The Process of Belief

Belief focuses, clarifies and animates people to action. The judgment of those actions are beholden to the reflection of history. 


As the various characters from my book The Eyes of Shadow: Myth of Oblivion come to life, I'm finding the intricacies of human behavior quite fascinating. For example, what are the drivers for each of the character's behaviors? Given the multiple methods people can be influenced, (e.g. auditory, tactile, or visual) it can be challenging to drill-down to just one. Therefore, I have decided to incorporate multiple catalysts throughout this book. The impetus of belief helps to fuel the under currents of their lives and civilizations. However, I still run into the obstacle of why. Why are there agitators? Why do the characters react in specific ways to these agitators? Well, they didn't just wake up one day and decide this is how I view the world. Human behavior is influenced by more than just instinct. It is influenced by a society's beliefs.

The manifested power on display within the The Eyes of Shadow book series is fueled by the belief that both the heavens and the world were created with equal care and urgency. Each of the main characters in the book are driven by their beliefs and thereby, doing what they believe to be right. However, as we have seen within the real world, the mortal condition is fallible. It seems that human beings are drawn to the supernatural faiths to help combat the burdens of the physical realm. Having a belief system also seems to help explain the unexplainable. Questions like, why does the earth happen to be positioned perfectly within our universe for the cultivation of life? Is it coincidence? Or is it the manifestation of will from a higher existence? No one really knows the answers to questions like these. Nevertheless, that ignorance does not stop people from centering their lives around their beliefs.

In Eyes of Shadow, I thought it was important to infuse an underlying belief system supporting the main character's actions. In addition, there are the outlier beliefs of the antagonists that directly oppose the beliefs of the main characters. How those scenarios play out are what is exciting about writing this book. If all actors of their stories believe their actions originate from a place of righteousness, then how are they judged on whether they're right or wrong? Does anyone have the right to judge them? I do not profess to know the answers. However, in Eyes of Shadows, it is extremely interesting to explore those insights beyond the superficial.

Here is a small excerpt from my manuscript of Eyes of Shadow: Myth of Oblivion. It describes the beliefs of a tribe which continues to fuel their culture for generations.

"Searing projections of silvery light began to stream from the form of Asaron, penetrating the depths, bringing movement to the blackness. Streaks of billowing pointed light pierced the darkness, creating pockets of formless shadows congealing across the once arid space. Asaron’s light stretched across the infinite void, its stroke swaying in deliberate patterns creating the heavens and the heliocentric landscape. As the shapeless segments of shadows were sundered from the stillness, sparks of Asaron’s light speckled and fixed to the surrounding darkness, creating the stars." -Eyes of Shadow: Myth of Oblivion 
Stay tuned!

Sincerely,
E. Shawn Tomes
Follow me on Twitter: @therealstomes  

        

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