It’s a bit like Indiana Jones – the hunt, the adventure, the bad guys lurking around every corner trying to steal the artifact I’ve taken from an ancient cave in Tibet, using my whip to swing from stalactites and my father’s journal to decipher clues… Well, that may not be the complete truth of it, but who knew historical research could be so thrilling? I’m liking the excitement of non-fiction. Who would have guessed how much fun NOT making stuff up is, having to get it right, writing truth instead of fiction?
Microfiche film of old Richmond Times Dispatch newspapers, turn of the twentieth-century medical journals, government proceedings, and archives are gladly leading me along my way. I love that cigarette ads used to appear in medical journals, that U.S. presidential results would trickle in spanning days of front-page newspaper coverage just one-hundred years ago, and that a Richmond society girl's marriage to a less than wealthy man was front-page worthy. None of this is relevant to my research, but it's definitely fascinating.
However, it is the best of times; it is the worst of times, indeed Dickens. I learned this week that there is a show on the Disney Channel called Aaron Stone. That takes something away from my fiction, as that is my main character’s name in my manuscript. My Aaron Stone is neither a video game hero nor a wily teenager, as Disney would suggest. A few pieces of my book have been brewing in my head. I was trying hard to walk away, to let it be, to call it “finished,” but this seems to be a sign it’s time to tamper. More details sure to come later.
This week is Thanksgiving. For some, this may be an occasion to realize the closing in of the end of November and the deadline for NaNoWriMo is coming soon. (To all those who have done National Novel Writing Month this year and who are chugging away with their scribbling, truly, truly great work!) For me, though, this is a holiday to enjoy. The semester is winding down; my writing projects are keeping me gleefully busy; winter with its hot chocolate and marshmallows is nearly here.
Happy Thanksgiving and happy writing, everyone!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment