The author's novel 'This Shining Life' delves into the meaning of life through grief and authenticity after a friend's death.
Harriet Kline immerses herself in characters' experiences by focusing on physical details to bring authenticity and balance to the narrative.
Deep dives
Inspiration from a Tragic Event
After experiencing the death of a close friend, the author was deeply impacted, feeling like she had lost her authenticity. Observing others' grieving processes made her reflect on the concept of truly being alive. This prompted her desire to write about grief and different ways people cope, exploring the authenticity of emotions and what it means to be alive.
Creating a Novel from Grief
To translate her observations and insights into a novel, the author initially planned to write short stories for each character before and after a death. However, this approach didn't work. The central character, Olly, emerged as pivotal, with his experiences shaping the plot around grief and the meaning of life.
Writing Process and Character Development
The author immerses herself in characters' experiences by focusing on physical details and sensory perceptions, avoiding cliches. Through specific physical sensations and surroundings, she aims to bring authenticity to the characters' emotions and reactions, striking a balance between humor and profound sadness in the narrative.
Meaning of Life and Connection
Ultimately, the author's exploration of the meaning of life centers on human connection. She believes that the purpose of existence lies in connecting with others and staying open to love. Her characters, initially isolated by grief, find solace and healing through reconnection, emphasizing the importance of relationships and emotional openness.
Harriet Kline is an award-winning short story writer. 'Ghost' won the Hissac short story competition, 'Chest of Drawers', the London Magazine short story competition. Her work has been published online, in magazines and played out on BBC Radio.
Her debut novel is 'This Shining Life'. It's all about Ruth, who loses her husband Rich, and sets out on a mission with her son Ollie to solve puzzles he left for them, in a bid to discover the meaning of life. It's funny, beautiful and about love and loss.
It was inspired by the sad death of a friend, which oddly made her feel more alive than ever, and also her work as a registrar, where she is surrounded by life and death all day.
We talk about how she tried to find the meaning of life while writing the story, also why it started out as many short stories, and about the monster that gets her to work in the morning.
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