| My Novel Yes, as previously stated, I have been working on a novel for five years. It is semi-autobigraphical. The basic theme of it is one man's search for the type of person he is. He relives recent events in his life, pondering them and balancing them against his definition of what a "Just" man is. He does this in order to reach decisions in several dilemmas he has facing him. I don't want to say too much about the specifics of the plot but I'll give some idea of the meat of the book. The Protagonist is an ex-soldier who is trying to come to grips with something he witnessed his friends do during the Persian Gulf War. He feels compelled to turn them, and himself, in to authorities, but he also feels extreme loyalty to them. The story follows his return home and the downward spiral of his life as he is eaten away by guilt and seeks to find a way to redeem himself. It takes place in three time frames, moving back and forth by chapter; the present during which he is awaiting the arrival of a reporter he may or may not tell his story to, the recent past in which his life falls apart, and the less recent past during the war and his time in the army. I hope to have each chapter set in the past explain the preceding one in terms of characterization, why the protagonist does what he does. Does this sound like something you would read? As a somewhat war themed novel it has a pre-set audience for it. Yep, got to take commercial viability into account when thinking of publishing. When I say it's an autobiographical book I don't mean I was a war criminal. 80-90% of the true to life aspects of the book come during the protagonist's downfall when his life comes apart, I've been through that more than once. Have you? |
| New Projects in Progress, May 2001 I'm great at coming up with ideas. I'm great at starting writing projects. Finishing these projects and bringing these ideas to fruition is another story. So I've taken a new approach to two new ideas I recently had. Instead of writing with an exasperated eye towards future mass market publication I'm writing for leisure...for myself and a few select others. My first project is a screenplay. I've never had an interest in this form of writing but the idea came to me after watching a documentary on the Beats. So for fun I've begun a screenplay treatment of Kerouac's On The Road...a version of the book as I see it. I even have casting ideas forming. It's actually fun to work on this...presenting on film to others something you love. My second project is less for fun but something I really want to do. I'm writing a book about the 78 men, boys actually, from my neighborhood who died in the Vietnam War. I talked with a neighbor about his experiences over there as background for one of my stories for the Shadows From A Lingering Sun collection and the idea came to me as we chatted while standing by the memorial here with the names of the 78 boys etched in stone. I've often sat by this memorial and read the names...many times wondering who they were, who they might have become. Why not look into who they were? So I've done that...I've spoken to relatives and with men who served overseas with them collecting stories and recollections. I plan on gathering as much information as I can about each man and writing a mini biography. I'd then like to self publish the book and present a copy to each person who provided the information within. A way of remembering each of these boys and sharing their stories with the other families and friends who felt the loss. |