For my work-in-progress novel Daughters of a New Moon, I need to talk to a former Jehovah’s Witness to better flesh out one of my characters: Dorothy.
Dorothy is a former Jehovah’s Witness whose love of Jesus is unshaken. In her desire to better understand her Jewish husband and support him (as he supports her Christianity), she joins a small Torah study group from his synagogue. Her story is one of faith tested by disillusion, and the joy of her new found personal freedom at odds with her longing for the close-knit community in which she was raised. Of course, there’s more to her than that. Dorothy is a wonderfully complex woman who deserves all the flesh-and-blood authenticity I can give her.
To be sure Dorothy’s voice and spirit ring true, I’m seeking a former Jehovah’s Witness who is willing be interviewed. I’d like to learn about their memories and experiences, both with the Witnesses and afterwards. If they wish, I will maintain their anonymity, or acknowledge them as one of my sources – their choice.
I’d appreciate your help in connecting with someone who might be willing to talk with me. And please share this post with anyone you think might be able to help me make this connection. Thank you.
The other day, a woman described another woman to me as a bitch. Bitch is one of those words that can convey a world of ideas. But what does it really mean? And, more to the point for any fiction writer working to create flesh and blood characters, what are the undercurrents and coloration of using such a “power” word in our prose?