Funny this should be our topic for September and today should happen to fall on the day my sister-in-law and niece chose to throw a combo birthday party for my mom and a cousin… Right now, I’d rather be someplace other than home, at least long enough to write this post. 
But enough venting; on to the topic at hand. Coming Home – it has all sorts of connotations, doesn’t it? Jami wrote about the Prodigal Son Sept. 1, and Cindee wrote about relationships with parents, boyfriends/spouses, and the Lord yesterday. Both excellent posts; I recommend you go to my CW Blog Chain page for the links to their blogs after you’re done here.
Coming home is a common theme and plot device for writers to start novels. The protagonist, having left home for whatever reason (family fight, grew up and moved away, military service, ran off and joined the circus, fell through an interdimensional portal, etc.), is now coming home or trying to find the way back home. Whether the story is a quest tale or a coming of age/reconciliation tale, some story elements remain consistent:
- Home changes while the protagonist is away. Some things may stay the same – location, major landmarks – or they may change if there’s been a disaster of some sort or if the family moved while the character was gone. Other things are bound to change, such as family dynamics and individuals’ interests and characters. Some grow, mellow, get nicer; others shrink, harshen, get meaner. It may be in response to the protagonist’s leaving, or it may just be life.
- The protagonist changes during his/her absence. Life experiences shape us, so the character’s character is bound to be different.
- The dynamic between the protagonist and his/her friends and loved ones changes as a result of the individual characters’ developments.
There are others, but you get the idea. This is why coming home is such rich fodder for a writer; we can take a basic plot/setting device and weave very different tales from it. In my first, yet-to-be published novel, Chantal’s Call, coming home is a major element. My MC, Chantal, is coming home because her father has health problems and he and her mother ask her to help him at the bank he runs. Chantal’s younger sister, Brigitte, has left home to join a religious group her family is convinced is a cult. For both sisters, coming home is a challenge for different reasons and a large part of their character arcs.
That’s all I’m going to tell you about it for now, though. I’m hoping to have the manuscript edited for the final time soon, and I’ll be looking into self publishing companies soon thereafter. Who knows? Maybe by the start of next year, you’ll get to see for yourself how the Atherton family daughters deal with the issues of coming home.
Traci – I enjoyed this reflection of the theme in novels. Very, very true. Thanks for the glimpse into your novel, too.
Glad you liked it, Carol. Thanks for the comments.
Just a little teaser for your book, eh?
You’re right–the theme of coming home runs throughout literature. Where would we be without it? In one of my ms, one of the characters is forced to leave home and never return. Hmm . . . I probably should deal more with how that affects her. Okay–off to write. Thanks for the inspiration!
You’re welcome for the inspiration – and the sneak peek.
I figure if I broadcast my intentions in enough places to enough people, I’ll have some incentive to get the work done and the novel published.
[quote] MC, Chantal, is coming home because her father has health problems and he and her mother ask her to help him at the bank he runs [/quote]
I like this theme. It is so hard to put off our hope and dreams in order to do what we need to do to support our family.
Mike
Thanks for the feedback, Mike. Family obligations – or the feeling of obligation – can drastically alter our life’s course, and for a young woman trying to establish herself in the world independent of the family, being called home is a great source of conflict. She wants to be the good daughter and help the family, but part of her wants to say no and stay where she is. That’s some of the struggle my MC deals with in the first book (yes, I have plans for a series; just have to get back on track with writing it).
Great post, Traci. =) You’re so right when you say that the topic of ‘coming home’ entails such rich possibilities of twists, turns, angst, and redemption. Of course, it helps that there are so many different types of personalities that will take a different and unique approach to that very same topic so that you end up with something entire different than you thought!
…wow, that was the worst sentence ever…
REGARDLESS! Thank you for the post. It reminded me that I have my own ‘coming home’ novel that is ALMOST ready for the revision stage…. ‘Broken Angel’….
You’re welcome, Nona. I’m glad my post reminded you about your book. Can’t wait to hear more about it when you’re ready to share. And that sentence was fine; I knew what you were saying.
Even in science fiction, coming home is a common theme. Space: 1999 was all about a moon colony searching for a way home to Earth. In Lost in Space, Dr. Smith kept devising ways to leave the Robinsons and find his way home. The original Battlestar Galactica involved a search for the “13th tribe” on our planet, where they hoped to finally call home.
In fact, so much in the Star Trek franchise was about characters’ desire to go home, particularly in Voyager. There was so much to choose from for my own blog-chain entry. Always enjoy your articles, Traci.
~ VT
Thanks, Victor. You’re right; sci-fi and fantasy both are rich with coming home stories. I know you’ll have a great post on the topic, and I look forward to reading it.
my Docs name is Atherton….
Biiiiig hug
JayBee
Cool, JayBee! I pulled the name out of my head (I thought), and then all of a sudden I was hearing and seeing it all over the Internet. There’s someone famous – a rodeo star or country singer; I can’t remember which – who was in the news right about the time I settled on that name. Just goes to show how much our subconscious can influence the conscious mind.
And a biiiig hug right back at ya.
Coming home is always a great topic! Loved the sneak peek! Thanks, Traci!
You’re welcome, Lynn! Thanks for stopping by.
I can’t wait for the day when we all just go home. Excellent post!
You and me both, sister! Glad you liked the post.
I always like it when people tie the topic of the chain into their writing to share glimpses of the story. What you have shared about the common theme of coming home in fiction has got me thinking. I may have to consider a ‘coming home’ theme for my own writing some time.
Thanks Traci!
You’re welcome, Adam! Glad you enjoyed it and I hope you do get some inspiration from it.
You are so right; “coming home” presents so many ideas, and many authors have used this theme. I enjoy (and appreciate) a well-written book that has a coming home theme. I hope to see your book on shelves one day soon!! Keep us updated on your progress. Blessings!
Thanks, Jami! I definitely will keep y’all posted.
You’ve piqued my interest! Looking forward to the release of your novel, Traci! Your post spoke to me as a mom today, not a writer. My oldest son is off to college for his freshman year and it’s been quite a transition from spending every day with him and his four siblings to seeing him on occasional weekends. Hard for him too. His first observation was, “Your lives are going on without me and I’ve got a whole new life outside of yours.” It was hard for him to come home to changes, with changes, because you’re right, home does change while we’re away, and so do we. Thanks for an insightful post on a personal as well as professional level!
You’re welcome, Cindee! Your poem to your son was beautiful; it spoke to what I imagine most moms feel sending their children out into the world, but in such a heartfelt and personal way. I’m glad my post touched you on both levels.
Wonderful post, Traci! I don’t know why I never thought of “coming home” as a theme. In Give the Lady a Ride, my heroine leaves home and decides not to go back; in my WIP, The Cat Lady’s Secret, the heroine comes home; and in the WIP waiting in the wings, the heroine has left home. Maybe it’s because I think I must show a reason for a young, single woman to be so far from home that I concentrate on where she is on her journey.
Funny how I never thought of that. Thanks, Traci!
You’re welcome, Linda.
In Chantal’s Call, Chantal is conflicted about coming home. She wants to do the right thing for her family, but she’s been building a career and a life several states away, and she’s being asked to put her livelihood as a reporter on hold to take on an office job she never wanted and left home to avoid.
Wow, typing that out gave me some really good fodder for my rewrite. My earlier drafts skim the surface of her relationship with Mom and Dad, but don’t delve deeper. Hmmm, my prologue is about the get a complete revamp…
Thanks for making a comment that jumpstarted my creative batteries, Linda!
Many of my short stories and WIP have a coming home element. It is just too good to stay away from. Thank you for reminding me that I need to get back to some of my writing.
I can’t wait to read your novel. Keep me informed. Thanks.
You’re welcome and I will, Chris. Thanks for the comments.
Traci, you really hit on the essentials as far as this theme in fiction. I guess the reason it is so popular (and seems to maintain this status) is that it really strikes a chord with people. We’ve all experienced some kind of ‘coming home’ story …
True, Tracy. It’s why I picked it for my first novel; much of my own life is woven into my characters in this book. I was living in Massachusetts and had no plans to leave there, but my family wanted me closer to home – boy did they get that wish in spades; I’m back under their roof! – so I moved home. I’m glad I did, but if I hadn’t had the Lord’s assurance that it was within His will for me, I wouldn’t have had the peace in my spirit to make the move. Actually, if I hadn’t sensed the green light from God, I might not have moved at all.
Now, let’s see if I can write something here that’ll make you want to revamp your first chapter. . . .
All stories are about character. All characters are defined by their actions. And a fair portion of the action most characters take involve either coming or leaving somewhere. It’s a central theme in literature for the very reason that it’s a central theme in life. If you can create a relatable situation within the confines of this common context, then your story will naturally resonate with your readers.
I sincerely hope you’re able to pull it off, Traci. I look forward to seeing the results!
Great comment, Scott. I suspect that after I rewrite the prologue, the chapters will have to be rewritten too, and since coming home, both physically and spiritually, is a big part of the story, I think most readers will relate to it. I’ll keep you posted on the final product.
Great post about coming home. Leaving home is hard, you don’t know what you have until it is gone. But sometimes coming home is harder, it is hard to admit when you need to return. Keep on the great blogging.
Good comments, Dave; thanks.
Great lead in for your book. Look forward to hearing more of it.
Thanks, Chris. I may start excerpting it here as I get the rewrites done.
Looking forward to hearing more about your book. Hope you put it on Kindle or Nook (I prefer Kindle) because that is where I read all of my books that I purchase these days. Great post.
Thanks, Shawneda. I’m planning to offer it in all the e-reader formats, plus pdf and print-on-demand. I don’t have an e-reader yet, but I use Kindle for PC, and I like the electronic format.
great post, generates lots of ideas with me! and so very true, coming home is an excellent theme to work with… looking forward to your excellent book! how was the party?
Thanks for asking, Chris! It went great; both birthday girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and so did everyone else.
I’m glad my post generated some ideas, and I’ll keep you posted on the book.
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Another great piece and message.
Thanks, Debra.
Coming home…it can be wonderful or devastating…with the death of my father in January I have no reason to go back home…good luck on your book and enjoyed your commentary on coming home.
Thanks for stopping by and reading, Susie.
My condolences on the loss of your father. I’m blessed to have my parents still with me, but each passing year brings us closer to that point of separation, and I think about it a lot more now than I used to. I think it takes a special strength to weather the death of a parent, and I pray that you have found that fortitude.
Thoughtful, interesting post…coming home does give you so much to play with…good luck on your book.
Thank you so much for visiting and commenting, Rekha! I hope to see you again soon here.
Okay, you got me with the interdimensional Door comment. Have you been reading my WIP?
Seriously, in my Doors of Destiny series, the major thread tying the whole series together is the quest to get home from a trip through an interdimensional portal.
That’s a common theme. I should explore it more in the current novel I’m working on for that series.
Thanks, Traci, for sharing a peek into your wip.
Cool, Chris! Actually, I was referencing my NaNovel from last year, “Step-Through”, in which an LED (lighted) hula hoop is in actuality an interdimensional portal. Now I’m curious about your series…
Glad you enjoyed the peek. My October post will be revealing a bit more about it.