Writing is a constant learning experience, as is life. I have worked on and off over the last decade in the compilation of my manuscript Under the Smoke, submissions to publishers, edits, submissions to agents, and more edits. I bought a book which contained very helpful information in regards to assistance and knowledge in the publishing industry. This resulted in my webpage and this blog to increase exposure and create a fan base.
Thanks to my mother, I now have several more books on Hemingway and tools to help the writer improve his/her work. Yes, that means more learning and more edits. In on of the books, it lists things to do or not to do with word or sentence structure. It was disturbing and slightly humorous to discover I had been guilty of many of the "not to do" items. Should I take this writer at his word just because he said so ? Well, considering he is with the Poynter Institute, I probably should !
When I started on Under the Smoke, my interest was only to write factual, historical, and outdoor text with the outcome to share and educate others. Combined with a look back at the work of two of my favorite authors, Hemingway and Steinbeck, and my World Literature class I am currently taking, I have begun to toy with the idea of fiction and historical fiction.
One of the books I just finished reiterates how those around you can be sources of characters and conversations. This ties in well with sociological observations covered in another college class. It really should not be too difficult to observe and use what I absorb to construct believable people and actions. A thought and action process not to be rushed. Some edit while they write and others give their fingers free reign before they start the edit process. I tend to do both.
I will not abandon Under the Smoke. Since it is filled with my own personal experiences within the Smoky Mountains, it has a special place in my heart and mind. As years progress and more memories are created, I will probably write more like it whether about the Smokies or Yellowstone or a myriad of other places. For now, edits are in high priority to improve its quality and flow.
Simultaneously, ideas, plots, characters and locations seep from the recesses of my jumbled mind in brief mental stills or quick action shots. Notes taken down to keep these from being forgotten will hopefully form into viable fiction.
What does my future hold ? What will I continue to write ? History is a passion and the degree being pursued. I doubt I will ever break away from it as a basis for the majority of what I write. There are so many eras and subjects within them to pick from. However, that is not say I will not deviate and try other subjects out.
Stay tuned !
