Many truly gripping novels involve extreme injustice, usually visited upon the hero or heroine, or someone in their immediate family. The dilemma for some of us who write alien romances is how to find inspiration that is fresh and powerful, without dipping a toe --or even an arm and a leg-- into the territory of horror.
A possible resource is to anthropomorphize. Take for instance the modern example of "give a dog a bad name and hang him for it" as seen in modern American perceptions of Pit Bulls.
Do you know that there are condominium associations whose bylaws ban the possession of Pit Bulls simply because they are "Pit Bulls"?
If you on the list of potential or past donors to Alley Cat Rescue http://www.saveacat.org
you might have received a letter last month stating (of starving and abandoned cats) "Our animal shelters should be duty bound to help animals, but instead say: 'Don't feed them. They will go away.' I say: 'To where?' Have they ever worked in alleys to see what happens to the cats humans ignore?"
There is another example of injustice that could be adapted to an alien-abduction-gone-wrong premise.
And, here is an example of what our own, human kids suffer if they are unfortunate enough to be born with allergies that inconvenience the rest of society.
This is true stuff. People on international airplanes would obviously rather cause the potential death of a peanut allergic kid than forgo the tiny bag of peanuts to which they are entitled. One wonders why airlines still serve free peanut snacks at all.
On another note, it's September. Before we know it, NaNoWriMo time will be here. Will you be ready?
All the best,
Rowena Cherry
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