Torturous

I write with a heaviness this morning.

Some years ago, I read an article somewhere on Graham Greene’s method of writing. He’s one of my absolute favorite writers and one I have learned much from through the years. My memory is failing me on this, and I am having trouble finding a reference for it now, but in this passage, where he spoke on his personal writing philosophy, I recall reading something to the effect of, “I take beautiful people, and I put them in beautiful places, and then I torture them.” And it’s true – Greene was entirely loyal to betrayal in his works. It was part of what made him a beautiful and visceral writer.

I have had to torture a beautiful person in my own writing this morning – the main character of my novel. It is a scene I have been dreading the creation of for months.

It is finished.

But there is worse coming still.

Image by Cherry Laithang