Sharon Adelman Reyes
Why write? For me, writing is like indelible ink laid down on the fabric of our lives. Fiction in particular is a way of discovering who we really are and what we truly think. Writing a novel gives me a feeling that I cannot be silenced and that my ideas will always have an audience. My evolution as a writer is also the story of my life. Sister Acts is the latest chapter. It’s not a memoir – the characters are fictional – but it does draw on the experience of families in which early loss leads to lifelong dysfunction.
As a child, I wrote for the sheer joy of creative invention. In high school, I took a turn towards self-expression, usually through poetry. When I launched my career as an educator, I began to write stories drawing on my observations of children, youth, and family dynamics. Later, as a college professor, my writing took on an academic tone. (Thankfully, that didn’t last long.) Looking for ways to bring deeper meaning to the printed page, I began to explore the genre of narrative research through observations and interviews. From there it was a short step to creative non-fiction, telling true stories using literary techniques. Once again writing was enjoyable!
Finally, I formed a writing group with a non-competitive circle of women engaged in diverse projects. At the time, I was the only non-fiction writer, exploring educational themes using journalistic techniques. Soon I became rather envious of my fiction-writing companions, who seemed to be having more fun with the printed word. Why not join them? I thought. So I took the plunge and began writing short stories. It was addictive! It took a few years, but those stories formed the nucleus of a novel that would become Sister Acts.
I invite you to check out Sister Acts, along with one of my creative nonfiction works, Diary of a Bilingual School. Just click on the images below.
My Literary Influences
Sister Acts was long in the making, inspired not only by my interest in relationships (and how they can go wrong), but also by several writers who share that same fascination.
Ann Patchett is one of my favorite novelists due to her focus on interactions among families, friends, colleagues, and even complete strangers. No matter the setting or situation – which vary widely between works like Bel Canto and The Dutch House – her characters and their reactions have always struck me as genuine and believable. Meanwhile, Lisa See’s exploration of female relationships in books like The Island of Sea Women quickly caught my attention. Although set in times and locales quite different from my own, her character-driven novels made me consider how similar we humans are, notwithstanding enormous cultural differences.
There were also two important works of non-fiction that helped to shape the themes in Sister Acts: Hope Edelman’s Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss, and Phyliss Chesler’s Woman’s Inhumanity to Woman. Edelman and Chessler, in essence, provided me with the evidence and analysis I needed to validate the content of my book. Patchett and See contributed valuable insights into character.
Contact Me
I would love to hear from readers. Email me at sharon@lakegrovepress.com
