Guest post for 70% Dark Intentions by Amber Royer

Wish Fulfillment and the Art of Novel Writing by Amber Royer

When writers talk about wish fulfillment in fiction, it is usually with an air of derision. And, yeah, sometimes this is justified. The character who has no flaws, and is charismatic to boot. The character who has the upper hand in every situation. The character who has all the money and all the henchmen. It is difficult to take stories like these seriously.

But. I think that the above examples are more of an abuse of the powers fiction allows writers for wish fulfillment rather than representative examples of it. Because there will always be something driving each writer to write specific stories and incorporate particular elements. If we balance the troubles and flaws we give our characters with the gifts and “wishes” we give them, that’s when fiction starts to have energy and drive. And the writer gets to really enjoy the writing process – because we’re writing about something that interests us.

For instance, I would love to have a pet octopus. But in the real world, I wouldn’t choose to – mainly because I read up on the subject and found that they only live a couple of years. And I’m not sure the cool factor would be worth the heartbreak. And yet, I can live vicariously through Mateo, one of the characters in 70% Dark Intentions, because I gave him a pet octopus – which my protagonist Felicity has to learn how to take care of after Mateo goes missing. This was a great excuse to read up on octopuses, to watch videos of them (there is a cool one on YouTube where you can watch them change colors when they dream) and to imagine what it would be like to put together an appropriate aquarium and spend time with an eight-armed imaginary friend. And yes, Clive the Octopus is super cool and threatens to steal the show. But I also learned about the challenges of keeping an octopus, and why they aren’t the best pets for just anyone. I tried to bring that out in Felicity’s dealings with Clive – and explicitly stated it at the end. Octopuses are intelligent and easily bored if left alone in their tanks. They need interaction and things to do. If they get startled and ink, you have to clean the tank. So I think that, having written Clive, I would have a better understanding of what I would be getting into if I did take one on as a pet. Because one element of experiencing wish fulfillment done correctly is getting to see what the wish-fulfilled state would be like – including the areas where it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. (Cue me cleaning aquarium . . . )

Another element of wish fulfillment is the ability to live out an, “if only.” In my case – if only I had chosen to start a small business instead of becoming a writer. (I think much of the cozy sub-genre deals with this type of vicarious living, both for its writers and for its readers.) In the Bean to Bar Mysteries, Felicity is a craft chocolate maker. Writing her, I’ve had the opportunity to learn a lot about the occupation, and to design a business plan for her. I know what her shop looks like, what kind of employees she likes to hire, the kind of laptop she uses to keep her books, and what platform she is on on social media. For me, it is all the excitement of planning and opening a chocolate-related business – without any of the risk, or change in lifestyle required to become an entrepreneur. And for my readers, it is a chance to learn about the chocolate business vicariously “first hand” by stepping into the shoes of my character. To balance the wish-y aspects, I’ve given her broken equipment, lost product – and of course, those pesky murders that seem to keep happening on premises. Which has given her shop a bit of a reputation as a, “murder magnet.” Though really, the whole murder thing has only happened twice. Felicity solved the murder the first time. (Not something I would have any wish to do, in real life.) And we know she won’t be able to stay out of this new case . . .

Learn more about Amber Royer and 70% Dark Intentions at www.amberroyer.com. Want to get more author news? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews and guest posts from your favorite authors.