Reflect on the Past, Write in the Present

I fondly remember the summers when I was a little girl. We would swim in one of those blow-up kiddie pools in the yard, play on the swings, and go to the library and check out books to read. We did this right up until the time when I was reading young adult romance. Books were different, then. The internet had yet to become a thing, and there were cards inserted inside which you could complete and send back to the publisher to join a book club through which they’d send you new releases of paperback books. At the time, it was the way of things. Nowadays, if you saw such an insert, you might wonder what it was, or, if you’re like me, it might provide you with a bit of sweet nostalgia.

People often give the advice, “Don’t dwell on the past,” meaning that we should not dwell on our past mistakes and instead, focus on the present and look to the future. That is one way of looking at things. But, looking at the past isn’t necessarily a bad thing when we’re remembering happy memories, enriching our knowledge of history, or finding something to be inspired by in a world that isn’t always so inspiring. I, for example, love 80’s music. In my humble opinion, it has a happier tone than the music of any decade since and it reminds me, personally, of a simpler time as it was all written and released before I was 7 years old. Though I’ve never written a book set during the 80s or with an 80s theme in mind, I find the love songs produced during this decade to be particularly romantic and many have ignited a feeling in me that has provided me with a world of inspiration when writing one of my stories.

Focusing on the parts of the past that we enjoyed can be incredibly inspiring. As can stories written a long time ago. Though the adage, “Get lost in a good book,” still applies today, I often find it easier to get “lost” in a book when the book was written one, two or even three or more decades ago. Regardless of a book’s genre or subgenre, we can generally tell an older book from a newer one by the way it’s written. Authors use less narrative today. Details, in fiction, are provided on a tight basis of relevancy and stories are shorter, snappier and to the point to accommodate the reader with a short attention span. Though I can hardly complain, as I have a short attention span myself, I do prefer an older read once in a while and I often find the authors of such books to be incredibly talented when it comes to creating visual imagery. Older books, which often take their readers on a lengthy, long-winded journey, one of complete transformation, can leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, as though you yourself were side by side with the characters on their journey and will never be the same because of it.

In an increasingly less innocent world, looking to the past can breathe life into a frustrated writer. At a time where our history is being rewritten, or in many cases not learned at all, it is especially important to understand what happened in the past, to be rejuvenated and inspired by it, and to do what we can to keep the best parts of it alive in our world today. Sometimes, ignoring what’s happening in the present may be the only way to avoid complete burnout. A good book, old or new, can really help with that!

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