Peace of Mind

Inspired by :  Peace of Mind – The Jezabels ,   Undone – FFH

Brought to you by:  The Figment Writers

So another shout out to the hostess because the song title got me thinking and the second one got me creating.  These lyrics stick with me:

We all want love
We all want honour
But nobody wants to pay the asking price

I’ve written the last three-four pages of The Guardian’s Fall to this song.  So I’m trying to find some peace here where my favorite tortured soul isn’t harassing me.  So far no luck.  This makes me think about how everyone wants love and to be honored by those who care for us but no one really wants to put  the work in.  Real love is hard.  Real love is still there even when you’re hard to love. Not everyone wants to pay that price or be that brave. Friends. Lovers. Spouses. Even family.  So maybe that’s why not only this song but Nicholas and Alex’s love story appeals to me. So does the conflict between Marcus and Tanya.  Some of my favorite relationships have conflict.  Outside of my own writing,  I love the relationship between the ka-tet in the Dark Tower series.  (PS if you have not read this series DO IT)

If you have read through to the fourth book, you understand their struggle.  The asking price, at first, was more than Nicholas was willing to pay.  None of the other characters I have written together have struggled as much as Alexandra and Nicholas.  Their story is special not only to me but to my readers.  I have gotten more feedback about the two of them than I have for any other couple within the realm.  I am proud of the two of them.  She started the whole story and he came along to challenge her.  I don’t know that either one of them would be the characters they are without the other’s creation.  I think they challenge each other to be better people.

In a  way,  I think all good relationships are like that.  There is a price you have to pay to truly love someone.  That price, to me, is your vulnerability.  Being completely honest with both yourself and someone else is truly frightening.  On the other hand, it’s also the most fulfilling and completing act.  Good relationships challenge each other to be better.  They grow together instead of apart. Even if time gets in the way and distance interferes.   That is a lesson I learned the hard way and, thus Alex and Nicholas  had to learn through hardship and loss.   I figure you can only create from what you know and, frankly,  what I know makes rather interesting fiction.  At least, that’s how I feel.

So I leave you guys this question….what characters do you love/hate as readers?  What kind of elements make the way two characters relate interesting to you?  Do you like conflict and growth? Easy companionship?  Let me know.  If you are familiar with the Maes universe,  who are your favorites and why?