Most everyone has heard by now JK Rowling’s story of being on welfare and having her little story about wizards rejected many times until a small publisher picked her up…and then her books ended up supporting them! Dune was apparently rejected 17 times before landing on the sweet acceptance spot. Stephen King wrote several novels before publishing Carrie (and he nearly abandoned that until his wife Tabby rescued the first few pages from the garbage and encouraged him to keep going) and creating a monstrous publishing empire.

So what if these folks had quit before that last effort where the tumblers fell into place, the key opened the magic lock and the doors to publishing opened wide? How do you know if you’re pursuing a path that will prove ‘successful’ or tilting at windmills with our good friend Master Quixote? It’s a question I’ve asked myself from time to time on this writing journey. I’ve had stories rejected time and again. One short story was rejected 18 times before being accepted by American Airlines Magazine for a magnificent sum. Truly, I about fell out of my chair when the editor made the offer. And all I could think was, ‘thank goodness it wasn’t accepted until now.’ Just these past couple months I had a short story picked up that is over ten years old and I thought was headed for the fabled writer’s trunk. I’ve tried to reason and analyze why some editors pass and others say come on in. The only thing I’ve come up with is that the reasons are vast and unpredictable. Better not think too hard on it and start the next writing project.

I’m reminded of Joe Konrath’s famous quote: “You know what you call writers who don’t give up? Published.” And he’s right, of course. But then again not everything I’ve written has been published. And thank goodness for that. Not all ink spilled across the ivory landscape coalesces into a transporting story. No, sometimes the words don’t work quite the way you want them to. Ideas are easy. Really good ideas are not so easy but are all around. It’s not screwing them up as you try to get them down that is the real trick.

So what’s this philosophic blathering all about? I’m not sure. I guess I’d like to hear from you, whether you’re a writer or not. I’m pretty sure you’re pursuing something that you’d call a dream, or certainly a passion. What are your thoughts on perseverance? When it gets hard, what makes you keep going? When you hit a point of success, what does that look like for you? And how does it make you feel?

I’ll leave you with a couple of quotes that resonant with the topic, I think. Oh, and for what it’s worth, in whatever you’re pursuing, don’t give up. There’s gold to be had if you keep digging. More importantly, there’s joy in having pushed through in both the work and belief in yourself. :-)

“Experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing.” ~Oscar Wilde

“Beginning writers must appreciate the prerequisites if they hope to become writers. You pay your dues—which takes years.” ~Alex Haley

“You must want to enough. Enough to take all the rejections, enough to pay the price of disappointment and discouragement while you are learning. Like any other artist you must learn your craft—then you can add all the genius you like.” ~Phyllis A. Whitney

As some of you know, one of my favorite books of all time is Robert McCammon’s Boy’s Life. Aside from To Kill A Mockingbird, I think it captures childhood and the magical, frightening, and wondrous conduit to adulthood as well as any novel I’ve ever read.

Mr. McCammon is also very articulate on the writing process. Here is an excerpt from a quote on the experience of writing Boy’s Life:

This is the thing about writing. The thing. When the writing isn’t going well, there’s nobody on God’s earth who can help you. Not spouse, not brother or sister, not best friend, not editor. Nobody. Because no one understands the work as you do. If there’s a problem, you have to deal with it, and you alone.

Conversely, when the work is going well … what can I say? That you hear angels singing? Or you hear the music of the spheres or something? That every fortune you get in your cookie says “Great Success Is Ahead, If You Don’t Mess It Up”?

Something like that, I suppose. But when the work is going well, and you see the painting coming to life, and the people are real and you know them and see their faces and realize you are creating Life, in a way, then … I don’t think there’s any better satisfaction in the world.

I have never had the satisfaction of publishing a novel, let alone one as indelible as his. But I have written and published enough to strongly identify with his feelings on this most unique, frustrating and glorious of crafts; the art of keeping one’s butt in one’s chair.

Thank you, Mr. McCammon, for the privilege of sharing in the journey of Boy’s Life. It’s a trip worth taking again and again.

I have a pet peeve.

Okay, I have more than one, but I just want to talk about one in particular:

Not responding to e-mail.

Actually it’s not responding to communication in general, but e-mail seems to get an easy pass. I know, I can hear the throngs already…‘I don’t have to respond to anything I don’t want to…It’s not all about you…I’m too busy…where is it written that I have to respond when someone sends me an e-mail…???’

It’s not written anywhere, that I know of. And we’re not talking about spam, either. I’m talking about (mostly) business communication, but it applies to personal communication, as well. See, I don’t expect people to answer when I write them, but I believe it is the courteous and in business terms, professional and right thing to do.

With communication there comes a responsibility. You’re right, it’s not all about you. Perhaps it’s more about the other person who’s reaching out to you. With oral communication, blatantly ignoring someone who’s talking to you is considered rude behavior. When you walk by someone and they say hi, do you ignore them and keep walking? Probably not. If you go into someone’s office and they are staring at their computer and don’t give you the time of day, is that rude? I would say yes. When you call someone and they never answer or maybe answer several days later, how does that make you feel? In a professional setting? By someone who calls you friend? So why is e-mail any different? E-mail carries with it as much responsibility as any other means of connecting with fellow humans.

And by the way, I’m not thinking of anyone in particular so I’m not targeting you. Well, I might be…

…just kidding.

I’m curious what you think. I really want to know.

And I suppose I shouldn’t get upset if no one replies….

I had the great and good fortune to discover and befriend members of my father’s B-17 crew from WWII. One gentleman in particular, Eddie Linnum, and I became close. Through him I received a remarkable gift; that of learning about my dad’s exploits as a bombardier as well as his relationships with these remarkable men from his 34 missions aboard the good ship ‘Miss Behavin.’ The experience of learning about aspects of my dad I didn’t know as well as receiving the treasure of Eddie’s friendship were priceless.

I’m in the midst of writing a memoir about dad and growing up in Cottage Grove, Or.,  all juxtaposed with his war-time efforts and coming full circle again by discovering an unknown side to him through his crew. One dear gent, Walt Fleming, who was a turret gunner (and apparently whose life dad saved during one harrowing mission) told me after initially contacting him that I could consider myself in good standing as ‘a member of our crew.’ So the current working title of the memoir is A Member of the Crew.

I adapted a piece from ‘Crew’ that was published last year in a wonderful layout by Flight Journal Magazine. I offer it here as both a tribute to Eddie and Dad & the rest of the crew, but also to show you that sometimes you start out writing one thing and you find yourself writing something else. And it’s usually best to give into where the writing wants to go.

Man Who Gave Me My Father from Flight Journal.

It’s hard to talk about writing without talking about those works that have influenced you. For me the pinnacle will always be To Kill A Mockingbird. I had the good fortune to read this in high school , instructed by a gifted teacher who brought the themes out in a relatable fashion without being heavy-handed. And then our teacher (dear Mr. Colton) did a brilliant thing; he rented the film  to cement the story in our young, impressionable minds. The film was a close and wonderful adaptation and it has since become my favorite film. So I can trace some of my writing back to this seminal novel. I have one book that has its own rift off of Boo Radley. So I bow in literary allegiance to Ms. Harper Lee for her extraordinary gift.

Others fiction favorites are Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon (an amazing novel that is a close cousin to TKAM), Peace Like A River by Leif Enger, the works of James Byron Huggins (faith-based action/adventure), pretty much anything by Ray Bradbury, David Morrell, Sigmund Brouwer, The Giving Tree and Curious George & his faithful overseer, The Man in the Yellow Hat, to name just a handful.

I’m a dusty old book store peruser from way back so when I first got a Kindle I was a little skeptical in just how much I’d actually use it. Well let me just say, that thing is on fire! I’m burning through books (with respects to Mr. Bradbury) at a rate that surprises me. So it’s been a wonderful vehicle to satisfy the yearning literary synapses.

And speaking of which…

These first blog entries should be duly inspiring, don’t you think?

Problem is, I’m still figuring this thing out. I’m sure inspiration will follow.

At somepoint.

Sometime.

Welcome to the blog…

We’re here!