Tag: Richard North Patterson

In the gray areas

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Issues are rarely black and white. It’s been said that there are always at least two or three versions of any incident: your version, my version, and the truth. Yes, maybe that’s not always the case but it illustrates the fact that we don’t always look at issues from all sides.

One of my alltime favourite books about an important issue is Richard North Patterson’s “Balance of Power” which explores the US gun control issue from just about every side of the issue: the shooters, the family of the victim, the sellers, the buyers, the politicians…

Understanding our fellow humans and their viewpoints is important, whether we agree with them or not. There, in the gray area, is where we often find our best story.

Story

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That's what fiction is for...

As a reader, I love learning about people, places, situations and lives I will never have the time or opportunity to live for myself.

One of my favourite books which is an example of this quote about fiction is Richard North Patterson’s “Balance of Power”. It’s an exploration of the gun debate from the points of view of characters on all sides of the issue. I loved trying to understand different points of view, some so foreign and opposite to my own experience, getting some balance on such a huge debate.

Fiction gives a writer the chance to put the characters through their paces, torture them a little with heartwrenching conflict before ensuring they get what they long for and ultimately deserve.