Nine years ago I wrote "The Legend Of Story Cazaunoux" which is about the Voudou of South Louisiana. Story, the Voudou is the leader of a sect of voodooist in New Orleans. The main character, Story (who is my favorite character ever) was a lot of fun to develop and having the power to make a character what you want is great, but I quickly learned that editors want a "3 dimensional" character. Since I was discouraged from majoring in journalism I didn't know a LOT of terms, meanings and techniques necessary to write. Three dimensional is just what it sounds like. The character can't be a flat, told about person. It takes a while to make someone come alive on paper. And no matter how much the writer knows about the character, the readers will never know ALL there is to know about him. Though I am not as good as probably 95% of writers, the book did get published by a small publisher, and I made some money off of the sales. The best part of the whole process was seeing the book on shelves in New Orleans French Quarter shops. It was nice to see it in Books a Million and for a while it was sold on Amazon. Reading "Story" now makes me to re-write it. I see so much that I could have made much better. For several years I have been thinking of writing a second part to the 'Story'. Well, as the editors say you have to have a plot. I had about half of one. Then a few months ago I got an idea for the book. I wrote a bio on the character, a plot, a synopsis of it and sent it to my old editor. He said to write it and so I am working on it. This one will have all of the same characters, plus a few new ones, and will incorporate some historical events with total fiction. It is set in New Orleans and Manchac Swamp. I am enjoying writing it. Even if it isn't published for some reason it will still be created, and the characters will be brought to life. Once they are created you cannot stop then from taking on a life of their own even if only to you. And you cannot make them do things that are contrary to their personality. It simply will not work if you do.
Writing fiction is fun and mixing it with some history is fairly easy, but requires a lot of research. Rewrites are not fun. My editor taught me to show not tell, use a lot of dialogue, description, give protagonists and antagonist good and bad traits, have a decent plot and always have a lot of conflict. And to cut, cut , cut. He also said it your can't write a thirty word sentence you aren't worth a shit! He and I have clashed over re-writes. He is usually right. And I make the changes he wants. I learned by listening to Jeff Eastin not to use the words 'just' and 'besides'. He calls the use of either "lazy writing".
The second little book I wrote is called "The Magic Of Isha Swift" and it a kids book about a handicapped kid. It's a small book and I only had four areas that the editor wanted me to re-write.
Writing fiction is fun and mixing it with some history is fairly easy, but requires a lot of research. Rewrites are not fun. My editor taught me to show not tell, use a lot of dialogue, description, give protagonists and antagonist good and bad traits, have a decent plot and always have a lot of conflict. And to cut, cut , cut. He also said it your can't write a thirty word sentence you aren't worth a shit! He and I have clashed over re-writes. He is usually right. And I make the changes he wants. I learned by listening to Jeff Eastin not to use the words 'just' and 'besides'. He calls the use of either "lazy writing".
The second little book I wrote is called "The Magic Of Isha Swift" and it a kids book about a handicapped kid. It's a small book and I only had four areas that the editor wanted me to re-write.
The third book I wrote is called "Different Dancers" and it about a Native American boy who is a grass dancer and the son of white teachers who move to the reservation. The two become unlikely friends. The main character in "Dancer" is Harley White Eagle. I love that book and Harley. I mailed it out to publishers and as always waited for the rejections to come. (THEY ALWAYS DO!) I mailed it to a group called Council of Indian Education in Billings that I though sounded really promising. Nothing came from them. For two years. Then one day the phone rang and a man who identified himself as Hap Gilliand said he was the editor there and that they wanted to publish "Dancer". Being a big shot author (ha ha), I asked him what had taken so damn long. He said the manuscript had gotten lost in one of their 'preview readers' home for two years and when found he like it and wanted it. TWO YEARS!! The book had to pass inspection by a council of eight Native Americans writers from various tribes for authenticity and it did. I only had to make two changes in the book. One was the weight of a buffalo and the other was the menu for a Powwow. Not bad, I thought. That is one I've very proud of.
Well anyway, I'm writing again and even if it doesn't amount to anything I enjoy it. I have a friend that likes to write but refuses to send anything to any publications for fear of rejections. I understand that. It's scary to think that someone will think that your baby is ugly. But rejections make your skin tough and your writing better. And when it's finally published you laugh about them when you clean out your 'rejection drawer'. Your baby was pretty after all.
Well anyway, I'm writing again and even if it doesn't amount to anything I enjoy it. I have a friend that likes to write but refuses to send anything to any publications for fear of rejections. I understand that. It's scary to think that someone will think that your baby is ugly. But rejections make your skin tough and your writing better. And when it's finally published you laugh about them when you clean out your 'rejection drawer'. Your baby was pretty after all.
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