Sunday 29 November 2015

Why every book is really a love story

Every book, to some extent, is a love story. It really is. Even the gruesome novels of Graham Masterton are. I couldn't get through any of his works, except "The Ritual", where a man cuts off his finger and eats it. They repelled me; "50 shades of Gray" is nothing comparing to Masterton's awful kinkiness. But even the perverted horror writer couldn't escape it. Why? Because the affection we have for other human beings is the ever-present theme in our lives, whether we like it or not. 




Of course, the love stories I refer to here are not just limited to a man and a woman falling for each other. The above-mentioned excuse for horror, for example, is a desperate attempt of a father to find his son, the latter swallowed by an awful sect of self-cannibals (people actually eat their own body parts...). But it is love that drives the main character.

Every good writer knows it. I challenge you to find a compelling scenario with no love in it. You will not, I guarantee it.

However, I have only realised it recently. It was right about the seventh part of Qwerty Seymore series (first part entitled "Qwerty: The History" is available on Amazon and Kindle), one that has not yet been finished. I got to Troy Ragliani's story - a criminal, a powerful guy who took a terrible revenge on his enemies for the death of his parents and sister. Even he meets a girl he falls for... And then it hit me: everything I have ever written circles to the same subject.




Qwerty meets Ange, who falls in love with him, but all he can think about is Lilly Bliss. His uncle treated him like his own son; thus he protected him by all means available. Even aunt Adela, who initially rejected her true love and her roots, is driven by the feeling, as well as loyalty to her family. All good characters love. And hate. But what is hatred but love that's side-tracked?

Angelina Sandbanks and Qwerty Seymore (Picture by GINO)
A convincing histoire d'amour doesn't have to be Danielle Steele's romance. It can be packed with all the cool stuff, like twisters and flamethrowers (both, by the way, can be found in "Qwerty: Lost in Time", the second part of Qwerty's adventures, but I shall not be giving you too many spoilers at this point), and yet still be a gripping tale of love in disguise. Because without love nothing rings true.

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