The story of my relationship with writing is, well, it's complicated.
Why Did I Become A Writer?
Blame Harper Lee.
In the sixth grade, I read To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, for the first time. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but there was something in her words that made me feel that I wasn't just a reader but I was a part of the story. Wherever Jem and Scout went, I went with them. I sat at the breakfast table and listened to Atticus impart his wisdom and Calpurnia her lessons in being a decent human. I stood on Boo Radley's porch, too scared to move. When Tom Robinson was found guilty of a crime he didn't commit, I sat in the courtroom's balcony and felt the injustice of something I couldn't fully comprehend.
That experience made me think I would like to be a writer someday and write a book as good as the one I had just read.
Start. Stop. Repeat Cycle.
It wasn't long after reading To Kill a Mockingbird that I did what kids usually do; I forgot about being a writer and moved on to other interests.
By the time I was in high school, I was writing a poem here and there but not showing them to anyone else out of some fear that I can't even rationalize. I wish I had those poems today, but sadly, they are lost to the ages.
Over the years, I wrote occasional pieces of poetry, mainly as gifts to my wife. Eventually, I stopped doing that.
Probably because I like to talk and tell stories, people often said to me that I should write a book. I would think about it until it seemed too overwhelming a task and move on.
Finally, about eleven years ago, I concluded that I possessed a talent and should do something to develop it. I decided to make an effort to write.
Like most novice writers, I jumped in with both feet and started writing a novel. It was a ghost story about a voodoo queen from New Orleans who was murdered in the 1820s and haunted her murderer and his descendants for the next two hundred years. I wrote a chapter and a half before I got overwhelmed with life and gave it up.
Fast forward eight years to 2019, when the writing bug hits again. I started writing short stories, as that seemed like a more achievable goal than writing a novel. I was doing OK. Floundering some, but still doing OK, when my brother mentioned a book he had read.
Enter Donald Ray Pollock.
In February 2021, my brother, Keith, suggested I read a book called Knockemstiff, written by a client of his named Donald Ray Pollock. It changed my way of thinking about writing. Pollock writes colorful dialogue in a vernacular that is easy to follow because it's free of tired platitudes, mindless banter, and excessive wordsmithing that does nothing to advance the story. He writes the way most people speak, and it opened my eyes.
I'm not a Don Pollock clone, nor should I try to be. He is an excellent writer and cannot be duplicated. He writes stories that are a little more raw and graphic than those that I write, but there is no denying that he, along with Ernest Hemingway and Stephen King, has influenced my style of writing. I am a Don Pollock fan, and I recognize his talent for making me feel what he writes. Much like Harper Lee did for me all those years ago. That's the kind of writer I want to be.
What Now?
For the past two years, I have read Ernest Hemmingway, Sherwood Anderson, Ambrose Bierce, Stephen King, Flannery O'Connor, Raymond Carver, Chuck Palahniuk, and Donald Ray Pollock. I have written bad stories, thrown them away, and started over. I have written good stories and felt motivated to write more. I have written two thousand words a day on many occasions and had periods of writer's block that have lasted for weeks. In short, I have learned to write. I have completed a dozen solid short stories and have another dozen or so in the works.
A few weeks ago, while sitting in the hot tub with my wife, we decided it was finally time to get serious.
The Streets of Greenfield.
I am writing a collection of short stories, tentatively titled The Streets of Greenfield, set in my hometown of Greenfield, Ohio, between 1960 and 2023. These stories are fiction and don't necessarily represent anything that has happened anywhere but in my head.
My goal is to have this book published no later than the spring of 2024. Achieving this goal will require several pieces to fall into place.
One essential piece is to develop a presence on the world wide web so I can show prospective publishers that there is interest and enthusiasm for such a book. I'm attempting that through this website, social media, and, eventually, by making some of my work available on Amazon and similar platforms.
Help Me Out?
I would be very grateful if you would become a member of this website (it's free), log in, read the posts, make comments, and engage in dialogue via the members' forum. Doing those few things will go a long way in establishing my online presence. You can also click on the social media links below and Like or Follow those. Many thanks for considering my request.
Wish me luck!
Comentarios