What is an 'Escapist Technique'?
- Danya Raquel
- Jun 4, 2017
- 3 min read
I always loved writing. When I was about 4 I'd draw silly little pictures in a linear story structure and instructed my parents to add the text, as I could not read or write just yet. At the age of seven and for my younger brothers' birthdays, I would make cardboard-stapled books about shark attacks. The handwriting was illegible. The paper was orange and I had used yellow markers. I like to tell myself it was the thought that counts.
My very first completed story was about aliens. It was written when Twilight was really popular, so I was quite certain it would be the next best thing. I left it in a drawer, wanting to come back to it when I was a bit older, and when I did ... I wished I hadn't.
Let's talk about high school. When I was fifteen I lost two very close family members within the span of nine months. I carried around journals called "The Book" -- volumes one, two, etc. I heard loads of great writers carried journals - Walt Whitman, Charles Bukoski. Usually I just scribbled a bit and wrote a line or two about the metaphysical presence of doors in our existential universe, attempting to incredibly deep when, in actuality, I was a pretentious little snob.
We dig,
He digs,
She digs,
They dig
What a deep poem.
Ultimately, I would never write "Dear journal. Today I..." It was mere ramblings. Ramblings about life. Some ideas contradicted each other. Some were sad and some where illegible, since my handwriting is basically German hieroglyphics. When I was in grade 10, I developed characters that began a dialogue in my head. Call them imaginary friends if you will. I do. When I went back and read my ramblings, I found that through these characters I could debate (essentially, with myself), all of these ideas that I had thought of, but not about.
Escapist Techniques is a concept of my own creation, referring to a process of escaping from reality. Many people escape their brutal reality through binge drinking, smoking, and drugs. While this method of escapism can ward away the darkness for a while, it will come back stronger to engulf them in despair.
But not all Escapist Techniques are malevolent in nature. As previously mentioned, I kept a journal with me at all times, and through writing I found a sanctuary of utter tranquility. Writing was my mode of escapism, and, eventually, my mere ramblings were refined into a coherent story that is now known as ‘Escapist Techniques’.
My journey to publication began in 2016, when I had purchased a dormant CC from my gran and renamed it ‘BEP Publishing’ after my late grandfather. I eagerly set to work tracking down editors, graphic designers and printers. After my first year at varsity, I got a job data handling at Astech, an IT company, so that I could fund my novel. Just six months later, my dreams became a reality and I am so grateful for the support I have had along the way.
Literature was my first true love. As a child, I was besotted with Enid Blyton and then Roahl Dahl. When I was 14, I read ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ for the first time and I firmly believe it changed my life. I felt like-minded to JD Salinger – I knew that if there was a least one person in the world that would understand me, I’d be okay. My aim is to reach at least one reader and let them know that they are not alone.
Comentarios