Prudence MacGregor, Author of Trilogy: A Collection Chats About the Joys and Difficulties of the Writing Process

Meet Prudence MacGregor

Prudence MacGregor was born on the isle of Manhattan and began writing stories at an early age. There are things besides writing that she loves to do. Mainly, travel, read, and indulge in decadent delights such as Australian red licorice and trying different perfumes.

Synopsis of Trilogy: A Collection:

Trilogy: A Collection is comprised of three stories, all of which have an otherworldly, paranormal theme to them. Each of the main characters in these stories wrestles with extraordinary circumstances in an otherwise ostensibly ordinary world. All of the tales have their own moral and life lessons, which Prudence MacGregor aims for each reader to individually formulate, as life itself is not clear cut and is at the mercy of the subjective. Journey with the stories’ main characters as they navigate the unplumbed depths of the unknown. 

The first story, 'Parallelograms', centers on protagonist Justine, a determined yet troubled young woman who, quite by accident, discovers that she has a double and thus finds herself facing unexpected and ultimately terrifying consequences. Her previously tightly controlled world spins out of control, causing her to question her very existence. 

The second story in the trilogy, 'Random', concerns Ulyssa, a young woman who is intrigued by the possibility of releasing a balloon with a note and seeing where it lands. This seemingly innocent activity will take her down a dark path, the circumstances of which may or may not be resolved. This will conflict with the outwardly picture perfect world that she thought she inhabited. 

The final title, 'Up There', focuses on Gregory, an unassuming office worker who is fascinated by the airplanes he sees in the sky. Quite by accident he meets Sherry, a beautiful motivational speaker who just may have a connection to one of the planes he has seen. An activity he previously saw as harmless and a bit innocuous -watching planes fly overhead and guessing their destinations - turns questionable and ultimately forces him to take a look at his world: is it real or has it always been an illusion?

I would like to welcome Prudence MacGregor, author of Trilogy: A Collection to Emeraldfire's Bookmark. Ms. MacGregor was kind enough to write a guest post for me and here it is below in her own words:

'The Joys and Difficulties of the Writing Process'

by author Prudence MacGregor

The idea for my book, Trilogy: A Collection, came to me over a period of months. I knew from the outset that I wanted to write a series of short stories that dealt with paranormal, otherworldly themes. And, I knew what particular situations that each story would address. Those parts were easy.

What wasn't so easy was formulating the stories themselves, charting the course of each main character and the direction that each story was going to go. How would I present the situations that frame the stories. Would I have several main characters or just one? Would I have neatly-wrapped endings, or would I keep them open-ended?

There were so many ways these stories could go. Of course, writing is my love, so of course I knew that my imagination would definitely serve me when it came to having everything all come together, but the process wasn't without some daunting moments. Writing in this genre was a challenge, albeit a good one, because I knew that I did want there to be believability to the characters and their everyday circumstances just when they confront their particular situations. I didn't want the stories to veer into the territory of unbelievability or "hocus pocus," if you will, since I was writing about situations that were beyond this world.

There is a fine line between both and I wanted to straddle it as delicately as I could. Just when I thought that I would have a story finished, another idea would pop into my head and I'd try that one out. I improvised a lot with each story, until I had what I think are narratives that each pack a visceral punch. I have always been heavy on description, back story and dialog, and I wanted to infuse, yet not overwhelm, my stories with each of those.

There is no greater joy, at least for me as a writer, when the writing is done and I am pleased with my work. The only obstacle standing in the way with being pleased is the fact that I think we as writers don't want to get complacent with the writing. There is always more in the way of story, plot, theme and endings to pull out of our hats with each story we write.

Now I leave it up to the readers to enjoy the book, and interpret the stories how they see fit. The stories lend their interpretations to being very subjective, so I want the readers to formulate their own conclusions. I really hope the stories impart the overall theme of "nothing is as it seems" to those who read them.

- Prudence MacGregor Author of Trilogy: A Collection


May you read well and often