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist, Writer Wellness, 2021.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, Member of the Year, 2020.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, First Book Award, 2020.

She is a proud graduate of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.

She is a member of The Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Joy is the founder and CEO of My WRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers and readers.

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Disclaimer

This article may contain affiliate links which may result in the author receiving a commission when readers purchase items through the links.

You are receiving this message because you previously signed up for notifications or participated in a program/course with Joy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

My ideas are not ever meant as a substitute for consulting with a qualified health professional.

xxxx

30 October 2026

DRACULA WEEK

#5 If Dracula Kept a Diary

May 2-Rainy as usual, but maybe that will clean the drive path in front of the castle before Mr. Harker arrives tomorrow. I wish he hadn’t left London so late. Something about trial notes to finish. It is a long journey to Transylvania. With only one stagecoach every day it will be the middle of the damn night when I get him back here. Must remember to put brandy and an extra blanket in the carriage. I hope that ridiculous woman at the Golden Krone remembers to give Harker my letter.

May 4-Snow. A little early for this kind of chill, which keeps the peasants out of the forest. Makes things more challenging, but I’ll manage. Englishmen require too much luggage! How long does H think he’s staying here? H is paler than I expected. But I like the look. And afraid of my dogs. I thought he’d never stop quivering on the ride up the mountain.

May 5-H liked the baked chicken and drank an entire bottle of wine for supper.

May 8-H cut himself shaving. I nearly lost it. He didn’t need to shave for me, but it caught me off guard. Suddenly, I couldn’t control myself. Why in the hell is the Englishman wearing a crucifix of all things and where did he get it? The zap also caught me off guard. I regret throwing H’s shaving mirror out of the window. I just couldn’t stop myself.

May 16-Certain H saw me leaving the other night. I told him not to wander around the castle. I told him to stay in his room and not to fall asleep in any other room. It’s his own fault. If I hadn’t smelled his fear, I might not have made it to his rescue. Those girls will be the death of me. This man does not follow instructions well. I hope he hasn’t made careless errors on my London property purchase. Ah, what’s done is done. This man is mine, ladies.

June 1-Had to hide all the paper. Judging from H’s journals, he is pretty shook up about having to stay here another month. I could let him write that letter for help he craves and tell him I mailed it for him. Not. Decided to get his traveling clothes cleaned for him. I think I forgot to tell him this.

June 30-Damn! He found me in the shipping crate. Meddlesome fool. Do all English lawyers behave so badly? Have to go to London without him for now. Why does everything have to be such a bother?

***

…until next year…

~Joy

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29 October 2026

DRACULA WEEK

This is a series of articles I like to run every Dracula season. Enjoy!

#4 Unreliable Narrators & Stake Drivers

I love epistolary fiction. Reading the letters, journals, diaries, and newspaper clippings allow me a deeper connection to the writer. I learned the habit from doing research for my historical fiction novels. I also really love special collection departments and their librarians. Special collections librarians are amazing sources of information and always ready to help a writer or student with research. Another topic for another day.

Consequently, I am drawn to collecting and reading the diaries and letters of published authors. I enjoy reading about what was going on in their lives and the world when they worked on a particular book. I’m currently rereading A Writer’s Diary written by Virginia Woolf and published/edited by her husband after she died. I love Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck and have just started reading Letters of Edna St. Vincent Millay. I haunt used book sales for the older versions of these kinds of books because there is less editorial commentary than there is in contemporary reprints of such works. I like to come to my own conclusions.

This passion partially explains why I annually reread Dracula by Bram Stoker. I’m not so enamored of vampire literature. It’s the journals, letters, and newspaper clippings that Stoker uses as a narrative technique that draw me to the book. I’m more interested in the style and conventions he chose to tell the story with over the romanticism of vampiric folklore. While the diaries and journals of published authors are written in their own hand, it’s a straightforward connection to a new perspective on their published works. In Stoker’s case with Dracula, he chose one of the most difficult literary conventions. The unreliable narrator.

The unreliable narrator in literature is exactly what it says: a character telling a story, but you shouldn’t trust everything that character says. And what better way to stay true to a character’s viewpoint (and their own opinions about themselves and the story’s actions) than explaining the plot through their fictitious accounts—their diaries?

Some people tell the truth in their personal writings. Others are prone to embellishments. Everyone expresses an opinion about what happened. That’s called reflective writing. It is cathartic and authentic, written from the heart and emotions but not always from the intellect or common sense. Personal writing is for the writer at the time, although they generally have a suspicion that someone will read their journals after the holder of the pen has died. I write notes in my journals all the time to my children and grandchild for them to read long after I’m on my way to whatever is next after this part of my karmic journey.

The other interesting problem Stoker chose is that because of the “personal” writings used to tell the story, the author himself is forbidden to provide narrative comments on what the characters are saying and doing. He can’t narrate or explain anything in his own book because he can’t interfere with what the characters are writing then doing. He must stand back, relay the writing and deeds, then leave it to the reader to conclude as they will. Until you realize Stoker IS offering narrative commentary because he is the one writing the journals of his characters.

Each character in Dracula is unreliable because they have personal agendas that Stoker wants the reader to recognize-social justice, high morality, sexual repression, and the greater good of society. They each wish for a position in life other than what they are shackled to. They don’t want to be who they are and feel compelled to lash out at something they consider evil to assuage their own unhappiness. Happens all the time. However, most unhappy people complain in their journals and letters then go out into the world and act as normal as possible even if they secretly want to drive a stake through the heart of the devil. That’s what fiction is for.

What do you think?

~Joy

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28 October 2026

#3 Smoke & Mirrors

Have you ever been backstage at a theatre production? In the performer’s dressing room, and many times in the side wings where they wait to go on stage, are a lot of mirrors.

Dancers have a misguided reputation for being vain because they rely on mirrors as they train. Supposedly, a dancer can’t walk by a large window or even the tiniest mirror without a sideways glance at themselves. Some habits are harder to break than others.

The show stopping musical number from the Broadway musical “A Chorus Line” is sung by the lead character, Cassie, who is the aging chorus girl trying to make a comeback. “All I ever needed was the music and the mirror and the chance to dance for you.” Yep. That’s an amazingly accurate statement about what being a dancer means. The actress Donna McKechnie put this song and dance number on the eternal map of musical theatre’s most powerful performances because her passion for dancing, initially ballet, had nourished her soul from a very young age.

There’s no shortage of commentary and speculation about why or what Stoker intended by writing Count Dracula as invisible in mirrors. No soul. Not living. Ashamed of what he’d become. Violent at the thought of anyone looking at their reflection saying, “And this is the wretched thing that has done the mischief. It is a foul bauble of man’s vanity. Away with it!” He throws the shaving mirror out the window to shatter on the cobblestones below. As if shards of a mirror are acceptable while the whole is not?

The folklore surrounding mirrors could have influenced Stoker, but as I mentioned, writers gather and weave strands from everywhere for a long time before something appears in a story. Yes, the soul of a person is a major theme in Dracula but recall Stoker’s career as a theatre critic and business manager. Whether or not Stoker ever acted in a play isn’t documented, but once he got an all-access pass to the inner workings of what it means to be an actor, he had to have been awed by a performer’s reliance (and sometimes addiction) to their own reflection. Stoker was and never dropped his role as a critic. Someone who offers feedback to a performer…just like a mirror.

The phrase “smoke and mirrors” has been a theatrical technique since the late 18th century when magicians used it to project an image onto smoke to make the image look as if it were floating, shimmering, or hovering. If that image happened to be a person, they were called spirits and ghosts. Fast forward and the words suggest that what someone is seeing or being told should be investigated vigorously to be sure there is truth there. It’s been a go-to idiom in political commentary since the 20th century. Stoker had to have encountered the practice in 19th-century theatre because it was a very popular stage trick to make the audience believe in something that actually didn’t exist.

See where is leading?

Mirrors (not fun-house distortions) tell the truth. No matter how tiny the shard, the reflection is an exact image with an unbiased, untainted message (wicked Queen in Snow White exempted from this discussion.) This is precisely what you look like and the first impression others will have of you. That truth is the reason performers are trained to use mirrors as a means to improve and as a way to see what needs correcting. Look in the mirror. Pants unzipped. Zip. Go out on stage. The mirror also cuts down on what the critic has to complain about. All the world is a stage.

When Jonathan Harker looked into the mirror to shave then felt Count Dracula’s hand on his shoulder (a common place for the imaginary characters of angel and devil to sit) he cut himself with the razor because the “visitor” surprised him. Snuck up on him. Harker claims to have been able to see the whole room in the reflection, but he didn’t see the physical embodiment of the devil behind him. He only felt his presence in his own physical body.

First lesson in smoke and mirrors: be careful what you project for it has a truth all its own.

What do you think?

~Joy

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Saturday, 3 October 2026

October Theory for Writers: Finish the Year Fresh Instead of Fatigued

The last ninety days of the calendar year have a magical tone about them as we have settled into the autumn work, school, and sports schedules with the unvoiced understanding that the current year is coming to a close. An ending that is a prequel to the new year and its promises. Some of us do a deep cleaning in the fall. Others shove the dust aside to deal with later. Either way, October kicks off the closing quarter of the annual calendar game of getting through life one day at a time. Here I offer some ideas for how writers can make good use of the theory while staying focused on health, creativity, and the present moment.

‘O’ IS FOR OPEN

Open a book, any book, to a random page (to the page of today’s date works.) Copy one sentence from that page into a journal or a blank page. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and repeat the sentence in your mind three or more times until a new idea pops into your thoughts. Write the new idea down and keep writing if inspired.

‘C’ IS FOR COUNT

Count things for a whole day. Consciously stop and count things/people/ideas as often as you can remember to do so for one day. Journal at the end of the day about the experience. Recognizing patterns is a great way to train your mind to organize your stories. Count your blessings is a refreshing journal moment too.

‘T’ IS FOR TALK NICE

Talk nice to yourself in your journal instead of beating down everything and everybody. Just for the rest of the year, write balance into your journal pages. Consciously recognizing the pros and cons of just about everything can improve mood and self-esteem.

‘O’ IS FOR ORGANIZE

Organize something, anything! Digital or tangible, spend one hour of one day in October sorting, donating, and trashing at least one of those piles or drawers or stashes. Promise to repeat this in November and December. Write this into your planner if you think you’ll need the nudges. Cleaning out a closet or a junk drawer can create an amazing feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment.

‘B’ IS FOR BUILD

Build something calming and relaxing into three or more days a week for the rest of the year. Five minutes of resting on your back with a cloth over your eyes. Short walks. Listen to quiet music or nature sounds for five minutes. Sit still for five minutes inside of someplace crowded like a coffee shop and cultivate being calm in the midst of chaos. Practice counting breaths or a meditation method of your choice. Builds mental clarity and focus.

‘E’ IS FOR EXERCISE

Exercise 20-minutes a day, five times a week. Gentle movement is fine but include a cardio workout once a week if you can. Sitting and lifting small hand weights IS cardio! Better energy, improved confidence, and physical strength are some of the side effects.

‘R’ IS FOR REFLECT

Reflect on the last nine months of the year, use the above ideas to select Reasonable goals to end this year, and Reach out to another writer this month either in person, online, on the phone, or mail an actual card or letter to them! Stamps are pricey, but one won’t break the budget.

OCTOBER IS FOR TAKING THAT STEP FORWARD INTO THE MAGICAL UNKNOWN ONE MOMENT AT A TIME.

The end is always the beginning if you want it to be.

Write on!

~Joy

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Joy

writerwellness at gmail dot com

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Facebook

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Website

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JOY E. HELD is a busy author, educator, editor, book coach, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents. She is the author of

Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020)

Writer Wellness Workbook: A Guided Workbook and Journal to Accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2023)

The Mermaid Riot (Headline Books, Inc., 2026) Young Adult Historical Fantasy

Saving Marietta: Journey to Freedom (Headline Books, Inc., 2026) Adult Historical Romance

She is the winner of multiple writing and book awards:

West Virginia Writers, Inc. Annual Writing Contest, Honorable Mention, Novel, 1998.

New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Writer Wellness, 2020.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist, Writer Wellness, 2021.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, Member of the Year, 2020.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, First Book Award, 2020.

She is an adjunct faculty member in the Southern New Hampshire University Online MFA Creative Writing.

She is a proud graduate of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.

She is a member of The Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Joy is the founder and CEO of My WRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers and readers.

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Saturday, 5 September 2026

Why Professional Writer Organizations Are Mostly Worth the Dues When It Comes to Searching and Selecting a Literary Agent

Genre specific writing organizations offer different benefits to members. One of those benefits related to the literary agent search that is often overlooked is the pre-screened list of agents actively seeking submissions in a particular genre that some groups offer their members. For example, the dues to the Romance Writers of America national chapter include access to a members only resource listing agents (there’s one for qualifying markets too) that RWA has already vetted as to their willingness to accept submissions from RWA members. Historical Novel Society also offers this to members in good standing.

The agent search can feel daunting because the system has evolved to where an agent is almost an absolute requirement for getting the attention of a traditional Big Five publishing house because BFs generally accept agented submissions only. This has increased the number of agents, but it has not increased the value of having an agent.

Another agent related value to membership is that the warehouse organizations (and some smaller regional groups) invite agents to their conferences where you can schedule a one-on-one meet with an agent and pitch your work. Sometimes they are group pitch sessions. They may also bring in editors from publishing houses. I’ve known writers who only attend in-person pitches at conferences and have never cold emailed an agent or editor. Many of them have secured agent representation this way.

These resources are workarounds that are worth the consideration because the organization has done some of the leg work for you. It’s a cut to the chase sort of process that might possibly reduce the amount of time and research you should do when selecting a literary agent. But it comes with the price of the annual membership dues or the conference fee. And you still have to do the advance research in order to choose the right potential agent to meet with.

I’ve had a singular bad experience with this process when an agent listed in the member’s only resource accepted me as a client then turned around and said I had to pay for his wife to edit my manuscript before he would offer it to publishers. That was a price I wasn’t willing to pay. The writer organization heard from me and the agent was eventually removed from the list. I had the emails to prove the demand.

Oh, and watch out for schmagents (amateur, marginal, and incompetent) as noted in this article from Writer Beware blog on the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association! Link

https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/agents/

Write on!

~Joy

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Social Media links

Joy

writerwellness@gmail.com

Facebook

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Website

https://www.joyeheld.com

My WriteDay

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Saturday 27 December 2026

Yep. You missed it. The November/December My WriteDay subscription box for writers “Another Perspective” has sold out. I understand. The chaos and money crunch of the holidays made it feel like time won the race again. Everyone on your list got something. That’s good. Now it’s time to do something for YOU!

For $59.00, My WRITEDAY is a bi-monthly subscription box containing curated products from authors, creators, and small businesses to writers and readers in the continental U.S. only. (Sorry no international shipping yet.) It’s unique in that many products are sourced from writers who are also crafters and artisans.

Each box delivers a writing craft book and 3-7 items associated with the key concepts (journaling, fitness, relaxation, nutrition, and creative play) of Writer Wellness, my flagship program and book (Headline Books, Inc. 2020.)

Inspired by literary themes, genres, and holidays, boxes include exclusive access to My WRITEDAY Digital Magazine filled with writing and publishing tips, writer wellness ideas, fiction excerpts, poetry, special offers, live virtual meetings, and more.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the My WriteDay subscription boxes. They are filled with useful items and resources for writers and all creatives at all levels. Joy is a talented curator, knowledgeable, supportive, and friendly. I recommend this box to anyone who is interested in writing and wants to boost their creative skills and lifestyle. 

~Jessie M.

Click here to subscribe on MONDAY, JANUARY 5 AT NOON EASTERN STANDARD TIME!

 

 

I hope your WriteDay is fantastic!

~Joy

Founder and CEO, My WriteDay

https://www.mywriteday.com

P.S. Did you know that My WriteDay offers reading and writing adventure kits for kids and teens year-round?

Check it out My WriteDay Teen

 

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Release February 3, 2026. PreOrder here

Saving Marietta: Journey to Freedom (Book 1)

 

 

“Your Writing As a Gift to Those You Love & Care About”

Monday 8 December 2025

Hey there, writer! This year give your writing as a gift to those you love. Lots of crafters give their creations as gifts. Writers can too. Here are some special projects you can quickly and charmingly turn into presents for the holidays.

WRITE A SHORT STORY WITH A RELATIVE OR SPECIAL PET AS THE STAR

Your wonderful talent with words easily translates into a short story or children’s book featuring a relative or special pet as the protagonist. It doesn’t have to be long or have a complicated plot arc, just a story about an adventure or a real-life event in the family history. You know the drill: start with a character with a problem to solve then say, “What if?” Illustrations in a digital book are easier than you think. Family photos from your phone will add personality and images from royalty-free sites such as The Graphics Fairy or iStock will more than supply you with ideas and appropriate art work to support the story.

CREATE A SERIAL STORY WITH A CHAPTER A MONTH

You only have to write one chapter to hook your reader for this gift of writing then write 11 more chapters that you send to the recipient once a month until next November when the romance is fulfilled, the mystery is solved, or the journey is complete.

GREETING CARDS WITH WRITERLY QUOTES, IMAGES, AND MESSAGES

Or the cards can be blank inside. Blank, do-it-yourself greeting cards are available at most craft supply stores such as Michael’s.

OF COURSE, SIGNED COPIES OF YOUR PUBLISHED BOOK

Make this special by adding a letter to the recipient about how much you appreciate everything they do in support of your writing.

HOLIDAY CARDS & LETTERS FOR SERVICE MEMBERS

As the daughter and wife of members of various branches of the military, I think this gift of writing is one of the best you can offer. Thoughtful messages of support and appreciation are welcome. Places to submit include (check the deadlines at the websites):

Military Holiday Card Challenge

Wounded Warrior Project

Happy writing and happy holidays!

~Joy

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This article may contain affiliate links which may result in the author receiving a commission when readers purchase items through the links.

You are receiving this message because you previously signed up for notifications or participated in a program/course with Joy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

My ideas are not ever meant as a substitute for consulting with a qualified health professional.

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JOY E. HELD is an author, educator, editor, book coach, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents.

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Friday 31 October 2025

#5 If Dracula Kept a Diary

 

May 2-Rainy as usual, but maybe that will clean the drive path in front of the castle before Mr. Harker arrives tomorrow. I wish he hadn’t left London so late. Something about trial notes to finish. It is a long journey to Transylvania. With only one stagecoach every day it will be the middle of the damn night when I get him back here. Must remember to put brandy and an extra blanket in the carriage. I hope that ridiculous woman at the Golden Krone remembers to give Harker my letter.

May 4-Snow. A little early for this kind of chill, which keeps the peasants out of the forest. Makes things more challenging, but I’ll manage. Englishmen require too much luggage! How long does H think he’s staying here? H is paler than I expected. But I like the look. And afraid of my dogs. I thought he’d never stop quivering on the ride up the mountain.

May 5-H liked the baked chicken and drank an entire bottle of wine for supper.

May 8-H cut himself shaving. I nearly lost it. He didn’t need to shave for me, but it caught me off guard. Suddenly, I couldn’t control myself. Why in the hell is the Englishman wearing a crucifix of all things and where did he get it? The zap also caught me off guard. I regret throwing H’s shaving mirror out of the window. I just couldn’t stop myself.

May 16-Certain H saw me leaving the other night. I told him not to wander around the castle. I told him to stay in his room and not to fall asleep in any other room. It’s his own fault. If I hadn’t smelled his fear, I might not have made it to his rescue. Those girls will be the death of me. This man does not follow instructions well. I hope he hasn’t made careless errors on my London property purchase. Ah, what’s done is done. This man is mine, ladies.

June 1-Had to hide all the paper. Judging from H’s journals, he is pretty shook up about having to stay here another month. I could let him write that letter for help he craves and tell him I mailed it for him. Not. Decided to get his traveling clothes cleaned for him. I think I forgot to tell him this.

June 30-Damn! He found me in the shipping crate. Meddlesome fool. Do all English lawyers behave so badly? Have to go to London without him for now. Why does everything have to be such a bother?

***

…until next year…

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Thursday 30 October 2025

#4 Unreliable Narrators & Stake Drivers

I love epistolary fiction. Reading the letters, journals, diaries, and newspaper clippings allow me a deeper connection to the writer. I learned the habit from doing research for my historical fiction novels. I also really love special collection departments and their librarians. Special collections librarians are amazing sources of information and always ready to help a writer or student with research. Another topic for another day.

Consequently, I am drawn to collecting and reading the diaries and letters of published authors. I enjoy reading about what was going on in their lives and the world when they worked on a particular book. I’m currently rereading A Writer’s Diary written by Virginia Woolf and published/edited by her husband after she died. I love Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck and have just started reading Letters of Edna St. Vincent Millay. I haunt used book sales for the older versions of these kinds of books because there is less editorial commentary than there is in contemporary reprints of such works. I like to come to my own conclusions.

This passion partially explains why I annually reread Dracula by Bram Stoker. I’m not so enamored of vampire literature. It’s the journals, letters, and newspaper clippings that Stoker uses as a narrative technique that draw me to the book. I’m more interested in the style and conventions he chose to tell the story with over the romanticism of vampiric folklore. While the diaries and journals of published authors are written in their own hand, it’s a straightforward connection to a new perspective on their published works. In Stoker’s case with Dracula, he chose one of the most difficult literary conventions. The unreliable narrator.

The unreliable narrator in literature is exactly what it says: a character telling a story, but you shouldn’t trust everything that character says. And what better way to stay true to a character’s viewpoint (and their own opinions about themselves and the story’s actions) than explaining the plot through their fictitious accounts—their diaries?

Some people tell the truth in their personal writings. Others are prone to embellishments. Everyone expresses an opinion about what happened. That’s called reflective writing. It is cathartic and authentic, written from the heart and emotions but not always from the intellect or common sense. Personal writing is for the writer at the time, although they generally have a suspicion that someone will read their journals after the holder of the pen has died. I write notes in my journals all the time to my children and grandchild for them to read long after I’m on my way to whatever is next after this part of my karmic journey.

The other interesting problem Stoker chose is that because of the “personal” writings used to tell the story, the author himself is forbidden to provide narrative comments on what the characters are saying and doing. He can’t narrate or explain anything in his own book because he can’t interfere with what the characters are writing then doing. He must stand back, relay the writing and deeds, then leave it to the reader to conclude as they will. Until you realize Stoker IS offering narrative commentary because he is the one writing the journals of his characters.

Each character in Dracula is unreliable because they have personal agendas that Stoker wants the reader to recognize-social justice, high morality, sexual repression, and the greater good of society. They each wish for a position in life other than what they are shackled to. They don’t want to be who they are and feel compelled to lash out at something they consider evil to assuage their own unhappiness. Happens all the time. However, most unhappy people complain in their journals and letters then go out into the world and act as normal as possible even if they secretly want to drive a stake through the heart of the devil. That’s what fiction is for.

Be well, write well!

~Joy

(Image Graphics Fairy)

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