Megan Smiley: "Dear Chuck Wendig: Why My Troubles Interest Me"

Dear Chuck Wendig: Why My Troubles Interest Me

By

Megan Smiley

In fiction the things that interest and trouble me go hand in hand. The thing that makes me really love a fiction story is having a main character that I can relate to. I find it most interesting to see how they deal with their problems. I like to see the thought process as they face something they don’t know how to deal with, and how they (usually) overcome it. As a high school senior I am facing a lot of big changes and questions in my life. One of the most troubling would be finding where I fit in in the world. Within the next year or so I am supposed to figure out what I enjoy doing, and how I can make that into a job where I contribute to society and make money.

 I’ve found myself reading more this year than I have in my past two years of high school. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been an avid reader, especially of fiction, but this year there I’ve felt an urge to read that I haven’t had since middle school. I’ve been subconsciously returning to my fictional heroes to gain insight on how to deal with such a big decision. While very few fictional characters are worried about what college they are going to, who am I/ what is my purpose is a common theme in fiction. Although not all of the characters handle their problems in the best way, sometimes seeing what not to do is just as helpful as seeing what to do. Recently I read Among Others by Jo Walton, and I related to Morwenna a lot.

 Although compared to her I’ve had a great life, I have often taken refuge in books when I felt lonely or stressed or bored or upset or I just had too much on my mind to be able to sleep (I read A LOT). For me that book had two quotes that really stuck with me because they encompass my relationship with books. The first one was “I have books, new books, and I can bear anything as long as there are books.” The second was when Mor’s friend Hugh said “Bibliotrophic… Like sunflowers are heliotropic, they naturally turn towards the sun. We naturally turn towards the book shop.” The first one struck me because, as I said before, I turn to books to help me get through hard times. It was really comforting to see another person, even a fictional one, do the same. The second reminded me of a conversation I had over the summer with my parents. I had been going to the book store nearly every week because my goal for the summer was to get through all of the classics that people my age are expected to have read (Fahrenheit 451, Lord of the Flies, The Orient Express, etc.) and my dad said I might need to slow down a little because my book habit was getting kind of expensive. Of course, my reply to this was “At least it’s not a drug habit.” The book chronicles Morwenna growing up and facing things that have scared her for a long time and to me that was the most relatable part of the book because I am facing that challenge right now.

Although figuring out who you are is a common theme in the books that I like, it is not the only type of book that I like. I have a terrible habit of loving books and stories that are painfully sad. This semester in Speculative Fiction two of my favorite stories were “Kyrie” by Poul Anderson and Tom Godwin’s “The Cold Equations”. These two were really good because they elicit such a strong emotional reaction from almost all readers. I guess Lady Antebellum got it when they said “Guess I’d rather hurt than feel nothing at all.” I’m currently reading Maggie Steifvater’s The Raven Cycle series. You know from page one that one of the main characters will die, however you can’t help but get attached to all of them. I know that I’m setting myself up for sadness, but I can’t help it.

There you have it, what interests and troubles me. Those two are often the same, at least for me. The great “Who am I and where do I belong” question, relatable characters, and sad stories.