Margaret Duarte

Visionary Fiction

You are here: Home / For Readers / Freedom is Choice

Freedom is Choice

by

I hate losing stuff.  I hate losing valuable time.  I hate losing friends.  I hate losing money.  But most of all, I hate losing freedom.

I would give up stuff, time, and money for freedom.  I’d give up friends who threaten my freedom.  Losing my freedom is unacceptable.  Pure and simple.

But then again, we give up freedom when we marry and have children.  We give up freedom to the boss and job that pays for our house, car, food, and necessities.  We give up freedom when we travel, no matter by what means–traffic jams, lines, confinement, security checks.  We give up freedom to care for our elderly parents.  We give up freedom to serve.

I guess what I mean by freedom is choice.

No matter how many small liberties we must give up in life, as long as we have a choice to direct our own paths through life’s wilderness, to react to daily surprises in our own way, we are free.

My four novels are about a woman’s quest for freedom.

  1. Between Will and Surrender:  An oppressed Silicon Valley woman slowly loses her mind, but in the process, discovers her soul.
  2. Between Darkness and Dawn:  A pragmatic “seeker” experiences a crisis of faith when she confronts the spirit of her dead mother.
  3. Between Yesterday and Tomorrow:  Separated at birth, triplets Veronica, Marjorie, and Mara unite to face truths about change, transitions, and death.
  4. Between Now and Forever:  A greenhorn substitute challenges school tradition and authority to launch seven Indigos, and herself, into their own life stories.

But winning and protecting her freedom is not enough.  She must know she is free or she might as well not be.

For a more complete summary of my protagonist’s journey, click the tab “My Novels” above.

Or to hear my protagonist (Marjorie Veil) speak for herself, go to A Word From My Protagonist.

Thanks for choosing to stop by.  I hope your path leads back here in the future.

As always, thanks for stopping by,

Margaret's signature

 

About Margaret Duarte

Former middle school teacher, Margaret Duarte, lives on a California dairy farm with a herd of “happy cows,” a constant reminder that the greenest pastures lie closest to home. Margaret earned her creative writing certificate through UC Davis Extension and has since published four novels in her “Enter the Between” visionary fiction series: Between Will and Surrender, Between Darkness and Dawn, Between Yesterday and Tomorrow, and Between Now and Forever. Her poem and story credits include SPC Tule Review; The California Writers Club Literary Review; finalist in the 2017 SLO Nightwriters Golden Quill Writing Contest; First Place winner for fiction in 2016, Second Place winner for fiction in 2018, Honorable Mention for fiction in 2019, and Gold winner for fiction in 2020 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLISHERS AND AUTHORS Book Awards Competition; 2019 California Author Project winner for adult fiction.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aris says

    If we are happy in what we are doing, accept problems as challenges of life and believe that life has always something good for us, then we will be free. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing this Margaret! It is really thought-provoking…

    Personal Growth Guides

  2. Margaret Duarte says

    Hi Aris. You're right. To be happy in what you are doing makes such a difference in life. Just last night, I heard someone say, "If I knew I just had a short time to live, I'd do…" and he went on to explain all the things he would do right away. I thought to myself, I'm already doing what I'd be doing if I knew I only had a short time to live. What a revelation! Now, accepting problems as challenges is still a bit hard for me, but I'm working on it. Thanks for stopping by and adding your perspective to this post.

  3. L.A. Lopez says

    Family really does take away freedom. But it is a choice we make. The Holiday Season, really takes away what freedom I have, but it's only for a short while. With travel, and family during this time of year, my life is on their schedule instead of my own. And I'm not done. I have family coming in today again, and more entertaining and cooking. Writing has become a moment here and there. It will be over soon..

  5. bernadine says

    Regarding 'giving up freedom' as writers, we all face this delimma i.e. giving up our freedom in choice pertianing to the words we use to create a piece for publication.

    Many years ago, I was in a writing class with a very talented young man who refused to take constructive criticism when it came to improving his material. i.e. giving up his freedom in choosing his own words. I'll never forget his statement: "I will not prostitute myself when it comes to writing" meaning that he would not change his original creation, even to improve it's salability. I often have wondered if this wonderful writer ever sold anything.

    In my writing career, I have been lucky enough to have the ability to create material that meets editor's approval, with very seldom any editorial changes from the original.

    However, one editor, who I will never forget – had the audacity to 'change/edit' my material prior to publication. Boy, were my feathers ruffled! However, I came to realize that 'Nancy Editor' took my material, used her expertise in the field of writing and made my work a much better read!

    In the end product, I lost my freedom in choice of words, but in the long run it made me a better writer. Thank you Nancy Editor.

  6. Margaret Duarte says

    Thanks Bernadine for showing another perspective on freedom to choose. Do we as writers choose to give up the liberty of sticking to our original creations in order to improve their marketablility? Do we choose to listen to criticism of our work with an open mind, knowing that there is always room to grow and learn? Freedom–to me anyway–is being able to choose–yes or no–to direct our own path, react in our own way.