I’m waiting to hear from my editor with Regal House Publishing. I’ve turned the entire manuscript in and now I wonder what she’ll have to say about it.
One of the most common questions writers (and artists for that matter) get is, “How long did it take you to write/paint it?”
I never know how to answer that…All of my life? Any work of art reflects your life experience. I’m writing totally different things today than I did in my twenties. But would I write the same story if I hadn’t had those experiences in my twenties? I doubt it.
My book, Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace, is the result of a lifetime of learning about and loving the art of writing.
Let me give you a peek at what all was involved…
Roots in the Prehistoric Age
Maturing as a Writer
The next year brought whimsy to my writing. I shifted from murder to mice. I remember nothing about the story except my main character was a mouse with special skills (don’t think Mickey Mouse; think gifted animal that can talk and keep a tidy, well-appointed home).
Though I can’t recall the plot, I do remember this:
- My mother asked me why my main character (the mouse) was a boy and not a girl. I had no answer, but I did change the MC’s sex. I realized my hero was a girl.
- My teacher who had made the assignment told me that she had read the story to her family when they were gathered for Christmas. SOLD! Sign me up for a lifetime of story telling! The possibility of people reading my writing for enjoyment gave me even more of a thrill than winning an award had.
Headed Toward a Career
When I got to high school, a teacher asked me to be part of the school’s newspaper. With no knowledge about journalism, I had to learn fast. (That’s me on the far right in both pictures above.) The experience gave me a direction to head after high school graduation.
I majored in journalism in college because I thought it would be easier to get a job with that degree than with an English degree. I don’t know if it was easier, but I did end up being hired as the Features Editor at The Paducah Sun. So, there was that.
After we had our second child, I decided to stay home with our boys. And guess what I found out? I could write at home! I freelanced with various magazines and newspapers and kept my writing chops strong.
During all of this, I was keeping a journal and writing poetry. I will spare you any of my poems. Although, it is sweet to revisit that girl.
My Re-entry to Fiction
I think it was 1994 when I was hired to write a series of monologues based on historical characters who were buried in our town’s oldest cemetery. Having focused on the facts for so long, I welcomed an adventure into imagination.
Over the next few years I researched about thirty people who had made an impact on Paducah, my hometown. I always knew our little city was special, but this experience gave me new appreciation for it. In a future post I’ll tell you about some of the amazing people who have called Paducah home. (Hint: Hawaii’s royalty, a Vice President of the United States, and a major medical discovery are just the beginning!)
So, Here I Am
Years after I wrote the Oak Grove Cemetery dramatizations, I was scrolling through my documents and saw them. I loved these stories and wished I could do more to bring them to a new audience. One of my favorite older books is Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology. I wondered if I could weave a book like that.
I couldn’t.
But…
Stay tuned. In my next post I’ll tell you what happened next.
Karen Dodson
I won’t reveal some of your other masterpieces……..such as the eloquently intense diary entries or the melodramatic poems that only a girl in peak adolescence could write!
Tracey Buchanan
Some things should remain confidential!😇
Brenda Thompson
Thanks for sharing your writing journey. Loved it and your God-given writing talent. I’m looking forward to reading your book!
Tracey Buchanan
Thank you, Brenda!