October Throwback: Benefits of Irrational Thought

from 10/01/12

Aside from romance novels, most fiction today begs for rational thought. That is, most books are written with characters who have a mythical sense of foresight, which by large, is akin to the author's all-knowing perspective of the fictional world they've created. While it's important for characters to have realistic thought (since this will greatly impact the direction of the plot), I personally believe it's unrealistic. Without irrational thought, characters might lack a certain kind of hope or motivation that will drive them to success or at least an interesting life. Also, experiencing irrational thought through the eyes of fictional characters can be beneficial under real-life circumstances.

The main reason I tend to mix rational and irrational thoughts in my stories is because it brings hope. Take writers for example: I never had a reason to think writing would be a fruitful career path. Logically, it doesn't make a lot of sense. After high school and college, many people turn a blind eye to literature, which ultimately means selling a book is extremely difficult. Books, in general terms, are not ideal for income. Most authors see below 40% royalty, so a $4.99-priced eBook will only bring in $2.99 per book. 

It's assumed a comfortable way of being poor is to make at least $1,000 a week. For an author to achieve this, they would have to sell 335 books each weak, or 17,420 copies minimum a year. When you see authors with "New York Times Bestseller" or "Over 1 Million Sold" stamped on their books, you must realize they are big name authors. They've been at the game for a long time and have the backing of what I call a New York-style press - one that can sell millions of copies no matter who wrote the book or what it's about. 

In a land that's shied away from detective novels in the 1990s sense, Dean Koontz can still push millions of copies. He's earned it. That much is clear. But for most authors who battle against pirated eBooks and the high cost of print publications, it's rough to reach such a tier. 

With the aforementioned, it's easy to see why one may not be motivated to write. But it's an unwarranted sense of hope that keeps some of us going. This plays out in the lives of many besides writers. Many business owners cannot remain 100% confident their creations will succeed, but it's irrational thought that pushes us towards goals that are not easily achieved. And to be honest, the moments these thoughts can generate are ones that spawn stories I would never forfeit. 

How about you? Do you ever let irrational thought lead the way? Have you witness its shortcomings and wild successes?

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