I am halfway through writing a book that requires the father character to die, starvation or pneumonia due to a weakened system and the main character, his son to be devastated by his death. There is no one to blame so he blames God. Though I have lost my own father and my father-in-law (we were close), as well as many other relatives and people in our church, I have never felt that sad even when someone dies. It is usually a celebration as they lived as a Christian and died believing. The son will not be able to accept this easily but I am hesitating to write this part without a stronger empathy for the character. Any suggestions?
I think this is a great place to utilize your community. While you may not have experienced such a thing, someone has. Is there a person that you could have a conversation with over Zoom or an email exchange to learn more about their experience?
I think “Write what you know” is a flawed idea. I prefer “Write what you know or are willing to learn.” The danger is in relying on second-hand sources, like similar fiction stories. Instead, we have to be bold to ask around and chat with somebody who has truly experienced it. I’ve found that most people are grateful to share their experiences when someone is really willing to listen and truly interested in hearing them.
