Reading between the lines.

Just a quick thought on those meanings behind the words. Writers take up pen and write for many reasons. In the same respect, readers pick up books and read with the same ideas in mind. Some to get a better insight on a person or event, some to escape the the realities of life and others purely for relaxation or entertainment. I read to relax and broaden my knowledge, which includes the subtle, sometimes hidden agenda found in some works of fiction. When you read between the lines you will find there are still those out there like Dickens and Fielding who interlace in the pages of their work a greater awareness of social injustice, or political ineptitude, or any other social malady that needs a champion. You need only thumb through the headlines to find a cause and then charge forth into the pages of a good novel. I write with a hope to entertain and not disappoint those who have willingly invested their time in me. That's not to say I don't have my opinions. If I feel strongly enough to interject a few random thoughts into the story line through my characters, and something they say brings an issue out into the open, then that's certainly a plus for the issue. It's a very inoffensive way to arouse awareness without turning the work into a platform for debate; we have enough non-fiction work doing that. I'll feel good knowing I've done something more than just write a mystery, albeit small, and hope when a reader finishes my book they look at the person next to them and say, "Hey, that was pretty enjoyable."