READ,WRITE & LIVE YOUR TRUTH

Month: March 2025

  • Love is a Strange Thing

    E.G. Kardos

    The sun is setting over a field of tall grass

    “Love is a strange thing, and I yearn for it once more. I don’t need to give it much thought, I just need to give it sunlight and space to grow–to run in a field of tall grass and be free.”

    Photo by Victoria Prymak

    This is a quote from my novel, Cutting of Harp Strings. It is perhaps my favorite quote from all my books. Apparently, it is appreciated by others too.

    As a writer, it’s incredibly rewarding when others share a quote or excerpt from my book. They, of course, cite where they found the quote and name me as the author. Sometimes people will mention this in a discussion or post it on their social media. This shows me that others, and not just me, appreciate the quote. Among the throngs of authors, I see this as a major “win.” 

    Quite frankly, it’s exhilarating.

    A few weeks ago, however, I discovered that this quote was used on a social media account, and not only did they not cite my book or me, but they used it as a personal quote – verbatim. Sure, I know this wrongfully goes on all the time, but it was a real shocker for me—at least give me some credit I thought. I was steamed. 

    I mean this is my work and it depicts the soul of my novel—my soul.

    It felt like someone reached into my chest and pulled out my heart. Was I overreacting? Maybe. But I don’t think so because a writer chooses their words carefully. Words matter as does their arrangement. It’s like the notes of music. This novel, too, was thirty years in the making.

    I politely contacted the person and asked them to credit me with the quote. I didn’t ask them to remove it but to merely cite me. That was about four weeks ago, and it is still up as if it is their quote.

    But you know what?

    The very day I contacted the person, I decided to think differently. I decided that it was okay— not that I wanted to continually encounter this situation, but because this person was so captivated by my words that they wanted to use them for themselves. 

    Because of this shift in perspective, I immediately felt good. It was weird – like magic and I felt a surprisingly warm feeling wash over me. I imagined they might have read the book, and this passage had landed in a spot in their heart where they wanted it to remain close. They wanted it to be part of who they were. Then I thought…

    Doesn’t every writer love when their readers become one with their story? I do.

    In a way when I read the quote in light of this event, it grew a hundredfold. It became my elixir – and the reader’s as well. 

    Here is the full quote found in my novel. If you use it in some way, and I hope you do, please let folks know where you found it.

    “It’s a maze—life that is. Sometimes, for moments here and there, it appears otherwise with clean lines and crystal facets. Not often. Life is more than what I thought. And I knew this all along but wasn’t willing to believe in myself—to believe me. Aiden showed me, but it was for me to act. Love is a strange thing, and I yearn for it once more. I don’t need to give it much thought, I just need to give it sunlight and space to grow—to run in a field of tall grass and be free.” 

    … to believe in ourselves….

    You may like: A Little Known Zen Story on Friendship

    About E.G. Kardos

    I am a fiction writer and the author of five books. My writing draws inspiration from the beauty surrounding us all—both in nature and in each other. Spirituality, friendship, love, and our connection to the universe inspire me to write.  Here’s more about me and my books.

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  • Coming-of-Age or Bildungsroman or Both? A Separate Peace Comes to Mind

    E.G. Kardos

    Coming-of-age or bildungsroman? When you hear the word “bildungsroman” what’s your initial thought? You probably have a good idea of what “coming-of-age” means in literature. For most, bildungsroman is not a term we use or hear regularly. If I had to guess, very few people know much about it. I was among this group until a few years ago as I used the term coming-of-age broadly. However, there are distinct differences between coming-of-age and bildungsroman novels.

    The origin of the genre is German, where the word “bildung” means “formative” and the word “roman” means “novel”. Since bildungsroman novels are among my favorites I know plenty of others appreciate this genre. However, it is safe to say that most of us might not recognize the term so I thought I would share some thoughts. 

    So what is a Bildungsroman? 

    A bildungsroman is a coming-of-age story highlighting a young person’s psychological and moral development. Typically written in the first person, the protagonist shares their journey to maturity. 

    You might say that sounds like just another coming-of-age novel. A bildungsroman is always a coming-of-age story whereas not all coming-of-age novels are bildungsroman. A bildungsroman delves into themes of self-discovery and the search for identity. A protagonist’s inner journey including their values, spirituality, and understanding of the world is always a part of the bildungsroman.

    A bildungsroman delves into themes of self-discovery and the search for identity.

    Coming-of-Age versus Bildungsroman

    A coming-of-age novel is a broader designation that oftentimes refers to any novel in any genre that explores the experiences and challenges of a character’s journey from childhood to adulthood. Coming-of-age stories emphasize growing up or coming to terms with the world. The operative phrase is coming to terms with the world. The way I look at it, in a bildungsroman, the protagonist is coming to terms with their view of the world that is found deep within them. As an actual genre or sub-genre, depending on who you talk to, these stories specifically focus on the protagonist’s psychological and moral development.

    Although there are others, the major difference between a coming-of-age and a bildungsroman novel is that the protagonist mostly grapples with external challenges. In a bildungsroman the protagonist’s challenges are deep inside of them regardless of where they are in the physical world. Although in some coming-of-age stories, the protagonist struggles with internal issues, their loss of innocence may center more around relationships, sexual awakening, death and mortality, family issues, or social justice concerns.

    The Structure of a Bildungsroman

    • Loss – the protagonist endures a profound emotional loss
    • Journey – because of their loss, the character embarks on a journey. The journey can be physical in nature, metaphorical, or both. They search for answers to what gnaws at them with hopes to better understand the world and how they fit or must navigate in that world.
    • Obstacles/conflict and growth – But as the story continues, like forcing a square peg in a round hole, the protagonist makes decisions that are not always the best. They eventually, willfully or not, resolve themselves to accept society’s ways. 
    • Maturity/enlightenment – Psychological growth and change lead to, maturity. Many times the protagonist helps others who are on the same journey.

    Although I have found the same books on lists for both bildungsroman and coming-of-age novels, the following, I feel, seem to be good examples of bildungsroman novels:

    • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
    • A Separate Peace by John Knowles
    • Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
    • The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
    • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 
    • Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
    • The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

    What do you think? Are all of these books bildungsroman? Coming -of-Age? What books would you add to the list? Which ones would you remove?

    A Review of Sorts – some of my brief thoughts: A Separate Peace by John Knowles

    One of my favorite books in this category is A Separate Peace. I first read it at age fifteen and it made an indelible impression on me. It inspired my novel, Cutting of Harp Strings many years later. 

    The novels I love evoke strong emotions and provoke thought. A Separate Peace does this for me as I experienced each moment alongside Gene during a poignant period of his life. He navigates a friendship—a love—that is difficult for him to understand. I know he would do anything for a “do-over” and I empathize with him and Finny.

    Gene, the protagonist, tells the story of when he was a boy full of jealousy and self-doubt to an adult who learns from his mistakes and finally accepts the consequences of past actions.

    With World War II as a backdrop, Knowles compares and contrasts both societal and personal loss of innocence. Gene struggles with his complex relationship with his roommate, Finny, as the immorality of war casts a shadow on all they do.

    A good book is worth reading many times, and I have done just that. Each time, I learned something new about this once-in-a-lifetime friendship. Like all relationships, it is full of joy and pain. Knowles was a master at lulling us into what seems to be a simple and innocent adventure but is, in truth, a deep and dark journey within. It reminded me that we must always search for the truth. Finding it, however, can be elusive; we may hear the voice within, but listening to it is another matter.

    I hope your next read is a bildungsroman. I hope to hear from you.

    NOTE: This is a great source for more information on writing – Master Class

    About E.G. Kardos

    I am a fiction writer and the author of five books. My writing draws inspiration from the beauty surrounding us all—both in nature and in each other. Spirituality, friendship, love, and our connection to the universe inspire me to write.  Here’s more about me and my books.

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  • The Meaning of OUR Life

    E.G. Kardos

    Over thousands of years, many of the greatest minds have grappled with the meaning of life. Questions abound regarding life’s origin, reason, purpose, and value. Still other questions persist, such as why we exist or what is life’s significance.

    So Many Questions

    A person standing on top of a sand dune

    We’re here already, so why the question of origin? All the “greats” over the millennia haven’t provided an answer to this or any of the questions that have plagued humanity about the meaning of life. 

    Why do we exist? Again, I’ll take the easy way out and say, does it matter? If we knew would we be doing things differently? Would we think differently? Maybe, but probably not. A brief history lesson will show that humans haven’t changed much over the years in this regard.

    Photo by sander traa

    We develop new tools – from a slingshot to automatic weapons or a printing press to a PC, but a slug moves faster than our progression of thinking and feeling about things how we treat others and ourselves.

    What would we do if we knew?

    Say we find out that we exist to help others of our species live a better life. Knowing that would we automatically do it? I’m talking about everyone since this is “why we exist”. We eat and drink to sustain life and everyone will do that, but wold everyone be in sync to do other things? I’m thinking no.

    As far as life’s significance, well this seems arbitrary. That’s like wondering why we desire love. I’m not sure we need to analyze the significance of life or love. How about we just explore it? Life and love deserve it.

    What about the many questions about life’s reason, purpose, and value? Well this is up to us. S this leads me to a far better question for each of us to ponder and that is: 

    So what is the meaning of OUR life?

    With the question I pose, perhaps we can look at our past for clues, but spend most of our time looking at our present. Our present may then, in turn, inform our future.

    “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates

    We learn about ourselves through our experiences and attempt to find meaning. We are reflective by nature, but we often overlook or are unwilling to find meaning in our introspection. Just look at history and how we, humankind, seldom heed its message. We seem to like our olpitical existence.

    We Decide

    Like the skin of an onion, if we peel back the layers of man’s interpretation of how others should live, we may see ourselves as we truly are. It is up to us to do this as no one will do it for us. We shouldn’t expect anyone else to give us OUR answers, nor should we accept their decrees of other that tell us what’s meaningful to us individually.

    What I find meaningful to me should be celebrated and not fit into some ancient scheme or blueprint.

    Acceptance, affirmation, and intimacy are all strong needs we all have. Our existence is about the many connections we all experience. As an example, we have memories that are unique to us. Seldom does another soul value, or even remember, certain memories that we hold dear. They are ours and live in our very core. They are a record of our life. Among other aspects of our life, memories help create meaning in our life.

    The moments of our lives, when collected and strung together like the choice words of a poem tell the tale of our lives and give it meaning. It’s not just the big moments but the tiny ones to

    You Naturally Smile

    Think of what you value, and an experience attached to that value. You naturally smile. We are made up of fun, somber, intimate, scary, insightful, bizarre, and mystical moments that all enliven who we are. That’s where we derive our own meaning.

    Some folks think we must engage in some noble purpose, and this gives our life meaning. I like to keep in mind that, again, I decide what is “noble” and do not need others to judge the way I decide to give meaning to my life.

    I am the only person who I have been with for every second of my life from the moment I was born until the moment I die. No one knows me or you better than me and and no one knows you better than you. 

    We create the meaning of OUR life. 

    You may also like these posts: The Time We Have, It’s Created in the Mind, Follow Your Heart & Live Your Truth

    About E.G. Kardos

    I am a fiction writer and the author of five books. My writing draws inspiration from the beauty surrounding us all—both in nature and in each other. Spirituality, friendship, love, and our connection to the universe inspire me to write.  Here’s more about me and my books.

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  • Why Fantasy is a Good Read

    E.G. Kardos

    I don’t say that fantasy is a good read because I wrote a fantasy series, but because it just is, and I’ll share with you why I say that.

    But first we should take a step back…

    Back in the day, whenever that was, there were only four genres in literature: fiction, nonfiction poetry, and drama. Now we have so many variations that you’d be hard-pressed to come up with a true number of literary genres. I’ve seen lists well into the fifties.  

    In my research, there appear to be eleven popular genres, and they are: Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal, Mystery, Horror, Thriller/Suspense, Action Adventure, Historical Fiction, and Contemporary Fiction. Poetry and Drama don’t even appear on this list anymore. 

    Eighteen Fantasy Sub-Genres

    ocean, milky way, wallpaper 4k, boat, sailing, reflection, sea, water, sailing boat, nature, stars, sky, starry, fantasy, night sky, free background, mac wallpaper, nature background, evening, night, scenic, peaceful, mood, panorama, background, desktop background, wallpaper, 4k wallpaper, laptop wallpaper, cool backgrounds, zoom background, beautiful wallpaper, 4k wallpaper 1920x1080, wallpaper hd, windows wallpaper, ocean, ocean, sea, sea, stars, sky, nature wallpaper, sky, free wallpaper, sky, fantasy, night sky, full hd wallpaper, sky background, beautiful nature, hd wallpaper, night, background, background, background, desktop backgrounds, background, background, wallpaper, wallpaper

    According to Masterclass, there are eighteen Fantasy sub-genres. About thirty-six to forty percent of all genres are fantasy. Clearly folks like to read fantasy! My series includes elements of both High and Low fantasy with that of Sword and Sorcery and some Crossroads fantasy.

    Photo by jplenio

    “Don’t like Fantasy?” I Just Can’t Believe It

    When folks share with me that they don’t like fantasy, I’m always a bit puzzled. Fantasy at its core is the reflection of us–of them. Stories of the supernatural, the horrific, and ones that focus on a hero or superhero have sustained, bedazzled and taught humanity since the beginning of time.

    Belief systems mirror fantasy and fantasy mirrors belief systems.

    Belief systems mirror fantasy and fantasy mirrors belief systems. I, of course, respect that they don’t “like” fantasy, but I often respond that if they want to learn more about themselves and all of humanity, they might just do so reading fantasy as well as finding a sense of wonderment and awe.

    But Many Find Fantasy a Good Read

    Fantasy readership has exploded in the last few decades. According to a recent study I found on New Book, a significant portion of fantasy readers span the generations.

    Fantasy readership statistics show that a significant portion of readers are young adults, with many over 18 years old. Many started reading fantasy at around 15. The average age, however, is 42 and a slight majority (55%) is female. No matter what age a fantasy reader is, no reading level is out of bounds. Trends show a growing adult audience that is reading young adult fantasy. That’s good for me as I like reading and writing fantasy that may be geared to younger readers. 

    Around 46% of those surveyed favored fantasy as their preferred genre. Many who read fantasy enjoy elements of escapism and adventure.

    Don’t Older Folks Read Fantasy?

    I’m an older reader and writer of fantasy and it bothers me that my demographic doesn’t appear in this study or others. I can’t believe folks around my age don’t read any sub-genre of fantasy. It amazes me that I grew up in a time of lots of fantasy and sci-fi in books, on TV as well as in the movies. Dune, The Lord of the Rings, Brave New World, the Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, Out of the Silent Planet, and A Wrinkle in Time were some of the popular reads. On TV and film there was Star Trek, the Twilight Zone, The Planet of the Apes, Willie Wonka among mnay others.

    So why do older readers shun fantasy? I sometimes think that the older we get we grow further apart from admitting we need a superhero or appreciating the magic that at one point was firmly secure in our imagination. Escaping int a story or going on a mystical adventure has been replaced with stressing out over current events and worrying about the future or regreting the past. This has a way of draining our soul. That’s the last thing we need. We need more fantasy!

    Fantasy is a Good Read as it Does it All

    Fantasy does it all. It entertains and by doing so, we see our reflection in the characters. We relate to their values, and we are there with them on the adventure. The story gives us pause as we think if that could be us one day. Sometimes we see that it is us already good or bad. In fantasy there is always an element of hope–of something greater.

    Fantasy at its very core is a very human story. That’s why fantasy is a good read.

    For the older reader, learn from the youger reader. I say that we yearn for magic, mystery and marvel and we shouldn’t let it slip away. Fantasy at its core is a very human story. It gives us an adventure of a lifetime. It has a way of teaching us something about humanity, our universe and our very existence even when we don’t look for it. 

    Note: I wrote The Elias Chronicles

    You may also like these posts: From a Struggling Reader to Writing Fantasy, The Time We Have, The Hero’s Journey, Magic in a Simple Message

    About E.G. Kardos

    I am a fiction writer and the author of five books. My writing draws inspiration from the beauty surrounding us all—both in nature and in each other. Spirituality, friendship, love, and our connection to the universe inspire me to write.  Here’s more about me and my books.

    Latest Posts

    Most Viewed Posts

    All Posts

    Please notify me when you publish a new blog post.
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