The Travelling Writer – What Defines Your Thinking?

As a second-generation adoptee, I knew growing up that I never wanted to be forced to give up a child from an unwanted pregnancy. It was a good thing I thought about what my game plan would be, or when my time of crisis came, I would have made very different decisions.

I was able to break some generational cycles and shift what my identity would become. Yet, I realised there were some ways of thinking I did not have the skill sets to even identify or figure out how to shift them. In many ways, our thoughts create the environment that shapes our future.

I was thinking about this topic when I visited Casablanca Manor for my fellow speaker and facilitator Tarynlee Kearney’s launch of her company Boardroom Couch. I loved the look of this seating area inside the communal basin area of the restrooms and had to grab a photo. I did not have to travel to an exotic destination, as this venue was right here in South Africa in Pretoria.

The decor reminded me of a setting in one of my books. My fans know I love to explore the culture, design and food of various destinations in my books. I also use my research to explore ways of thinking. Shifts in thinking and identity are concepts I weave into the characters in all my novels… because things are seldom what we think they are. Our lives are a mix of wounded heroes who could quite easily shift to become villains. I am always on the lookout for villains who are misunderstood. Throughout my medieval fantasy series, there is a villain who is in a race to discover secrets that were buried centuries ago. He is someone my readers love to hate.

In the book Curse of the Dragons, I explore his origins. The reason why he became what we now know him to be. For Curse of the Dragons, my travelling brain visited the harems of ancient times. It challenged my preconceived ideas of harems. Although they were owned by men, harems were ruled by chief wives and concubines. Pre-pubescent male children, unmarried daughters and female domestic servants would live in harems.  It was a place of community and sanctuary for women.

According to the Guinness World Records, the largest harem is the Imperial Harem wing at the Topkapı Palace of the Ottoman Empire. This harem’s construction started in 1459 and had over 400 rooms spread over several buildings. It was often referred to as “The Golden Cage.” This harem, constructed under Sultan Mehmed II’s reign, had gardens of geometrical designs of flower and vegetable beds combined with fountains and pools. The northern wing of the courtyard was occupied by the palace school and its mosque.

In my book, I created a hybrid of cultures. However, I kept the same hierarchical social structure.Now, if you are a woman reading this, you may be tempted to think of these establishments as just a gigantic excuse for womanising. We may even feel tempted to raise a few feminist banners. But as an author who loves history, I can not ignore those harems that also served a role in cementing political alliances. The women who lived there often came from influential and powerful families.

Sultan Mehmed II’s second wife, Gülbahar Hatun, was the mother of Bayezid II. She had a significant political role as a consort of Sultan Mehmed II, especially after her son ascended the throne, becoming the Valide Sultan.

I can’t imagine any woman wanting to be part of this type of life. However, if we look at the context of women at the time, we realise many women did not have any power or protection of their own. A harem provided protection, nourishment and education.

While this may still instil a healthy debate, let’s explore a crisis in my home country, South Africa. Poverty, low education levels and orphanhood increase the risk of transactional sex for adolescent girls with older men. They call these men “sugar daddies” or “Blessers”. A study published in PMC (PubMed Central) in 2016 shows how age-disparate intimate relationships lead to increased levels of teenage pregnancy. Guaranteed that there were several unwanted pregnancies throughout history, but a harem offered protection to many women.

You may be wondering what harems have to do with how my villain’s heart darkened. Well, I guess you would have to read the book to find out. But back to the question of what defines our thinking. And more importantly, what makes a villain?

My question to you is, “What event or thinking patterns do you have in your past that could have turned you into a villain?”